Student Clubs and Organizations

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning has two student organizations: the Cal Poly Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ chapters of the American Planning Student Association (APSA) and the Graduate Planning Student Association (GPSA). Both are dedicated to providing educational, professional, and social development for planners, and provide pathways for those who want to find connections and build relationships with members of the planning profession. They are the voice of the student body, with representation in the and serve as facilitators of various planning-related events on- and off-campus.

URP Student Clubs


American Planning Student Association (APSA) – Cal Poly Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is a non-profit, student-driven organization within the Urban and Regional Planning Department in the College of Environmental Design of Cal Poly Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. The APSA organization was designed to be a community of students and faculty dedicated to providing educational, professional, and social development for planners at Cal Poly Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. APSA memberships are intended to serve any student within Cal Poly Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ who is interested in the study of urban planning.

APSA is the primary resource for students within the Urban and Regional Planning Program who want to find connections and build relationships with members of the planning profession. Serving as the primary voice for the student body, APSA functions as a means to get students involved in their education, through a combination of various planning related events, on and off campus. The key tenets driving APSA are based upon the student experience, such as providing opportunities to network, building important work skills, gaining exposure to the profession, and actively improving the Urban and Regional Planning Program. In a broader context, APSA is actively affiliated with other organizations from within Cal Poly Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ and across Southern California, promoting an even larger community of learning, so that we may be better prepared to address the societal issues of the future.

The American Planning Student Association (APSA) is a student organization serving future Urban and Regional Planners at CPP. 

APSA connects students with the planning profession — and with each other. It is affiliated with the . Events include:

  • Social events to build community
  • Networking with professionals and alumni
  • APA conferences
  • Guest lectures from planning professionals

APSA’s events and meetings are free and open to all.

Stay connected:

The Graduate Planning Student Association (GPSA) is an organization that aims to connect Cal Poly Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ graduate planning students with alumni, professors, and professionals in the planning field.  The GPSA hosts numerous events throughout the year such as field trips to local planning firms, workshops, and several networking and social events.