Last month I returned to UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs to deliver my annual talk, โCreating Equitable Public Spaces Through Embedded Planning.โ
Graham Library in Florence-Firestone on February 18, 2012. Photo by Jonathan Pacheco Bell
I recently stumbled upon the fact that my SJSU bepress page was deleted along with the link to my 2012 MLIS thesis proposal, “Libraries in the ‘Hood: A Social History of the Florence and Graham Branch Libraries in the Community of Florence-Firestone, 1912-2012.”
That’s a damn shame.
This work served as the basis for my 2015 chapter “Library History as Community History: Florence and Graham” in the book, A Paseo Through Time in Florence-Firestone, and it remains a local history resource for those who have it.
But it should be an accessible resource for any community member who goes looking for it. They shouldn’t hit a 404 error.
Still image from “Reflections of the LA Uprising” 30 Years Later
The 1992 Los Angeles Uprising began thirty years ago today โ April 29, 1992.
I was interviewed for โReflections of the LA Uprisingโ30 years later. This is a collaboration by JOVRNALISM, USC Annenberg, KCET, and LA Times.
I shared how the unrest led me on a path toward urban planning in/for South Central LA. And I testified this path would inspire me to create Embedded Planning as an LA County planner on the ground in Florence-Firestone.
Rightfully, this interview was done at the landmark Roosevelt Park pedestrian bridge over the Blue Line.
Many community voices are part of this project. Check out the immersive video โEchoes of the Uprisingโ where we share our memories and oral histories.
Iโm interviewed in the New York Times about the human dimensions of informal housing enforcement in South Central Los Angeles. I’m grateful to the family in @FlorenceFirestone who trusted me to share their story.
2015 launch of the โEveryday Heroesโ LA County Library project, Florence-Firestone Constituent Service Center, 7807 Compton Avenue, LA 90001. Featured: Mary Rose Cortese, Joseph Titus, and Jonathan Pacheco Bell [Photo by author]
Thank you to AARP Livable Communities Workshop organizers and my fellow panelists for this week’s conversation on engaging older adults.
On September 13th, we lost Ms. Mary Rose Cortese, one of our community elders in South Central LAโs Florence-Firestone community. Mary has joined her brother Joe Titus in the next chapter. I know theyโre up there still advocating for Florence-Firestone.
Mary and Joe welcomed me into the community on Day 1 in 2009. They were honorary abuelitos to me and many others. Hug your elders. Ask them to tell you stories. Document their lives. Cherish them every day.
At the end of this #AARP session, I dedicated my presentation to Mary Rose Cortese ๐๐ฝ๐
With Supervisor Janice Hahnโs fine-free library motion going to the Board of Supervisors tomorrow, I wrote a piece urging Supervisors to abolish fines at LA County Library.
I was not raised speaking Spanish. When Nana Josephine Pacheco nรฉe Ontiveros came to #LosAngeles from #Texas, the school teachers struck her with rulers por hablando Espaรฑol en clase. So Nana didnโt teach my mom. And nobody taught me. I learned Espaรฑol in earnest in the last 8 years working as an Embedded Planner on the ground in Florence-Firestone. For real Iโm at like 6th grade level, pero sabes que, es mejor que nada!
On arrival Friday in #CDMX, I quickly had to adjust to Espaรฑol. It was thrilling. I found myself absorbing the spoken word, the unique rhythm, cadence, & dialect of #Chilango, the Spanish of Mexico City. Immediately I found myself translating signs, speech, & writing intuitively. Dormant neurotransmitters began firing. Parts of my brain were trabajando overtime to help situate myself in this new space & culture.
I recognized this feeling. It had been awhile but Iโd felt it long before. I told mi esposita that this exhilaration must have been the same stimulating experience of learning Inglรฉs as a child con mi familia on the streets of East Los Angeles y Montebello 40+ years ago.
TODAYโIโm at @ucimurp delivering the Medina Family ADU Story in Prof. Lynda Hikichiโs class UPPP 275: Site Development. This is the 9th rendition of this public talk and the 2nd time UCI Urban Planning & Public Policy hosts it, thank you! If youโre on campus or nearby, come through: Room 3240 in the SBSG-Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway building, 11:30amโ12:30pm.
