SUMMARY OF ABAG’S 2016 SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Planning & Research Department is seeking qualified interns to engage in challenging regional planning tasks that address economic, housing, land use, neighborhood development, resiliency, urban, and water policies. Projects and tasks will be assigned based on skill sets and interests:

• Economic Development—Complete a regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) report that is required to establish a Regional Economic Development District (EDD) recognized by the federal Economic Development Administration. Together the EDD designation and CEDS [https://www.eda.gov/ceds] directly support economic and workforce development efforts in high-need areas through grants, technical assistance and partnerships with other public and private entities. Additionally, set up a database to collect info on future policy and project developments for Bay Area jurisdictions by meeting with jurisdictional planners to gather the data.

• Regional Housing Permitting Activity—Collect, prepare, and release a 2015 regional housing permit summary report of residential growth in the Bay Area. Use GIS to map the location of permits issued in 2015 and prepare maps and GIS data for release to the public. Work with planning staff to convene an informal focus group of practitioners to solicit best practices for acquiring information on the location and types of residential building permits issued by jurisdictions. Aid the Planning Department in mapping regional permitting activities by analyzing housing sites identified by jurisdictions, publicly owned sites, and greenfield development.

• Regional Housing Policy—Research housing policies adopted by various Bay Area cities and counties in order to populate a searchable online policy database, then prepare a summary report detailing regional housing policy trends in the Bay Area. The research will culminate in a reference library for each tracked policy based on municipal codes and other publicly available data sources as well as provide general support to the regional housing program by researching topics of interest including, among other topics, second units, loss of deed-restricted affordable units, and short-term rental regulations.

• Regional Resilience Measures—Engage in challenging regional planning tasks addressing hazard mitigation, climate adaptation, and community resilience. Collect and examine city plans, programs, and initiatives that have been implemented to build resiliency. This includes working with jurisdictions to verify local programs and investments, expanding data sets related to city actions, and synthesizing information. Working in concert with the Planning Department, the Resilience Program assists Bay Area local governments and residents in planning for earthquakes, the effects of climate change, and other hazards.

• Water and Infrastructure—Support the development of materials for use by members of ABAG’s Regional Planning Committee, and by participants in a 2016 Water Summit. Assist ABAG staff with a synthesis of existing local and regional water plans to uncover the common strategies among districts, cities, and non-governmental organizations. The research will explore the different roles and actions of cities, water districts, and state and federal agencies. The research completed will be synthesized in a report to be shared with Bay Area cities, water districts and other water supply stakeholders.

QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants must be in urban or regional planning or a related field to the respective internship (such as geography, public policy, natural resources, civil engineering, environmental engineering, or related fields), and have completed at least their junior year of undergraduate study, be in a graduate program, or have recently graduated. Other qualifications include excellent writing, analytical, and communication skills, and an understanding of recent urban growth patterns, sustainability and equity concepts. Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel is required. GIS and data collection skills are desirable.

SALARY: $18.00 - $20.00 per hour depending on education and experience

TERM: Up to twelve weeks during the months of June through September 2016

ABAG Web Site: www.abag.ca.gov

TO APPLY
In order to be considered for a summer internship, you will need to submit the following items to ABAG electronically (via email) by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 15, 2016.

1. Completed ABAG application (Use “2016” for the Job Number)
2. Completed Interest Form (choice of internship projects)
3. Resume
4. One-page writing sample (individual, not from a group project)
5. Cover letter

The ABAG application and Interest Form can be obtained from www.abag.ca.gov/jobs.html. Send all 5 items electronically in a complete package (can be up to 5 attachments but only one email) to Christina Fong at ChrisF@abag.ca.gov. ABAG is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified disabled individuals are protected against discrimination.

Contact: Christina Fong, HR Administrator, (510) 464-7941 or ChrisF@abag.ca.gov

LOCATION INFORMATION
ABAG is currently located in the MetroCenter building at 101 Eighth Street, Oakland. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 2050, Oakland, CA 94604-2050. ABAG will be moving to a new location in San Francisco in a few months. The new address will be 375 Beale Street, San Francisco. Depending on when the internship starts, part of it may be in Oakland and part in San Francisco, or all of it in San Francisco; however, selected candidates will be interviewed in Oakland during the week of May 9-13.