Toulan Stories

PhD Student

"By fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, I envision a future where urban planning is not just about buildings and roads but about creating harmonious, inclusive, and vibrant communities. 

Community Development Student

"I am the product of a village of people who, throughout space and time, have been essential pillars to any amount of “success” I have achieved or will achieve, and whom I hope to emulate in terms of how I want to show up and be a caretaker of life."

MURP Alum

"When I moved to Portland in 2014, it was my first time living on the mainland and my first time being treated differently because of my accent and the way I look. I’m Borikua, born and raised in Puerto Rico, where I completed my bachelor’s degree in biology."

Faculty Emeritus

"I grew up in the Bronx, New York, a few blocks away from Yankee Stadium. Both of my parents were immigrants from Poland and were members of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union all their working lives in the United States. Neither of them drove a car, and I grew up riding public transit..."

MURP Student

"I applied to PSU because I wanted to help shape cities."

MUS Alum

"When I applied to the Master of Urban Studies program at Portland State University, I knew exactly what I wanted to do."

Faculty

"For me, the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning is all about the students."