ABSTRACT: This presentation puts a human face on Californiaโs housing crisis. Through storytelling, reflection and #EmbeddedPlanning praxis, presenter Jonathan Pacheco Bell @c1typlann3r, a zoning enforcement planner in South Central #LosAngeles, presents the story of the Medina Family from the #SouthCentralLA community of @FlorenceFirestone, who built an informal backyard Accessory Dwelling Unit #ADU for extra income after the sudden passing of their head of household. An anonymous complaint triggered inspection and eventual demolition of the dwelling for code violations. Jonathan himself ordered its removal. Attendees will understand the emotional roller coaster the family endured while embroiled in this regulatory process, and Jonathanโs inner conflict with the outcome. To help himself cope emotionally and to spotlight this familyโs housing struggle, Jonathan has turned the experience into a speaking tour offering takeaways for planning policy, practice, and pedagogy. Jonathan will explain the @EmbeddedPlanning approach at the storyโs core. This talk will inspire emerging planners to adapt and respond to the problem of housing insecurity with empathetic, activist, street-level planning #praxis.
We brought the Medina Family ADU Story to Stanford Engineering on November 15, 2018. The Medina Family experience happens across all spaces, places, geographies, and jurisdictions. We need new audiences and new advocates. Photo courtesy of Derek Ouyang at Stanford SUS.
If youโve been to my Medina Family ADU Story, or plan to attend an upcoming talk, youโll see I get choked up. Happens every time. I donโt even try to suppress it anymore. This was a harrowing experience for the Medinas, and for me. My #EmbeddedPlanning praxis rejects the technocratic detachment of Rational Planning orthodoxy. When we shed tears, those tears are earned.
For the Medinas, removing the backyard dwelling built to generate income after the passing of their head of household worsened the stress that started it all. Ordering the removal after knowing the Medinasโ story made me question strict enforcement of #InformalHousing. The dwelling was not substandardโit was simply out of zoning compliance. All of this predated Californiaโs relaxed State ADU Laws, so the only option was to demolish it. This was in 2016. After 10 years on the job, Iโd finally realized that โPenalties or Demolitionโ was a false dilemma fallacy in #ADU enforcement. Weโre trying to change this outcome for other folx.
The ending part is emotional for me. I conclude with slides featuring each member of the Medina Fam. I wanted audience members to understand the impact of rigid zoning on real people. I wanted to evoke an emotional response. And every time it works . . . on ME.
The final slide is of little Janelle. Janelle represents the future of #LosAngeles.
Janelle represents the future of Los Angeles. This effort is for her. Photo courtesy of Amy Thomson at SPUR
Peopleโs lives are at the heart of Planning. Planners: befriend the community, get to know constituents personally, invest your heart into bettering THEIR lives and youโll always have a righteous mission.
I could not do this series of public talks on #InformalHousing without permission & support of the Medina Family. My regulatory responsibility resulted in the removal of their informal #ADU but ironically brought us closer together. Theirs was a hard first lesson in Planning & Zoning. They knew others endure the same struggle. The Medinas permitted my public talks because they knew sharing their experience would help other residents & Other Planners understand the street realities of informal housing in working-class communities of color. They entrusted me to tell their story. They granted me a righteous mission.
Planners! We must draw inspiration from The People we serve.
The Medina FamilyโFlora, Josefina, Maria, and Janelleโthey inspire me. Janelle represents the future of #LosAngeles. THIS IS FOR HER โฅ๏ธ
Gracias Fay Darmawi for including us in the 2018 SF Urban Film Fest, SPUR Urbanist for hosting us, & SPURโs Amy Thomson for photographing this moment.
“A Matter of Necessity”: Understanding Informal Housing through Embedded Planning at UCI School of Social Ecology, Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy, 25 October 2018
I’m honored to serve as UCI MURP Planning Visions Guest Speaker delivering my public talk, “A Matter of Necessity:” Understanding Informal Housing through Embedded Planning, at UC Irvine School of Social Ecology, Department of Urban Planning & Public Policy, Thursday, Oct 25th, 11:30a-1:00p. The event is made possible through the initiative of 2nd year MURP candidate Irene Aceituno. She will introduce me as speaker, discuss UCI’s Diversity in Planning Fellows program, & emphasize the value of mentorships in planning. The talk is Free & Open To All. RSVP at Eventbrite.
