Statement of Purpose: Urban Planning Program

Statement of Purpose

Tito L. Martinez

From a young age, I have had a passionate interest in the world around me and people’s interactions with it and each other. The more I learned about the world throughout my educational career, the more my interest intensified. In my third year as an undergraduate at Binghamton University, my passion, which until then had been mostly applied through extracurricular investigation, finally became directed towards a cohesive, comprehensive discipline that encompassed all that I was interested in learning about. This discipline, I found, was Geography. I realized then, that geography was more than just a personal interest, but that it was also a critical field of study in today’s rapidly globalizing society. I then decided that it merited more than just extracurricular attention, but that I should focus on geography as a student and declare it as my second major. After much thought, I realized that there was a way that my new focus could be complementary to my first major, Pre-Architecture. My passion for geography was nearly matched by my interest in architecture and the built human environment. Architecture, I found, could be looked at in a geographic context through the study of the urban environment. The needs and challenges of the urban environment are site specific and perpetually changing, and the architecture contained within its geographical bounds has to respond to that. This lead to my concentration on the Urban Planning course of study within Geography.

It is important to me that the ultimate goal of my chosen profession and my intellectual pursuits not be exclusively to make a living, but also to make a change. I feel that Urban Planning can fulfill all of these criteria. The urban environment can be seen as a microcosm of the world, especially in the recent decade, due to globalization’s encroachment into nearly every corner of the planet. This then, provides the planner with the unique opportunity of, in a sense, changing the world. The scale of the city makes this change realistic, and allows for progress and a lasting impact on the lives of people, starting with the immediate residents of the city in question and spreading through the numerous networks available in the world today. This is my goal and this is why I wish to pursue an advanced degree in Urban Planning. I want to be best prepared to make this change, with a refined understanding of the urban environment and its inner workings, and how to best apply this in my working career.

In my pursuit of a bachelor’s degree at Binghamton University, I have learned much about not only my concentration, but Geography as a whole. This well rounded approach has given me a more holistic understanding of urban planning. My physical and human geography courses have taught me important geographic concepts regarding history, politics, health, demographics, development, transportation and culture, all of which can be directly applied to urban areas. GIS has taught me the importance of census data in tracking changes in the urban environment as well as the importance of mapping in visualizing these changes and trends and making predictions and drawing conclusions based on the results. My planning courses have taught me about the specifics of the planning profession in all aspects, from legal to political, as well as teaching me much about the history and theory behind planning. I have learned of the successes and failures of many renowned planners and theorists such as Ebenezer Howard, LeCorbusier, Robert Moses, Camilo Sitte, Frederick Law Olmstead and various others. Because of such quality and breadth of education, I know that Binghamton University would be an ideal institution to continue my studies. Any shortcomings in my academic career here at Binghamton have not been a reflection of my interest or passion for geography, but can instead be attributed to difficulties with adjustment in my first year and later to difficulties with time management due to holding two jobs during the semester to help cover the expenses of college. I have adjusted to such a schedule rather late as an undergraduate, however, I have done so in time to be able to perform to a higher degree in graduate school.

My goal in pursuing a graduate degree in Urban Planning is to further broaden my knowledge on the subject of planning and geography, while at the same time honing in on that which can be directly applied to the profession of planning for a municipal or regional government. I also hope to gain hands on experience as well as teaching experience as a teaching assistant to view the material from a different perspective. I believe that this university is the ideal environment for this, with a dedicated core of geography professors, a small and intimate department, and strong relationship with the government of the surrounding city and region. In this environment, I am sure that I can blossom into an effective, informed and dedicated planner that can make an impact on a city in need, one such as Binghamton, New York.