Cool Job of the Month
Planning growth in the heart of Silicon Valley
Paul Mennega graduated from the Geography program at Waterloo in 2003 and is now working in northern California as an Urban Planner for the City of Palo Alto, California.
What
do you do?
My day-to-day tasks
include reviewing building permit applications to ensure compliance with
our zoning laws, answering planning-related questions from the general
public, and acting as a project coordinator for some of the larger projects
that take place in Palo Alto. Larger projects in California, such as
multi-family and commercial developments, often require extensive oversight,
including architectural and environmental review.
Planners in Palo Alto act in many ways as project managers, guiding applicants through the often complicated process as well as reviewing the development proposal to ensure compatibility with our current regulations and with the City's over-arching General Plan for development.
Thanks in large part to the location of Palo Alto in the heart of the 'Silicon Valley', I have had the chance to work with a wide range of people on a diverse set of projects ranging from single-family homes through condominium developments and new commercial space.
Why is Planning important to the City of Palo Alto?
With an affluent and
socially active group of residents in the city, people count on our Planning
Department to maintain a high standard of quality in the work performed
and also to act as an effective moderator for development within the
city. By "moderator for development" I mean that the Planning
Department tries to balance the interests of developers with the interests
of residents so that the city remains a great place to live.
Do you have any advice you have for students interested in similar
careers?
Don't be afraid to contact
planning offices directly and offer your services for a 3 or 4 month
'co-op' stint, even for free. The long-term value of the experience and the
networking will outweigh the short-term hit to your bank account. Additionally,
you will have moved yourself to the top of their list when a position does
inevitably open up.
How did you end up working in the United States?
I moved to Palo Alto with my wife
after graduating from the Faculty of Environment. We have lived
in Palo Alto since arriving in the area and enjoy the local hiking in the
Santa
Cruz mountains, the location (20 minutes north of San Jose, 40 minutes
south of San Francisco) and, of course, the near perfect weather.
Since moving here we have met many of the VERY large Canadian contingent that call the Bay Area home, and not surprisingly given the amount of high-tech in the area, most are Waterloo graduates. It is quite amazing to be in the center of the technology universe and still see that Waterloo is truly a world-class institution.
(Photos source: City of Palo Alto website)
January 2006
