Intern, Planning and Preservation – Spring 2019

Organization: The Municipal Art Society of New York
Website: https://www.mas.org/about-us/careers/#planning-intern

Posted: November 3, 2018 | Closing: November 26, 2018


Job Description

For 125 years, The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS) has worked to educate and inspire New Yorkers to engage in the betterment of our city. As one of the city’s longest-standing non-profit advocacy organizations, MAS mobilizes diverse allies to focus on issues that affect our city from sidewalk to skyline.  Through three core campaign areas MAS protects New York’s legacy spaces, encourages thoughtful planning and urban design, and fosters inclusive neighborhoods across the five boroughs.

Much of our work focuses on the built environment from a variety of angles. Our forthcoming report A Tale of Two Rezonings examines the Long Island City and Downtown Brooklyn neighborhood rezonings from a retrospective environmental planning perspective. Our Accidental Skyline initiative looks at the proliferation of “supertall” buildings, their impacts on surrounding neighborhoods, and the zoning mechanisms developers use to build them. MAS regularly evaluates neighborhood rezonings—most recently those in East New York, East Harlem, Inwood, Downtown Far Rockaway, and Jerome Avenue—through the lens of equitable and sound planning. MAS advocates for Privately Owned Public Space (POPS) and sponsors the most comprehensive online resource dedicated to POPS. MAS also manages the Livable Neighborhoods Program (LNP), which helps communities better understand and influence land-use planning, and become stronger advocates for their neighborhoods. MAS has continued its leadership in historic preservation by creating interactive web maps that show the location and types of permits granted by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Internship Description

Interns will support MAS planning and preservation staff on long- and short-term projects and day-to-day work including, but not limited to, researching, drafting, and presenting advocacy positions and testimony; contributing to studies, reports, presentations, and mapping projects; and developing educational resources and tools.  Interns can expect to attend and assist with meetings and events, during and outside of regular office hours, including public hearings, community meetings, and public programs organized by MAS and/or partner organizations and agencies.

Requirements
Applicants must be currently enrolled in a master’s degree program focusing on city and regional planning, historic preservation, public policy, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, transportation planning, economic development, real estate development, economics or a related field. A limited number of paid internships are available and unpaid positions will be considered for candidates eligible for either course credit or a stipend through their educational institution. Paid interns should plan to have 16 to 20 hours per week available for 12 weeks of work during the semester.

Required Skills

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to conduct in-depth research on existing and proposed development, relevant City and State legislation, and policy initiatives.
  • Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, and to successfully manage multiple projects.
  • Demonstrable experience with Microsoft Office.
  • Knowledge of New York City’s zoning, land-use, and environmental review processes (ULURP and CEQR), and current urban policy issues.
  • Experience speaking publicly and making effective presentations.

Preferred Skills

  • Experience and interest in one or more of the following areas: transportation planning, community-based planning, environmental review, open space planning, sustainability and resiliency, architecture and urban design, historic preservation, real estate and economic development, and affordable housing.
  • Experience with mapping and GIS analysis: ArcGIS, ArcScene, and Carto online (formerly CartoDB).
  • Familiarity with programming languages for data analysis, mapping and online applications: SQL, Python and HTML.
  • Experience with specialized design software including Adobe Creative Suite and SketchUp.

How to Apply

Application Instructions
The application deadline is November 26, 2018.

To apply, please email a resume, cover letter and work sample (such as a writing sample, excerpt of a research paper, or portfolio, 10 pages/5 MB maximum) to interns@mas.org, with the subject line “Intern, Planning and Preservation – Spring 2019”. No phone calls please.

For more information about MAS, visit www.mas.org.

The Municipal Art Society of New York is an Equal Opportunity Employer.



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