Research, Resources, and Fellowships

The Rice Urban Fellowship Fund supports Yale undergraduate students pursuing in-person internships and practicums of eight or more weeks duration providing hands-on experience in the area of urban studies related to meeting the challenges faced by urban environments whose placements will be in government or non-profit settings. These fellowships were established through the generosity of Eve Hart Rice.  Award Amount:  $5,000 

Applications for this fellowship will be accepted via the Office of Fellowships Summer Internship Common Application. 

Topics can include: 

• Infrastructure 
• Transportation 
• Education 
• Use of Public Spaces 
• Urban Public Health 
• Urban Climate Challenges 
• Historic Preservation 
• Zoning 
• Affordable Housing 

Yale President’s Public Service Fellowship 

Established in 1994, the Yale President’s Public Service Fellowship (PPSF) connects Yale talent with the New Haven community. We provide full funding for Yale students to work full-time at local nonprofits and city agencies during the summer. Through immersive placements and weekly dinners, Fellows gain a unique perspective on meaningful community engagement and make a lasting impact on the city we call home.  

Applications are open for Yale students interested in public service from November to January. 

Dwight Hall Urban Fellows 

Initiated in 1994, Dwight Hall Urban Fellows is an academic-year program whereby Yale University undergraduates gain exposure to today’s urban challenges and work with community professionals to find real solutions. Placements seek to uncover and counter urban challenges through neighborhood empowerment, community-building, and economic development. 

Academic Year Fellowships Direct Service Urban Fellows dedicate 6-8 hours per week working in either a community organization or government agency, where they receive professional mentorship and develop a personalized project. In addition to community work, Urban Fellows garner their collective experience through a series of community-building activities, such as dinners, speaker series, and planned reflections. 

Cohort applications open every Spring. 

Yale Urban Design Workshop 

Founded in 1992, by Alan Plattus, then Associate Dean and Professor at the Yale School of Architecture, the Yale Urban Design Workshop (YUDW) is a community design center based at the School of Architecture. Since its founding, the YUDW has worked with communities across the state of Connecticut and around the world, providing planning and design assistance on projects ranging from comprehensive plans, economic development strategies and community visions to the design of public spaces, streetscapes and individual community facilities. 

Whitney Library (New Haven Maps) 

You might know the Whitney Library if you’ve visited for the class American Architecture and Urbanism, but if you’re unfamiliar, it’s the library of the historical New Haven Museum. Located on Whitney Avenue, the Whitney Library hosts a wealth of resources and archives for learning more about the city of New Haven. These include but are not limited to the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, the 1641 Brocket Map of New Haven, town records, and papers of the New Haven Historical Society. 

The library is open by appointment to researchers on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10-5 and Saturdays from 12-5. To make an appointment, discuss your research project and contact librarian Emma Q. Norden at library@newhavenmuseum.org or 203.562.4183, ext. 115.  Allow 72 hours in advance of your intended visit. 

New Haven Modern Architecture 

An initiative through the New Haven Preservation Trust, New Haven Modern Architecture is a digital inventory of mid-20^th century architecture in the Elm City. 

American Beat 

American Beat is a documentary film group founded in New Haven, Connecticut, by Elihu Rubin and Elena Oxman in 1999. 

Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association (CCAPA) 

The American Planning Association is the national organization of professional planners and citizens involved in planning for our nation’s communities. The Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association (CCAPA) is dedicated to advancing the practice of good planning in Connecticut by providing our members with up-to-date information about current planning issues and techniques, by building public and political awareness of the importance and benefits of good planning, and by bringing the Chapter’s diverse membership together from throughout the state to share experiences with colleagues. 

Student membership of the American Planning Association (APA) and local chapters is free for the duration of their studies. 

Southern New England American Planning Association (SNEAPA) Conference 

The SNEAPA Conference draws more than 500 planners, engineers, architects, students, and other professionals to share experiences, collaborate, network, and earn maintenance credits for AICP certification. 

