Next City isn’t just a news website, we are a nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire social, economic and environmental change in cities. Part of how we do that is by connecting our readers to urban changemakers and holding an annual Vanguard conference bringing together 40 top young urban leaders. Paul Supawanich is a member of the 2013 Vanguard class.
Name: Paul Supawanich
Current Occupation: Transportation Planner, Neslon\Nygaard
Hometown: Gibson City, IL
Current City: San Francisco, CA
Twitter Tag: @tweetsupa
I drink: Red Bull
I am an: Extrovert
I get to work by: Bike
The area I grew up is: Rural
What was your first job? Paperboy carrying The News Gazette (Champaign-Urbana, IL). I had 17 papers to deliver daily and I delivered them by bike (cue the Paperboy game flashbacks).
What is your favorite city and why? San Francisco! When you grow up with zero hills or water nearby, you really appreciate hills and water. Plus, San Francisco is such a gorgeous city with so many different types of personalities squeezed into seven by seven miles.
What do you do when you are not working? Currently I’m working on my personal training certification and hope to train clients. When you live in a place with this many hills and water, its hard not to enjoy being active outside.
Did you always want to be a transportation planner? Well no. But I wanted to be a truck driver, pilot and a train engineer (also a short stint aspiring to be in college administration). All in all, I think I landed pretty close to where I started. In addition, I’m nearly 100% sure that when I retire, I want to be an airport greeter.
What do you like most about your current job? I love working in such a variety of places ranging from major cities to barely-on-the map small towns. It’s fascinating to hear how different places have such similarities in how transportation issues affect them. It’s also gratifying to see recommendations come to life and have a positive impact on a community.
What is the biggest challenge facing cities today? Affordability for families. There are many in the millennial generation (myself included) that are huge advocates for cities and want to continue to be city dwellers as long as possible. However, the financial pressures of trying to raise a family in some of our major cities can be steep. Regardless of how beautiful, culturally diverse and safe cities are in the future, not being able to afford a residence or lack of confidence in education systems will continue to be a major factor.
What’s the best professional advice you have received? My dad gave me simple advice about running a successful business: If you take care of your (customers, clients, constituents), they’ll take care of you.