On March 3rd, 2018, the UC Irvine Urban Planning Student Association (UPSA) partnered with the Orange County APA Board to put on the third annual Nuts and Bolts of City Planning workshop. The event, held for both students and working professionals, was created to guide new planners with an introductory understanding of site plans, zoning maps, zoning codes, plan checks and more. Starting the day with a basic introduction to the planning world and breakfast, the attendees eventually broke up into smaller groups to circle around the room visiting different stations. At each station, they were able to review zoning maps and identify zoning codes in different parts of the City of Irvine. Then, they rotated to participate in some stations which included: site plans and parking, landscape design, elevation site plans, and topographical maps. Finishing with lunch, the guest speakers were readily available for some Q&A by the attendees, a great networking opportunity for everyone. Attended by about 30 people, including students and professionals, the event turned out to be a great success. Once the workshop concluded, a UCI MURP student provided immediate feedback stating: “This workshop is extremely helpful for students pursuing a career in planning, especially for those who have limited experience in the actual field… There are many facets of planning to practice and this workshop helped me gain a better understanding of which ones I’m most interested in.”
A final thanks to UPSA’s partner at OCAPA, Stephanie Roxas and the guest speakers: Steve Ratkay, Belinda Deines, Katherine Moran, Christina Michaelis, and Nick Chen.