In the second episode of the Daily Designer Podcast, our host, Erica Guertin, sits down with Ben Valente, an Urban Planner located in WGI’s Arlington, VA office.

For the first 22 years of his life, Ben's roots were based in the heart of Central Florida, growing up in the charming, historic city of Sanford. He then migrated to South Florida, where he attended college at Florida Atlantic University and obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Urban Design.

For most of his life, Ben aspired to become an Architect, with his appreciation for architecture stemming from his love of the urban realm and his time spent living in Germany. However, while pursuing his architecture degree and double majoring in Urban Design at FAU, the COVID-19 pandemic came underway. As a result, Ben's in-person studio experience was quickly stripped away, forcing him to move his model-making activities to his dorm room. During this time, Ben decided to focus solely on Urban Design which was a facet of his coursework he drew a natural enjoyment from, ultimately helping him to pursue a more sustainable path to success.

After graduation, Ben decided to test his dexterity by joining WGI’s West Palm Beach, FL, office as a Design Intern for our Private Land Development group. During this time, Ben utilized all available opportunities to try different facets of planning, ultimately guiding him to becoming a pivotal part of the Urban and Community Planning team at WGI.

With the help and support of his team and a few years of experience under his belt, Ben relinquished his “Florida Boy” title and made the trek up north to Arlington, VA, to live, work, and play in a region that matched his pedestrian-oriented lifestyle. In just a few short years, Ben has been able to exercise his creativity while interacting with the community to help successfully reshape cities on a multitude of projects.

To learn more about Ben and his journey in Urban Planning, tune into Episode 2 of the Daily Designer today!