Category Archives: Public Policy

Governor Newsom Signed AB 2533 Expanding Amnesty for Unpermitted ADUs

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 2533 expanding amnesty for unpermitted ADUs. I’m proudly part of this effort in partnership with Casita Coalition, and the community of Florence-Firestone plays a role in the story. Shout out to Assemblymember Carrillo for authoring the legislation. Check out my reflections on AB 2533 as a former Zoning Enforcement Planner in Casita Coalition’s article authored by Board Chair Rafael Perez: https://www.casitacoalition.org/casita-coalition-blog/bringing-californias-hidden-housing-out-of-the-shadows-adu-amnesty-reform

From Casita Coalition social media:

Exciting News! Governor Newsom has signed Casita-sponsored AB 2533 into law! This bill is a game changer for legalizing unpermitted ADUs, making it easier, more affordable, and predictable for homeowners. Now, more homeowners can bring their units up to safety standards without breaking the bank, helping to preserve a critical segment of California’s naturally affordable rental housing market. This is a huge win for renters, homeowners, and housing stability in our communities! We thank Asm. Carrillo for championing this effort and everyone who supported this vital step toward advancing housing equity and preserving much-needed affordable homes.⁠ ⁠ Our Board Chair, Rafael Perez, has authored a blog on AB 2355, titled “Bringing California’s Hidden Housing Out of the Shadows: ADU Amnesty Reform.” It features powerful insights from urban planner Jonathan Pacheco Bell @c1typlann3r and remarks from Assemblymember Juan Carrillo, highlighting the positive benefits this reform will unlock for communities.⁠ ⁠⁠

Planning and Code Enforcement Collaboration

I’m moderating the panel session “We’re In This Together: Improving Communities Through Planning and Code Enforcement Collaboration” at the 2024 APA CA Conference in Riverside. Our session is on September 28th, Conference Day 1, at 2:45pm. Come through.

Session description:

Planning and code enforcement are highly specialized and frequently politicized municipal services. At times this results in competing priorities and differing work styles, but fundamentally planners and code enforcement inspectors share the goal of creating community wellness. We best achieve this through intentional collaboration.

This session brings together planners and code enforcement professionals for a candid conversation about collaborative practice. Panelists will draw from personal reflections, scenarios, and case studies, and respond to interactive audience questions, to illustrate code enforcement and planning collaboration opportunities that benefit the community. By working collaboratively, planners and code enforcement avoid conflicting outcomes and reduce costs while co-creating better plans, policies, and programs and advancing fairness in land use regulation.

The moderator will facilitate a discussion exploring how effective communication, desire for mutual learning, and partnerships among planners, code enforcement regulators, and the community can increase equitable and inclusive planning, leading to more successful outcomes. Using interactive digital and in-person engagement methods, the audience will be empowered to guide the conversation in this forum. Attendees will gain insights and tools that they can apply in a variety of organizational settings to build collaborative opportunities for code enforcement and planning professionals.

Land Use Hot Topics and Code Enforcement

I’m moderating the panel session “Land Use Hot Topics and Code Enforcement” at the 2024 APA CA Conference in Riverside. Our session is on September 28th, Conference Day 1, at 1:30pm. Come through.

Session description:

In an era of evolving regulations and shifting political landscapes, code enforcement officers and planners face unique challenges when addressing land use issues related to cannabis operations, massage parlors, and sidewalk vending. This session will explore the delicate balance between upholding local regulations and navigating the complex web of state rights and political sensitivities. 

Our expert panel will share insights and strategies from jurisdictions across Southern California that have successfully tackled these challenging enforcement areas. Attendees will gain valuable knowledge on: 

– Developing effective communication strategies to educate stakeholders on local regulations while respecting state rights. 

– Collaborating with code enforcement and other agencies to address illegal operations and ensure public safety. 

– Implementing innovative approaches to code enforcement that prioritize community engagement and voluntary compliance. 

– Navigating political pressures and maintaining professionalism in sensitive enforcement situations. 

Through interactive discussions and real-world case studies, participants will leave equipped with practical tools and best practices to manage politically sensitive land use issues in their own jurisdictions. This session aligns with the conference theme by emphasizing the importance of adaptability, collaboration, and innovation in the face of evolving challenges in code enforcement. 

I Always Stop in Baker, California — and Not Just for Gas, on Medium

Baker, California. Photo by Jonathan Pacheco Bell

Read my latest, “I Always Stop in Baker, California — and Not Just for Gas” on Medium.

