INQUIRING MINDS
Introducing the School of Planning, Policy and Environmental Studies
By Julia Halprin Jackson
INQUIRING MINDS
Introducing the School of Planning, Policy and Environmental Studies
By Julia Halprin Jackson
The College of Social Sciences at San José State has launched a new school that prepares environmental and social scientists, policymakers, urban planners and researchers to collaborate on the issues of our time.
Beginning this fall, Spartans studying environmental studies, urban planning, geography, global studies and public administration will be housed under the same umbrella: the newly launched School of Planning, Policy and Environmental Studies.
“When dealing with the urban environment, we have to consider land use, regulation, zoning, transportation — everything that shapes the environment, including the natural environment,” says Ahoura Zandiatashbar, associate professor of urban planning and design, and director of the Spatial Analytics and Visualization Institute. An interdisciplinary urbanist with expertise in spatial and statistical research, Zandiatashbar is excited to see the college welcome a new undergraduate degree in geographic information systems (GIS), as well as a one-year Master of Science in Geographic Information Science (MS GISc). GIS mapping is a common skill set needed in urban planning, public policy and environmental studies alike.
“The built environment affects the natural environment, whether we’re referring to climate change or fire hazards. Students also need to communicate their work with the public, which is why they need to understand data analysis and visualization.”
Scott Lefaver, ’68 Social Science, ’72 MUP, co-founder and principal of Cabouchon Properties LLC, a firm that purchases, rehabilitates and manages affordable housing across the United States, has championed the urban and regional planning program at SJSU for 50 years. In 2021, Lefaver created the first-ever endowed professorship in the College of Social Sciences for the Advanced Certificate Program in Real Estate Development (CRED). Lefaver believes that the new school will “bring about an interdisciplinary approach to community development, as well as public and environmental policy. Students will have the opportunity to better understand how each discipline adds to a community and, in doing so, bring about stronger and more vibrant places to live, work and be.”
“As cities and communities change, they face challenges of sustainability, transportation, housing and economic well-being,” he adds. “I see the goal of the School of Planning, Policy and Environmental Studies to facilitate collaboration within these fields of study leading to a more holistic approach to these challenges.”
“The built environment affects the natural environment, whether we’re referring to climate change or fire hazards.
“Students also need to communicate their work with the public, which is why they need to understand data analysis and visualization.”
— Ahoura Zandiatashbar
Social science research includes using drones to map and study wildfire, as the Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center explored in a Salinas Canyon prescribed burn in 2023 (left), or investigations into how climate change impacts urban watersheds, as environmental studies and meteorology faculty led classes on field trips (right). Photos: Robert C. Bain.
Interdisciplinary approach benefits all
No environmental challenge exists in a vacuum, says Nick Ajluni, ’12 BS, ’17 MS Environmental Studies, division manager of utility, financial and business operations with the City of San José. To address water quality, waste management, recycling and utility management, professionals working in local government, as well as in nonprofit and private sectors, need to communicate technical needs while considering public impact. In other words: Scientists must work with engineers; engineers must work with policymakers; policymakers must work with the community.
“As a recruiter managing divisions within the city, [it’s common to find] environmental studies students who have a technical background, or urban planners and public administration folks with a policy background, but having all of those experiences together makes people more well-rounded,” Ajluni says. “They are plug-and-play. With these departments coming together, San José will better position students for their future jobs, which benefits us all.”
Anne Marie Todd, dean of the College of Social Sciences and professor of communication studies, agrees.
“Intellectually, we cannot think about urban issues without thinking about sustainability,” she says. “We cannot think about environmental issues in this region without thinking about the wildlife urban interface. By working together, the environmental studies and urban planning programs can impact public policy and community development with cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary capacity-building.”
Nick Ajluni
The intersection of public policy and service
Laureen Hom, director of San José State's Master's in Public Administration program, shares that the "mission of the MPA program is to prepare students to be leaders in public service, which include careers in government and non-profit organizations. Our program not only provides students with the practical management, analytical and communication skills necessary for these careers, but we also emphasize the importance of public service ethics when working with communities and the public. A career in public policy and public administration means that you not only must have these skills, but that you also are knowledgeable about a variety of policy problems and issues that impact the public, from the local to the global."
Hom explains how critical it is for planning programs to have an interdisciplinary approach.
“Many of our students go on to work in local government, which includes tackling many urban planning issues, such as housing and economic development," she says. "Public administrators also are increasingly having to work on environmental issues, from ensuring green spaces in local neighborhoods to emergency and disaster management. By being housed with other interdisciplinary programs that also aim to prepare students to solve complex real world problems, the MPA program students at SJSU have an advantage of learning about a breadth of policy areas from experts in our school.”
The master's in urban planning program is listed in the top 10 planning programs in the West and sixth in the nation
The undergraduate program for environmental studies is ranked seventh in the nation
“This new school will bring about an interdisciplinary approach to community development, as well as public and environmental policy. Students will have the opportunity to better understand how each discipline adds to a community and, in doing so, bring about stronger and more vibrant places to live, work and be.”
— Scott Lefaver, '72 MUP
Scott Lefaver
