Student Association

The mission of the #BUCPUA Urban Planning Association (formerly known as the City Planning and Urban Affairs Student Association) is to create opportunities for students, alumni, professors, and associates in the Master of City Planning, Master of Urban Affairs, and Bachelor of Science in Urban Affairs programs to get to know each other and explore their chosen career paths. We also welcome anyone from BU and the Boston Consortium interested in city planning and urban affairs. We take our love of all things urban out of the classroom and into casual conversation, the field, and beyond.

The Association hosts social, service, learning, and networking events meant to bolster the sense of community within the programs and the BU community, and to further student and alumni interests into the various fields within urban affairs and city planning.

The Urban Planning Association (UPA) was founded by Pablo Aboumrad, MCP’08, in 2006 as an informal group of students interested in strengthening community relationships within the program and with other institutions. In 2014, the group’s officers decided to pursue official status as a Boston University student organization, and earned that recognition in 2015 with the new title of Urban Planning Association.

UPA Executive Board members are elected annually during the spring semester. A list of current members and positions can be found below. The UPA regularly hosts events for students, faculty, and alumni alike. The First Friday of every month is reserved for a social gathering at one of the many Boston-area pubs or restaurants—we even manage to cross the river and explore Cambridge as well! An annual Fall Meet and Greet welcomes incoming and returning students, while ice cream socials and dinner-with-a-professor offer opportunities to get to know faculty outside of the classroom. Semi-annual alumni mixers facilitate networking between current and former students and promote discussions about employment opportunities and navigating the planning field. On-hand for these events are many of the Massachusetts-based MCP/UA graduates who can be found working at all levels of local and state government, town and regional planning councils, private firms, and not-for-profits.

Potential, current, and former students are encouraged to contact us with any questions or suggestions. The Urban Planning Association can be reached at upa@bu.edu.

2023–2024 Executive Board Members

Ana Calderon

Patrick Hackett

Anel Tarakbay

Ting Wei Li