Meet Jake Glantz: Designing Better Cities
Jake Glantz is 22 years old. He just finished college at Florida State University and is getting ready to start his master’s degree in Urban Planning. Jake cares about cities, neighborhoods, and how people get around. I talked with him to learn what got him interested in this field and what he hopes to do in the future.
Jake’s interest started during a school trip to New York City. “I remember thinking who decides where things like parks go? Why are some areas busier than others?” That trip made him curious, and later it became his career choice. “Urban planning lets me take big problems like traffic or housing and find real ways to help people,” he said.
One of his favorite experiences was a summer internship with the Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Department. “I helped redesign a local park. I met with people who lived nearby, drew maps, and shared ideas with city leaders. It felt great knowing my work mattered.”
Jake says that one challenge is explaining what urban planning is. “People think it’s just about buildings. But it’s really about helping people, it’s how they live, how they get around, and what they need to feel safe and happy.”
In the future, Jake wants to make cities greener and fairer. He hopes to help build better transportation systems that are easier to walk or bike in. He also wants to make housing more affordable.
Right now, Jake is focusing on learning more about housing, the environment, and how to use technology to make cities work better. “I want to help people live better lives without hurting the Earth,” he said.
For others who might want to do what Jake does, he says: “Be curious. Look around your neighborhood and think about how things work. You’ll see there’s a lot more happening than you think.”
Learn more about urban planning here: https://www.planning.org/choosingplanning
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