Halleigh Johnston

Master of City and Regional Planning, Class of 2026

Certificate/Specializations: Transportation Planning and Policy
Hometown: Bradenton, Florida
Activities at Rutgers: Vice President of Urban Planning, Bloustein Graduate Student Association

A single traffic light is what first sparked Halleigh Johnston’s curiosity about how cities are built. But also, about who builds them.

“I grew up in a rural part of my county in Florida. For context, we lived on ten acres, and a large farm was behind my house. Driving to school would take 30+ minutes, and driving anywhere else would take longer,” she said. “There was a single traffic light and a convenience store, and I would beg my dad to take me to the traffic light. I thought it was the coolest thing. My child’s mind couldn’t grasp that there was only one traffic light.”

Her environment changed as she grew older, but her interest in where she lived remained. Her family moved into Bradenton’s city limits, where schools, stores, and fast food chains were much more accessible and “technically walkable,” in Halleigh’s words. But getting to them safely was a different story.

“Walking to these places would require walking alongside the city’s main arterial roads, which were incredibly busy and dangerous. My mom wouldn’t let us venture out too far on our bikes,” she said. “It felt unfair that these conditions made walking or cycling nearly impossible. I was insistent that one day I would live in a ‘real city,’ where I could walk to get what I wanted or needed.”

She found herself curious about how Bradenton came to be and began visiting the larger central library, where there was a room dedicated to Bradenton’s history: books, maps, and more. “I loved looking through the maps as they showed how the city had grown over the past hundred years. I would point out where new buildings and roads were,” Halleigh remembered. “I would read the books on Bradenton and excitedly share what I learned with my dad and friends.”

That spark of awareness slowly evolved into a career ambition. Now a Master of City and Regional Planning student at the Bloustein School, Halleigh is focusing her studies on transportation planning and policy, hoping to help shape more connected, walkable, and equitable communities.

“I was a public health major as an undergrad. After college, I intended to pursue a master’s in public health. It felt like the easiest move, but it never felt like the right one,” she said. During an internship with the Tampa City Council, a legislative aide explained that although the city council didn’t directly manage public health, urban planners often shaped community well-being more than anyone else. That was her lightbulb moment.

“During my internship, I saw firsthand how crucial urban planners’ decisions are. As I reflected on the potential alternatives to an MPH, scrolling the web for an answer, I stumbled on Planetizen and urban planning as an option,” Halleigh said. “The Bloustein School was on their list, and I was instantly drawn in.”

She applied to two programs, one at the University of South Florida, where she earned her undergraduate degree, and Bloustein. “I knew that the experience of living in a new area would be beneficial to me,” she said. “After learning more about Bloustein and looking through the students’ studio work and professors’ research, it was an easy decision. If you want to be a transportation planner—which I do—Bloustein is the best school for you.”

Choosing Rutgers wasn’t just about academics. Her mother was raised in Queens and Irvington, NJ and had attended Rutgers years earlier, but moved to Florida before graduating. “After getting accepted into Rutgers, it felt like a full-circle moment,” she said.

While discussing the financial aspect with her parents, Halleigh was fortunate to be awarded the Ralph Johnson Bunche Distinguished Graduate Award, which covers tuition and provides a stipend. “I am so grateful to have been awarded this support because it has made my Bloustein and New Jersey experience possible,” she said. 

Now finishing her first year, Halleigh notes that Professor and program director Mi Shih has made a lasting impression. “I took Urban Economy and Spatial Patterns in my first semester, and it was my first ‘real’ introduction to economic theories and planning strategies,” she said. “Dr. Shih guided the lectures in such a caring way. How she framed planning and provided different perspectives will stick with me for the rest of my career.” 

“Urban planning is a field that makes real, tangible impacts on people’s daily lives. Planners have so much power, whether we know it or not,” Halleigh continued. “These decisions need to be made with a critical eye, and to really think about the short-term, long-term, and unintended impacts of planning decisions.”

In addition to serving as Vice President of Urban Planning for the Bloustein Graduate Student Association, Halleigh has worked as a research assistant at the Voorhees Transportation Center, supporting bicycle and pedestrian safety initiatives. Her summer and fall internship is with the Hudson County Division of Engineering.

“I’m excited to see the planning process from an engineering perspective,” she said. “I’ll be interning alongside the division’s transportation planner, who is a Bloustein alum I met at one of the school’s career fairs!”

After graduation, Halleigh would like to stay in New Jersey and work as a transportation planner for a county or municipality. “Working at the local level will allow me to follow through on planning initiatives and projects to see their impacts on the community,” she said. “I love working with people and hearing their stories. It excites me that this is what I will get to do for a living.”

Outside of class, Halleigh stays active with running, clearing her mind from demanding assignments while listening to podcasts and taking in the surrounding New Brunswick and Highland Park scenery. This past spring, she ran a half-marathon with her dad. She’s also been working on her public speaking skills through a local Toastmasters club. “Urban planning can be a public-facing career. Whether we are communicating to the public, policymakers, or engineers, urban planners need to be effective communicators,” she said. “I have found attending the meetings rewarding, as I see myself gradually improving.”

When she’s not running, planning, or presenting, “I like to watch YouTube video essays, sit on park benches, and eat good food,” she concluded.

To future students, Halleigh recommends embracing everything Bloustein has to offer. “The learning opportunities here are endless, take advantage of them! A highlight of my time has been attending the guest lectures, panels, conferences, and presentations. They bring in a diverse range of speakers and Bloustein alumni who will broaden your planning and policy perspective.”