Thank you to my APA Inland Empire Section colleagues for the Planning Pioneer Award 2024. It’s humbling to receive this recognition among the many planners out there putting in work.
For real, our #EmbeddedPlanning movement won. What began in Florence-Firestone is now a praxis in San Bernardino and Riverside counties and far beyond — in other states, territories, countries, and hemispheres.
This ain’t “me,” it’s “we.” We have built the future of planning.
I’m doing the talk, “Building Embedded Planning Praxis” and breaking down the origins, applications, and trajectory of Embedded Planning with @CPUrbanists at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The public talk is on Tuesday, May 21st at 11:10am on Zoom. Excited for my first time speaking at Cal Poly SLO; as a Cal Poly Pomona faculty member, I consider SLO my sister campus 💚
Honored to present “What is Urban Planning?” for Career Day at South LA College Prep High School. We examined the history and role of urban planning, the birth of Embedded Planning next door in Florence-Firestone, and planning as a career that empowers you to build strong communities in partnership with community members. And we’re discussing a return for an Embedded Planning workshop!
Summary: Jonathan will present, “What is Urban Planning?” The presentation illustrates how Jonathan transformed from a graffiti writer to architecture student to urban planner and the special role South Central LA plays in his origin story. Using interactive exercises and storytelling, Jonathan will share how he created Embedded Planning – planning from the street-level – in South Central’s Florence-Firestone district and affirm why students should pursue urban planning careers to improve their communities.
Bio: Jonathan Pacheco Bell is a Senior Embedded Planner at 4LEAF, Inc. and Adjunct Professor of Urban Planning at Cal Poly Pomona. Born in Boyle Heights and raised in East LA and Montebello, Jonathan came up as a graffiti writer in the 90s creating art and culture on the ground. For nearly 20 years, Jonathan has worked in South Central LA building community partnerships through street-level urban planning. He turned his methods into a new form of practice called Embedded Planning – where the planner works in and from the street. He has guest lectured across the U.S. on urban planning and is always searching for the next space to engage students. In addition to teaching and practice, Jonathan serves as Vice President of the Florence-Firestone Community Organization, a 501c3 nonprofit in South Central LA. He is co-author of the neighborhood history book, A Paseo Through Time in Florence-Firestone. Jonathan holds a Master’s in Urban Planning from UCLA.
Honored to return home to East LA College Department of Architecture as a speaker for the Spring 2024 Lecture Series. I’m doing the talk “Building Embedded Planning Praxis” on May 7 at 12pm: free + open to all.
Bio:
Jonathan Pacheco Bell is a Senior Embedded Planner at 4LEAF, Inc. and a Lecturer at Cal Poly Pomona Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Born in Boyle Heights and raised in East LA and Montebello, Jonathan came up as a graffiti writer in the 90s creating art and culture on the ground.
For nearly 20 years, Jonathan has worked in South Central LA building community partnerships through street-level urban planning. He turned his methods into a new form of practice called Embedded Planning, where the planner works from the street-level to increase equity and participation for historically marginalized communities harmed by inequitable planning.
Jonathan has guest lectured across the U.S. on Embedded Planning. His speaking engagements include Columbia GSAPP, UCLA, University of Utah, Ohio State, Pratt Institute, Stanford Engineering, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and Woodbury University; state and national Planning conferences in California, Iowa, and Louisiana; and public forums such as MOCA, City Parks Alliance, and the SF Urban Film Fest.
In addition to teaching and practice, Jonathan serves as Vice President of the Florence-Firestone Community Organization, a 501c3 nonprofit in South Central. He is co-author of the neighborhood history book, A Paseo Through Time in Florence-Firestone.
Jonathan is a first-generation student and proud product of the California public school system from kindergarten to graduate school. He holds a Master’s in Urban Planning from UCLA Luskin, an MLIS from SJSU iSchool, a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Cal State LA, and an Associate’s in Architecture from East LA College.