SUMMARY: This presentation puts a human face on Californiaโs housing crisis. Jonathan Pacheco Bell, a zoning enforcement planner in Los Angeles County, will tell the story of the Medina Family from the South Central L.A. community of Florence-Firestone, who built an informal backyard dwelling for extra income after the sudden passing of their head of household. An anonymous complaint triggered an inspection & eventual demolition of the dwelling for code violations. It was Jonathan himself who ordered its removal. Audience members will understand the emotional roller coaster the family endured while embroiled in this regulatory process, & Jonathanโs inner conflict with the outcome. Key takeaways for planning policy, practice & pedagogy will be offered. This talk demonstrates that the rules we enforce can have unintended consequences, especially in working class communities of color.
BIO: Jonathan Pacheco Bell (@c1typlann3r) is a public sector Urban Planner in Los Angeles County with over 12 years of experience in zoning enforcement. He is a fierce advocate for the unincorporated areas of South Central Los Angeles. On any given day you will find him in the unincorporated community of Florence-Firestone partnering with stakeholders to improve quality of life.
A field-based planner, Bell researches, writes, & speaks about informal housing, unorthodox community outreach, and South Central L.A. history from his unique, on the ground perspective. He calls his praxis Embedded Planning.
A product of the California public school system from kindergarten to graduate school, Bell holds an MAUP from UCLA Luskin & an MLIS from SJSU iSchool.
Consider this page 1 of my #manifesto nailed to the Planning Departmentโs door.
Read my op-ed, โWe Cannot Plan From Our Desksโ, in APAโs Planning Magazine #PlanMag October 2018 issue. Just in time for #PlanningMonth.
In this editorial I outline the tenets and benefits of #EmbeddedPlanning. This is my opening salvo to the planning field arguing for Embedded Planning praxis, what I describe as planning in the streets, over orthodox, desk-bound practice.
I ground Embedded Planning in the real life example of the Medina Family ADU Saga in the South Central Los Angeles community of Florence-Firestone. In my current speaking tour, โA Matter of Necessity:โ Understanding Informal Housing through Embedded Planning, Iโm sharing the familyโs difficult first lesson in Planning and Zoning, and my inner conflict with the outcome. I can tell the Medinasโ story because I earned their trust, at their doorstep.
“We Cannot Plan From Our Desks.” My op-ed on Embedded Planning praxis published in APA’s Planning Magazine, October 2018.
I am delivering the talk “Placemaking Through Partnerships in Florence-Firestone” at the California Library Association 2017 Conference *New Worlds Emerge*, Nov. 3, 2017 at 3:30 p.m. We will celebrate the history, meaning and future of the unincorporated community of Florence-Firestone in South Central Los Angeles! The talk is sponsored by our friends at the CLA Special Libraries Interest Group. Much love.
OVERVIEW: South Central Los Angeles evokes many images, associations, and assumptions. For too long, negative portrayals in the media have influenced these notions. The presenter will tell the story of a unique partnership that challenged these stereotypes in the unincorporated community of Florence-Firestone in South Central. Through a creative placemaking project called the Some Place Chronicles, community leaders, artists, and employees from the County of Los Angeles Public Library, Department of Regional Planning, and Arts Commission collaborated to write A Paseo Through Time in Florence-Firestone, the first-ever published history book on this rich and diverse neighborhood. Attendees will learn how the partnership tapped into archival materials, community memory, and lived experience to produce an uplifting representation of Florence-Firestone and South Central L.A. The session will be instructive to librarians, archivists, and other information professionals engaged in local history and neighborhood empowerment initiatives, especially in underserved communities of color.
@c1typlann3r.blog 
Consider this page 1 of my #manifesto nailed to the Planning Departmentโs door.
Read my op-ed, โWe Cannot Plan From Our Desksโ, in APAโs Planning Magazine #PlanMag October 2018 issue. Just in time for #PlanningMonth.
In this editorial I outline the tenets and benefits of #EmbeddedPlanning. This is my opening salvo to the planning field arguing for Embedded Planning praxis, what I describe as planning in the streets, over orthodox, desk-bound practice.
I ground Embedded Planning in the real life example of the Medina Family ADU Saga in the South Central Los Angeles community of Florence-Firestone. In my current speaking tour, โA Matter of Necessity:โ Understanding Informal Housing through Embedded Planning, Iโm sharing the familyโs difficult first lesson in Planning and Zoning, and my inner conflict with the outcome. I can tell the Medinasโ story because I earned their trust, at their doorstep.