Held in the fall, the conference is one of the best learning experiences for APA/AICP members in the region. The conference features two days of high quality, hands-on and interactive sessions, mobile workshops, planning law and planning ethics presentations, member networking, vendor contacts, plus a few surprises. 

 For AICP members, this is a valuable experience to gain those much needed credits for Certification Maintenance. Whether you are an APA member, an AICP member, a student, or a person with an interest in the practice of Planning, this conference always delivers something for everyone! 

Hixon Center for Urban Sustainability (Speaker Series) 

Established at the Yale School of the Environment, the Hixon Center aims to integrate, synthesize & apply scientific and environmental knowledge to foster sustainable cities including solving pressing 21st century problems such as the UHI, flooding and inequities; and educate the public and train students and future leaders with a deep knowledge of urban environments. 

Every semester, they host a weekly lecture series centered around pertinent topics like sustainable transportation, data-driven urban forestry, and sustainable urban mobility. All lectures are free, open to the public, and often livestreamed. 

Yale Center for Geospatial Solutions (YCGS) 

YCGS’s mission is to create geospatial knowledge that solves humanity’s most pressing challenges, and their experts come from every corner of Yale and pioneer the use of geospatial tools across all disciplines. They offer a wide range of geospatial computing resources and datasets, and their website is a great hub for learning about related resources available to you through Yale.  

Urban Studies students interested in accessing ArcGIS training can do so through Esri ArcGIS at Yale, as well as Yale GIS Accelerator, a 5-day intensive GIS training program offered in January and May by YCGS and Yale Library. They also host the Yale Remote Sensing Accelerator program in June. 

Yale Urban Media Project (YUMP) 

YUMP is a collective public scholarship initiative focused on the built environment, city planning, and urban change over time. The project aims to connect Yale students, staff, and faculty with local organizations to create research-based interpretive materials; with Artspace, Armory Community Advisory Committee, the International Festival of Arts & Idea, and others.   

New Haven Building Archive (NHBA) 

The NHBA is a web-based project that has been contributed to by students of the American Architecture and Urbanism class and other researchers. It is a building inventory that hopes to preserve the architectural history of New Haven and make it accessible to the public.  

Paprika! Magazine 

Paprika! Magazine is a window into emerging discourse from the Yale School of Architecture. Every issue is student-curated and aims to broadcast diverse voices in the fields of architecture, art, and design. Every issue of Paprika! Magazine is a newspaper broadsheet uniquely designed by students from the Graphic Design program at the Yale School of Art. No two issues are alike. 

Founded in 2014, Paprika! Magazine is named after the vibrant orange carpet in Rudolph Hall. The publication aimed to provide a fast-paced, student-centered alternative to Yale’s existing architectural publications of Perspecta, Retrospecta and Constructs. 

As a society, Ink & Vellum (InV) supports student activities and events related to the study of architecture and urban studies, particularly for students in these majors. InV works to support current interests within the majors and provide a stronger community through mentorship, as well as educational opportunities outside of the Yale curriculum. 

Instagram          Join the group and mailing list via Yale Connect 

The Yale Traffic Safety Committee brings together a diverse group of Yale faculty, staff and students along with members of both the Yale and New Haven Police Departments and representatives from the City of New Haven to keep motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists safe while navigating the streets of New Haven. Read the Traffic Safety Committee’s Mission Statement. 

Committee meetings are held roughly six times per year at the Office of Environmental Health and Safety, 135 College Street, Suite 100. If you have any suggestions or comments on traffic safety at Yale or would like to attend a meeting, please contact EHS at ehs@yale.edu or 203-785-3550. 

Website 

Yale/City is an initiative to build a global community of Yale students and alumni engaged in urban studies, policy and practice. Yale/City organizes programming in New York City, New Haven, and other locales that bring together Yale alumni working in related fields like architecture, real estate, urban planning, and technology. They also help interested undergraduate and graduate students connect with alumni for internships, mentoring, and professional development. 

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Fill out the Yale/City Mentorship Survey if you would like to connect with Alumni in the Urban Fields:  

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