Excavating the Future in Los Angeles: A Discussion of Mike Davis’s City of Quartz
Sunday, May 5, 2024, 2:00-3:00pm
LitFest in the Dena, Mountain View Mausoleum, Altadena, CA
With fellow panelists, Ivan Salinas & Mike The PoeT Sonksen
Bio:
Jonathan Pacheco Bell is a Senior Embedded Planner at 4LEAF, Inc. and Adjunct Professor of Urban Planning at Cal Poly Pomona. Born in Boyle Heights and raised in East LA and Montebello, Jonathan came up as a graffiti writer in the 90s creating art and culture on the ground. For nearly 20 years, Jonathan has worked in South Central LA building community partnerships through street-level urban planning. He turned his methods into a new form of practice called Embedded Planning – where the planner works in and from community spaces. He has guest lectured across the U.S. on bottom-up urban planning and is always searching for the next space to engage community members. In addition to teaching and practice, Jonathan serves as Vice President of the Florence-Firestone Community Organization, a 501c3 nonprofit in South Central. He is co-author of the neighborhood history book, A Paseo Through Time in Florence-Firestone. His writing has been published in Planning Magazine, Cultural Daily, UrbDeZine, and Public Libraries Quarterly. Jonathan holds a Master’s in Urban Planning from UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and proudly represents City of Pasadena as a resident in the city’s vibrant and diverse District 5.
We’re talking planning for spatial justice at the Urban Planning Career Symposium hosted by Mt. SAC College Sustainability, Monday, April 22 at 1pm.
Check out the symposium:
My fellow Board Members have reelected me to serve as Vice President of the Florence-Firestone Community Organization (501c3) in South Central LA. I greatly appreciate the Board’s vote of confidence and I’m honored to continue uplifting our neighborhood in this role.
FFCO has many wonderful things planned for community members in 2024. Our resource fairs, community food giveaways, and holiday events will continue, and we’re expanding community education programs with generous funding from our partners.
Building on last year’s Vision Zero advocacy, we’re upping our community engagement and planning service. I’m stoked to work on FFCO’s community planning initiatives, including our new public engagement partnership with Metro for the Rail to River Segment B project, community walks and bike rides, client projects with universities like CPPURP and UCLA Luskin, urban planning workshops, Embedded Planning advocacy, community assistance navigating LA County planning efforts underway, and more.
The Florence-Firestone community welcomed me with open arms when I was a “baby zoning enforcement planner” nearly 17 years ago. I figured out my life’s purpose here — as a planner and a person. I’m humbled to be an adopted FF resident serving my friends and neighbors. Thank you for the boundless support and inspiration!
I’m back this semester teaching URP 4620 Senior Project. Building on research proposals developed in 4600A, this course is independent and student-driven. I’ll be guiding the student’s research process leading to an undergraduate capstone paper, project, or design.
Check out past Senior Projects here: https://c1typlann3r.blog/category/mentee-research-and-projects/
[ Background photo by Misty Fong. A view of Downtown LA and South Central taken from the iconic pedestrian bridge over the Metro Blue Line in Florence-Firestone ]
Celebrating the graduates in my 2023 Senior Projects class at Cal Poly Pomona Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Today we big up this researcher:
Let Them Eat Cake: Utilizing UBI to Empower and Preserve Local Culture
By: Cole Correa
This study examines the potential role of universal basic income (UBI) in maintaining local culture and identity within cities as a response to the negative effects of supermodernity. A descriptive and correlational research design was used to collect data through an online survey of randomly selected individuals in California. The survey gathered information on respondents’ income, connection to their communities, and attitudes toward the use of UBI as a means of preserving local culture. The data was analyzed to identify correlations between these variables and to draw conclusions about the potential effectiveness of using #UBI for this purpose.
