Passionate about climate change mitigation, finding equitable solutions to the housing crisis, and more, Sam Ellman and Natalie Ikhrata dive into various topics related to the field of urban planning that are anything but boring!
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Sam is an environmentalist, transit advocate, and urban planning student. She comes from an environmental background, studying environmental studies in undergrad and focusing in Planning for Climate Change and Sustainability in grad school. Urban planning wasn't a career choice that Sam was familiar with until her junior year of undergrad, but after taking a planning elective, she was hooked. Planning was the way for Sam to work at the intersection of her passions: climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable and alternative transportation options, and community engagement.
Natalie is Master of Urban Planning Student at the University of Southern California focusing on Housing and Real Estate Development. Her path to urban planning was not a straight one as Natalie was originally in school to become a doctor. However, her desires to find equitable solutions to the housing problems facing the state of California took over and she switched her major in undergrad to Public Policy. Now she is focusing on understanding the intersection of housing and real estate development to find meaningful solutions to the housing crisis facing both the state and the country.
