Bridget Obikoya – Urban Design Engineer, The IMD Group Conversation with ULI Washington Member, Bridget Obikoya
What is or was your ULI involvement and what motivated you to volunteer for UrbanPlan?
I began my involvement with ULI as an UrbanPlan volunteer in 2015 at the suggestion of a colleague who was an instructor and volunteer here in the DC Metro area. She thought I would be a good fit for the program given my enthusiasm about urban planning and the built environment. And she was absolutely right! I am also a member of the ULI Washington’s 2021 Pathways to Inclusion cohort. In addition to Pathways, I serve as a volunteer of the UrbanPlan program as well as an instructor for UrbanPlan.
What has been a memorable part of your experience volunteering for UrbanPlan?
The best part about being an UrbanPlan volunteer is seeing a lightbulb go off in young minds as they grasp concepts related to real estate development and urban planning. Knowing that I've helped someone understand another perspective and positively influenced someone’s perception about real estate and urban planning is always gratifying to me.
How does being a volunteer/member affect your understanding of ULI’s work and impact?
I've met numerous people from various professional backgrounds as an UrbanPlan volunteer and have come to understand how all their work has contributed to community development in a myriad of ways from community organizing to finance. ULI's mission of positively shaping the built environment has far reaching implications on how people think about their communities and how communities are developed.
What is your approach to volunteering and connecting with young people?
It’s essential that I find something in common with the young people I'm in contact with. The more relatable I am, the more I feel young people are able to connect with the material I'm presenting and learn from the experience, which helps them understand urban planning better and more importantly, the nuances of community development.
What have you learned about yourself or from students through volunteering and being involved with ULI/UrbanPlan?
Policy related to housing and community development where we all live has an enormous effect on social outcomes. Understanding the role we each play in effecting change in governmental policies, community advocacy and in professional settings has enormous consequences for ourselves, families and our future generations.
What do you see for the future of UrbanPlan?
I see UrbanPlan as a stand-alone curriculum in schools for all grade levels that help young students understand where they live including the policies where they live, different points of view and stakeholder points of view. The interactive, immersive and realistic UrbanPlan curriculum is engaging and helps students learn the fundamental forces that affect development in our communities. This can, at the very least, help them shape their communities into thriving, inclusive places that support equitable outcomes for all people within their communities. UrbanPlan has the potential to change how future generations engage with their neighbors and to create better social policies and outcomes in neighborhoods where they live.
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