The findings suggest that there is a positive correlation between income and connection to local culture and identity, and that UBI has the potential to empower communities and support local culture. However, the study also highlights some potential limitations of using UBI in this way, including the need for careful program design and implementation to avoid unintended consequences. The study concludes by suggesting that further research is needed to explore the potential of UBI to support local culture and identity, and to identify best practices for program design and implementation. This study provides important insights into the potential role of UBI in maintaining local culture and identity within cities. The findings can inform policy and practice in this area and contribute to the growing literature on UBI as a means of addressing broader social and economic issues.
Shout out to Mike The PoeT for being our Week 13 guest speaker in URP 5120: Planning Ideas and Action. Mike taught us writing exercises as community engagement. These are ways to get ideas on the page without overthinking. Take a few minutes and just write. For example, we all did the 5-line quick write for these prompts:
Here’s mine:
My style is Embedded Planning
My style is the street
My style is Montebello
My style is more chill today than before
My style is mine
I believe in community
I believe in solidarity
I believe in organizing
I believe in LA
I believe in grass roots
I value partnerships
I value work/life balance
I value friendships
I value education
I value coming together
Shout out to Cal Poly Pomona students in URP 5400 for organizing the panel, “Navigating the Nexus: Politics, Planning, and Policy.”
I enjoyed sharing space with fellow panelists and students.
We shared stories, reflections, and tactics for navigating the politics of planning.
I got the chance to talk with a new audience about Embedded Planning as a method to bridge the theory/practice gap.
Celebrating the graduates in my 2023 Senior Projects class at Cal Poly Pomona Department of Urban & Regional Planning. Today we big up this researcher:
Voices of the Streets: The Lived Experiences of Street Vendors in the Community of Florence-Firestone
By: Sergio Saldaña
Abstract: The street vendors in Florence-Firestone, an unincorporated community in Los Angeles County, have been left alone by County entities and enjoyed a certain degree of autonomy. However, this has also led to neglect on the part of the County towards the street vending community. Despite the existence of resources to help street vendors with issues such as rent relief, food, and public safety, the County has failed to address these concerns. Qualitative research in the form of in-person surveys was conducted with street vendors and sheds light on this community’s lived experiences. While street vendors appreciate the County’s hands-off approach, the lack of attention from the County has resulted in many problems for street vendors. Many of them struggle to make ends meet and need assistance. They also face public safety concerns, such as the risk of theft or harassment while working on the street.
Based on interview data from street vendors in Florence-Firestone, the County should take a more proactive role in addressing the concerns of the street vendors. The data derived from this study can play an essential part in helping County officials understand the needs and desires of street vendors by knowing their struggles. To give insight into challenges faced by street vendors as well as areas where they may require additional support, County officials can create an actionable plan to support street vending activity more effectively in future. This data can be used to assist officials with addressing regulatory issues preventing street vendors from succeeding. Officials can take measures such as providing education and guidance on compliance or revising regulations to be more vendor friendly. In the culmination of this paper, it is recommended that the County update the Florence-Firestone Community Plan with a new section addressing the concerns of street vendors and direct them towards available resources that may help.
Celebrating the graduates in my 2023 Senior Projects class at Cal Poly Pomona Department of Urban & Regional Planning. Today we big up this team:
Female Perceptions of Parking Safety at the First/Last Mile: An Analysis of Cal Poly Pomona
By: Nikole J. Sanchez & Jaden R. Oloresisimo
Abstract: This research studies women’s perspective of safety by analyzing women’s fear of victimization at the first/last mile. The first/last mile refers to the very first and last distance of a traveler’s journey such as an automobile driver’s distance from their car to their building and their building back to their car. Research has found that women endure greater fear of victimization than men at the first/last mile due to varying levels of vulnerability, the continuity of violence, and perceived risk caused by the physical conditions of transportation infrastructure. The greater opportunity there is for hidden danger, the greater the perception of lack of safety, the perception of vulnerability, and the fear of victimization.
This research focuses on learning and engaging with women’s perceptions of safety (compared to men’s) in college campus parking. Using Cal Poly Pomona as a case study, this research follows a quantitative methodology through surveys addressing physical and non-physical variables known to impact women’s fear of victimization. The overall goal of this research is to recognize which variables are most impactful to women’s fear of victimization and to create women-endorsed solutions that negate women’s fear.
