Name: Anna O’Connor
Class Year: 2028
Major: Growth and Structure of Cities
Minors: Sociology, Music

Internship Organization: Street Lab
Internship Title: Urban Planning and Research Intern
Location: New York, NY

What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!

Street Lab’s sites of 2026 so far!

I am interning with Street Lab, an organization focused on public space activation across all boroughs of New York City, bringing New Yorkers together in pre-existing public spaces within the urban fabric. This summer has been especially exciting at Street Lab as the organization has partnered with Mayor Mamdani’s office to bring the excitement of the World Cup to the streets of New York! I specifically have been working with lots of maps, mapping the activations across the city and various data points, along with coordinating with and researching community stakeholders to make these activities possible.

Why did you apply for this internship?

As a Growth and Structure of Cities major I applied for this internship because I am fascinated by the intersection of public space activation, urban planning, and the built environment. From an urban planning perspective, I am interested in place-making and how public space can increase city residents’ quality of life along with how these spaces can strengthen commercial corridors and transform neighborhoods and communities. Street Lab has been a wonderful experience in exploring the intersection of my interests within the field!

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?

One of Street Lab’s pop-up place-making streets

I am learning so much about the processes behind planning initiatives and public space activation and particularly how ideas are transformed into physical implementations in a complex city system. I’ve been developing skills in mapping and spatial analysis along with communication and coordination skills with community stakeholders that allow for ideas to be implemented. These skills are important as they are useful and necessary for all urban planning and development efforts!

What is most rewarding about your internship?

Some of the data point maps I made throughout the summer

It has been incredibly rewarding to witness the direct impact of New Yorkers utilizing Street Lab’s public space activations. Oftentimes planning and development initiatives take years to take form and directly benefit residents but Street Lab’s activations are implemented quickly making the benefits much more immediate. It has also been rewarding working with and learning from community organizations such as The NYC Department of Transportation, New York City Public Schools, Business Improvement Districts, and more all of which have provided me insight into the complex systems, organization, and partnerships that allow cities to thrive and evolve.