The PSU Planning Club is dedicated to discussing and educating the community on urban planning. Their goal is to create a community through public activities and informational presentations related to the field. While the club’s primary intention is to serve as a social outlet for PSU’s Master’s of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) students, community members of all disciplines are welcome to attend.
Planning Club is unique in that it’s one of the few clubs on campus that’s primarily focused on serving students in a master’s program, as many clubs tend to target undergraduate students.
The club holds a variety of events each term, ranging from social outings to educational talks. On Friday, May 16, the Planning Club held their fourth Annual Bowling Extravaganza in the basement of the Smith Memorial Student Union. This event acts as their end-of-year celebration. They also conduct regular city tours, discussing the urban planning behind it all as they go. The club even organized a screening of the 1992 film, Candyman, which deals with social themes related to urban studies like gentrification.
At the start of the Spring term 2025, the club held a series of three talks titled “International Month.” Each talk highlighted a different country and its respective urban planning dynamics. The first three topics are planning in Puerto Rico, China and Botswana.
Planning Club has a strong focus on outreach and networking, extending outside of the PSU community, connecting with Urban Studies and Planning students from other universities. In February, 15 UC Berkeley Students visited PSU, during which the Planning Club took them on a walking tour of Portland.
“ Even though sometimes things might be tailored for Planning students, everyone is welcome and we welcome everyone’s curiosity,” said Autumn Fluetsch, First Year Co-Representative at Planning Club. “It’s more fun when we get to meet more people and hear different perspectives and embrace them.”
Fletch mentioned that many students from other programs like the PSU Schools of Architecture, Political Science and Social Work have found interest in the club.
To stay up to date with Planning Club events, students can join their newsletter via PSU Connect.
