Hello and welcome to Planningnerd.net!

My name is Levi and this blog is going to help channel my inner planning nerd. I’m a Transportation Planner with two young boys. I received my Master of Science in Urban Planning (MSURP) as well as my Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management and Homeland Security(EMHS) from UCF.

I’m working hard to make the world a little better than I found it. Looking forward to my kids being able to enjoy a planet and places I love.

A little more about me, personally:
I grew up in South Louisiana, outside the hustle and bustle of a big city.  Baton Rouge and New Orleans were close,  but I was on a little farm in the middle – middle of nowhere. The town was so small, we didn’t even get a name on the exit sign. It literally said, “Exit 29 Louisiana HWY 441”.

How did a farm boy from rural Louisiana grow up to be a planner in the International Super-City of Miami Beach?

A lot took me from South Louisiana to South Florida and you will see some of that throughout my blog. The simplest answer is Hurricane Katrina. Katrina got me into planning and the need for resiliency planning took me to Florida.

A little more about me, professionally:
I have always been drawn to science, community development, and architecture. When I was a kid I never knew what I wanted to be. How do you blend so many interests into one profession, in a world that is so specialized? Hurricane K., ironically, helped me to put together the pieces.

Before the storm I was studying geophysics at The University of New Orleans (UNO). The semester after the storm, my program was canceled and I was left with a lot of credits and no major. So, I went into interdisciplinary studies and focused on urban planning, because it would get me out the quickest. I immediately loved it! Planning was a place where creativity, community, and environment blended into one big swirl. The product of that swirl could be a fantastic city, if done correctly.

Since graduating from UNO, I have moved to Florida and completed my MSURP and EMHS at UCF. Over the course of my 4yrs in Central Florida, I developed a strong background in transportation and environmental planning. I also got to focus a lot on smart growth. Central FL is a great and growing place, that offered a lot of opportunity to learn.

I was very lucky at UCF. I had a lot of great opportunities and mentors to help me grow into an efficient, reliable, and highly motivated planner. The experiences and knowledge I gained could never be duplicated.

I also had the opportunity to study abroad in Seoul, Republic of Korea. What amazing people! The city and her people will always hold a special place in my heart. Being able to obtain international planning experience through UCF’s international exchange program was a once in a lifetime experience.

I was at the right place at the right time. All of these things combined have allowed me to develop an interdisciplinary mind with a unique combination of creativity and analytical skills. I have learned the importance of working collaboratively across barriers and with different parties to forge strong working relationships and partnerships.

Currently,  I work for a quasi governmental agency in South Florida focusing on resilience.

How everything is set up: 

My Hope is for this to be as simple as possible. Use the Menu button in the top right to navigate the site most easily. Under the CATEGORIES tab, you will find Articles, Blog Spot, House Keeping, and Studies.

Articles – Here you will find articles I find interesting and want to share.

Blog Spot – This is where you will find original content from myself or anyone else I know.

House Keeping – In this folder, I will give updates about the blog and  anything that doesn’t “fit” the other categories.

Studies – More academic than fun, this category will be more of the meat and bone/dry stuff for the real nerds.