By Sherika Hall
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Students, particularly those at the secondary level, are being encouraged to consider Urban and Regional Planning as a career option.
Dean of the Faculty of the Built Environment at the University of Technology (UTech), Jamaica, Professor Garfield Young, appealed to students at a recent JIS ‘Think Tank’, geared at highlighting the various activities that will be undertaken for World Town Planning Day (WTPD) on November 8.
“You may be contemplating a career and you are not so sure what your options are. Town Planning is real and if you want to study Urban and Regional Planning at the university level, UTech is a great option,” he said.
For those students who might have an interest in specific areas such as architecture, land surveying and valuation, Professor Young advises that they include Geography, along with Mathematics and English Language, when choosing their Caribbean Examinations Council (CSEC) subjects.
This, he said, is as a result of the topic’s ability to expose students to the work of Urban Planners.
Speaking to WTPD, which will be held under the theme ‘Building Resilient Communities & Cities through Smart Solutions’, students are also being encouraged to participate in the day’s activities, which will take place at the National Housing Trust (NHT) Overtime Facility in New Kingston.
The main activity for the day will be a symposium that will explore several topics, such as integrating smart solutions that are geared towards having cities and communities developed in a resilient, sustainable manner.
“World Town Planning Day is an important day that happens every year on November 8, and my appeal to all Jamaicans is to come out and participate in the activities,” the Professor said. Students, in particular, should come out as “you will see some students from the University with whom you can engage and get a stronger sense of the content in the curriculum and how we go about preparing individuals for the planning sector”.
This year’s activities are being organised by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), in partnership with the NHT, ministry of local government and community development, ministry of economic growth and job creation, Jamaica Institute of Planners, the University of Technology and the University of the West Indies.