Celebrating the graduates in my 2023 Senior Projects class at Cal Poly Pomona Department of Urban & Regional Planning 🎉 Today we big up this team:
The Effectiveness of Cooling Shelters During an Extreme Heat Event (Winner of the First Place Award 🥇 for Senior Project Poster!)
By: Anushka Kargathara & Bailey Wong
Abstract: Extreme heat is one of the growing causes of mortality in the nation with temperatures surpassing 120˚F. Extreme heat (temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit and 32 degrees Celsius) links an inequitable distribution of heat resources. During hot summer months, specifically June through August, heat negatively affects lower-income and communities of color and causes fatigue, dehydration, and respiratory illnesses due to environmental changes in air quality.
This research aims to analyze how heat impacts vulnerable populations in San Bernardino County, California, that do not have access to proper cooling methods, and what methods, if any, they use to keep cool. Knowledge of cooling shelters was tested through voluntary survey participation at San Bernardino County shopping malls to help local city governments broaden cooling shelter resources and gauge residential knowledge about their existence. Data collected showed an urgent need for improvement in the accessibility and promotion of local resources and equitable distribution focusing on lower-income communities.
Currently, resources are not readily available to residents and need to be accessible in both English and Spanish to ensure health communication equity to all population groups in San Bernardino County. Creating heat intensity awareness to prepare cities and planners to dispense correct and adequate resources is recommended to promote social cohesion and resident well-being during bouts of extreme heat.
I’m excited to work with Cal Poly Pomona students in Professor Shannon Heffernan’s course URP 4040: Placemaking: Theories, Methods, and Practices. For the Fall 2023 semester, the course will be studying the community of Florence-Firestone in South Central LA (sometimes called “Florence-Graham” using the federal Census designation). The course “client” and contact is the Florence-Firestone Community Organization (501c3), where I proudly serve as Vice President. Florence-Firestone is where I created Embedded Planning praxis as a street-level LA county planner.
Local news coverage of Florence-Firestone lamentably focuses on social ills. The community endures challenges and struggle — as many others do — but there is more to it than clickbait headlines. Our decades-long community-driven work proves it. Florence-Firestone is a vibrant and historic community. CPP students will see it this semester.
Below is a variety of key sources on Florence-Firestone. I’m proud to have worked on most of these projects. These help reframe the narrative about our community. They tell a fuller story of partnerships, solidarity, and hope.
Note: This is a living document for URP 4040. I’ll update it as needed throughout the semester. The revision history is at the bottom of this page.
Embedded Planning was born on the streets of Florence-Firestone: https://c1typlann3r.blog/embeddedplanning/
Florence-Firestone Community Plan (2019): https://planning.lacounty.gov/long-range-planning/florence-firestone-community-plan/
Florence-Firestone Vision Plan (2009): https://c1typlann3r.blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/florence-firestone-vision-plan-2009-final.pdf
Florence-Firestone Step by Step Pedestrian Plan Draft (2023): http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/place/stepbystep/florencefirestone.htm
Florence-Firestone Historic Context Statement (from Metro Area Plan 2023 Draft): https://planning.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ff_hcs_survey_dpr_forms_bind.pdf
Metro Area Plan Historic Resource Map (see Florence-Firestone on map): https://dudek.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=b5957133802f4ed0bb2611939aee69eb
Florence-Firestone Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Specific Plan (2022): https://case.planning.lacounty.gov/assets/upl/project/fftod_board-letter-20230207.pdf
Florence-Firestone TOD Story Map: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/e9823a0f2a9440399f04f1bbb44d97d2
