Obinna Onyenedum - Urban Studies
Obinna Onyenedum graduated in Spring of 2015 and is currently living in New York City. After graduating from Cal, Obinna participated in the Alternative Breaks summer internship, Magnolia Project, in New Orleans. He interned with Neighborhoods Partnership Network (NPN Nola), a non-profit organization created Post-Katrina, which targets systemic inequities made apparent by the hurricane. Obinna worked with community organizers, city officials and fellow interns to analyze the impact new companies, like Uber and Air BnB, were having on low-income communities. The main question he brought to the internship was: How do low-income communities of color adjust to the recent economic shifts and gentrification?
Obinna completed his thesis paper on the growing population and urbanization of the Nigerian city, Lagos. Currently the population of Lagos, approximated because of inadequate census gathering ability, is set at 21-25 million in habitants. With the growing urban trends, 60% of the worlds population will be living in urban areas by 2050. 37% of that growth will be in India, China and Nigeria. Obinna plans to build sound experience before applying for a duel City Planning and Structural Engineering Masters Degree. He hopes by then he will have a deeper understanding of the field and applicable skills, ultimately using his talents to better the infrastructure systems in West Africa and Nigeria.
