Spring 2025: Master of City Planning Symposium

Master of City Planning students ready to graduate presented their MCP Capstone projects on May 16, 2025, in preparation for commencement. With 15 presentations and five posters, the afternoon was packed with results from the graduates' amazing work.

Organized by Associate Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning, Carolina Reid, the presentations were divided into four groups, with a Q&A for each themed group.

Group 1: 

Moderator: Max Buchholz, Assistant Professor 

• Lia Bobay | "More Like Justice": Improving Equitable Development at India Basin Waterfront Park
• Laurel Denyer | Examining the Legislative Applications of CalEnviroScreen and the

  Relationship to Regional Planning

• Erin Slichter | Best Practices for Youth Engagement at the Oakland Department of

  Transportation

• Ana Padilla | Art in Public Places: Emeryville 

Group 2:

Moderator: Sai Balakrishnan, Associate Professor  

• Anusha Bellapu | Reimagining City-Building: Land Pooling and Speculative Rural-Urban Transitions in Amaravati, India
• Emma Goh | Border Biopolitics and Interstitial Identities Along the Malaysia-

  SingaporeCauseway

• Kanani D’Angelo | Ahupuaʻa Futuresin Puʻuloa:An Exploration ofUrbanAhupuaʻa
  Restoration in ʻAiea and Kalauao

• Ruby Zalduondo | Gridlocked: Tracing the Origins and Impacts of Utility-Scale Solar
  In Puerto Rico

Group 3:

Moderator: Claire Parisa, Faculty Lecturer 

• Bala Balaganesan | Vacant Land in the Bay Area: Advancing Climate and Affordability Goals

• Kyler Blodgett | WinningNext Time: RM4 and the Future of Regional Housing
  Funding in the Bay

• Anteeniya Bell | The Right to Thrive: Tenant-Led Housing Justice in Vallejo, CA

• Jovan Sheshbaradaran | Where Does Opportunity Lie? An Analysis of Racial Real
  Wage Disparities Across American Cities

Group 4:

Moderator: Karen Trapenberg Frick, Associate Professor  

• Angel Yang | OurCommunity, Our Shuttle: Microtransit Bayview-Hunters Point

• Alyssa Hurtado | Keeping up the Tempo: Speed and Reliability Analysis of AC
  Transit’s BRT Line

• Eileen Chen | Spatial Structure Dynamics Through Commuter Mobility Centrality and
  Regional Economic Complexity

The presentations were followed by a light reception and a poster session with poster authors on hand to discuss their research.

Poster Session - Authors: 

• Esteban Villasenor | Beats per Square Meter- Land Use, Creative Expression, and Sectorization of Amenities
• Gabe Haddad |How Local Policy Can Unlock the Potential of Shared Microobility

• Mariah Padilla | The Case for Sea Level Rise Specific Community Engagement: Best
  Practices and Planning Tools

• Yorangga Citra Arundati | Intergenerational Connection in Berkeley Public Space

• Sana Sheikholeslami | Evaluating Affordable Housing Funding Commitments in BayArea Housing Elements