Vision Zero Florence-Firestone project awarded $21.49 million Federal implementation grant: https://lacounty.gov/2023/02/08/la-county-vision-zero-project-in-florence-firestone-awarded-21-49-million-federal-implementation-grant/
Community Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Training (CPBST) Report: Recommendations to Improve Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety in Florence-Firestone: https://safetrec.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/17-0929_cpbst-florence-firestone-recommendations-report.pdf
The CPBST at Work in Florence-Firestone: https://catsip.berkeley.edu/safety-stories/stories-field/cpbst-work-florence-firestone
Florence-Firestone Community Parks and Recreation Plan: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dpr/182627_Florence-FirestoneMasterPlan.pdf
Paseo Through Time in Florence-Firestone (book): https://www.dropbox.com/s/i7kgx455x0ttx57/FF-2-2018.pdf?dl=0
Everyday Heroes of Florence-Firestone (KCET article): https://www.kcet.org/history-society/everyday-heroes-of-florence-firestone
@FlorenceFirestone on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florencefirestone/
Racial Equity in Planning for Unincorporated Los Angeles County. Building Justice. A brief study of the histories, legacies, and impacts at the intersection of systemic racism and planning in Florence-Firestone: https://c1typlann3r.blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/d55ca-f-fequity_final-compressed.pdf
After Years Of Waiting, A South LA Neighborhood Has A New Library: https://laist.com/news/politics/florence-library-years-of-waiting-opens-south-los-angeles
Florence-Firestone Stands Up For Its Library, Lays Down the Foundation for a Movement: https://la.streetsblog.org/2019/09/27/florence-firestone-stands-up-for-its-library-lays-down-the-foundation-for-a-movement
Florence-Firestone Will Not Be Forgotten: https://ascjcapstone.com/terms/spring-2020/ethanwar/
A South Central Neighborhood Suffers from the Loss of its Community Library: https://medium.com/intersections-south-la/a-south-central-neighborhood-suffers-from-the-loss-of-its-community-library-df783979ac60
Black Panther History, Immigrant Stories Highlighted in Book about South Central’s Florence-Firestone Community: https://medium.com/intersections-south-la/black-panther-history-immigrant-stories-highlighted-in-book-about-south-centrals-d9c75a2d6380
For the First Time Ever, Three Young Latinx Women are Leading this South Central Coalition: https://medium.com/intersections-south-la/for-the-first-time-ever-three-young-latinx-women-are-leading-this-south-central-neighborhood-1330ecda360c
How a Tire Shop in South L.A. Became a Community Hub for Locals: https://medium.com/intersections-south-la/how-a-tire-shop-in-south-l-a-became-a-community-hub-for-locals-8bf37c21e25a
Libraries in the ‘Hood: A Social History of the Florence and Graham Branch Libraries in the Community of Florence-Firestone, 1912-2012 (thesis proposal): https://c1typlann3r.blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/jpbell-thesis-proposal-libr285.pdf
Stories of Everyday Heroes (LA County Library): https://lacountylibrary.org/ffeverydayheroes/
Pat Brown Institute at Cal State LA survey reveals severe economic impacts of COVID-19 in Southeast Los Angeles County area: https://www.calstatela.edu/univ/ppa/publicat/pat-brown-institute-cal-state-la-survey-reveals-severe-economic-impacts-covid-19
Florence-Firestone Community Organization: https://ffcola.org/
Florence-Firestone Community Leaders: https://www.facebook.com/FFCLPage
Inner City Visions: https://innercityvisions.org/
Juntos FF Together: https://www.instagram.com/juntosfftogether/
Florence-Firestone Merchants Association: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100051324773983
Florence-Firestone/Walnut Park Chamber of Commerce: https://www.facebook.com/FFWPChamber/
Podcast interviews I’ve done that reference Florence-Firestone: https://c1typlann3r.blog/interviews/
Florence-Firestone Community Organization:
Florence-Firestone Community Organization and SELA Collaborative interview, including Embedded Planning origins in Florence-Firestone (starts at 5:25 min mark):
How a Tire Shop in South L.A. Became a Community Hub for Locals:
This webpage was originally published on August 25, 2023.
Revised to add Pat Brown Institute article on September 30, 2023.
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