Excerpt:

“My family does that pit stop in Baker en route between Nevada and Pasadena. Before getting back on the 15, I like to visit Arne’s. It is always haunting seeing it up close rather than mediated through filtered #urbex depictions. This business was once somebody’s American Dream. I see memories of past grand ambitions working against all odds in the harsh California desert, still there but withering away.

Naysayers might describe Baker in those words. I don’t, because I haven’t given up on this place. The remaining residents, businesses, sites, stories, memories, and histories make this a community.“

Hostile Architecture Interview on KJZZ NPR Phoenix

I spoke with KJZZ NPR Phoenix about Hostile Architecture and public space equity. The story was cross-posted on the Fronteras Desk.

Excerpt:

BRODIE: What are the conversations like about this among your colleagues and other people who do what you do? . . .

PACHECO BELL: A lot of times city planners get blamed for this, but in fact, it’s oftentimes not city planners that are deciding to add hostile architecture. Rather, it’s the absence of mechanisms within city planning to deal with it. One of my longstanding critiques.

So, yes, there are instances where public agencies or the state might support the addition of hostile architecture, but there are also many instances where the private sector is doing this.

You have sometimes groups that form together to create hostile architecture to add in public space, to drive away those who they deem undesirable, and then sometimes you have sort of lone wolf individuals.

So this is a multidimensional issue. This is a multidimensional public space equity issue with a lot of people involved in it. My critique is that the urban planning field has done very little to address it.

The sharpest critiques that are coming out right now about hostile architecture are coming from the citizen journalists, young people on TikTok. And that is giving me hope that we’re going to have a turning point where we can start really talking about this as an international public space equity issue driven by young people on social media.

Informal ADUs Webinar

Join me this Friday, March 29th at 11:00am PST for an update on the important topic of unpermitted or informal ADUs and efforts to make the process of legalization easier and less costly, hosted by Casita Coalition, a statewide nonprofit. Our panel will cover:

– The current process for legalizing an unpermitted unit under state law
– How a safety-first legalization process can help preserve existing homes
– Designing an ADU amnesty program that addresses common barriers for homeowners
– AB 2533 (Carrillo)—a bill Casita Coalition is supporting to improve current ADU amnesty provisions

This webinar is generously sponsored by the City of Piedmont.

Register: https://www.casitacoalition.org/webinar-calendar/adu-amnesty

Reelected as Vice President of the Florence-Firestone Community Organization

With my fellow FFCO Board Members Ramsey Nicholson and Art Jones. Photo by Aditi Peyush

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!

Let Them Eat Cake: Utilizing UBI to Empower and Preserve Local Culture

Let Them Eat Cake: Utilizing UBI to Empower and Preserve Local Culture. By: Cole Correa

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.

Researcher presenting at the 2023 Cal Poly Pomona Urban & Regional Planning Senior Projects Day. Photo: Jonathan Pacheco Bell

Navigating the Nexus Panel

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.

Voices of the Streets: The Lived Experiences of Street Vendors in the Community of Florence-Firestone

Voices of the Streets: The Lived Experiences of Street Vendors in the Community of Florence-Firestone. By: Sergio Saldana

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.

Researcher presenting at the 2023 Cal Poly Pomona Urban & Regional Planning Senior Projects Day. Photo: Jonathan Pacheco Bell

Female Perceptions of Parking Safety at the First/Last Mile: An Analysis of Cal Poly Pomona

Female Perceptions of Parking Safety at the First/Last Mile: An Analysis of Cal Poly Pomona. By: Nikole J. Sanchez & Jaden R. Oloresisimo

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.

Research team presenting at the 2023 Cal Poly Pomona Urban & Regional Planning Senior Projects Day. Photo: Jonathan Pacheco Bell

Next Chapters Await. This Work Continues

My last day at the South Bay Cities Council of Governments is August 31st. I’ll miss working with this team of passionate, tenacious change agents. 

This has been a space to hone my Advocacy Planning practice. I led state funded housing acceleration projects under REAP 1.0, secured grants for housing implementation under REAP 2.0, and built the COG’s regional planner program to support local planning departments. Most importantly though, I applied Embedded Planning methods to strengthen subregional community partnerships. 

A highlight of my work was uplifting the need for backyard housing — an intentional effort after doing housing enforcement for over a decade.

Last year, I reached out on Instagram asking if anyone had an Accessory Dwelling Unit we could visit for a story on our ADU Acceleration REAP 1.0 project. Mr. Francisco Aquino Rios responded. He allowed us to spotlight his family’s newly built two-story ADU in South Central LA. The lived experience of the Aquino Rios Family informed our decision to make this the cover story. Thank you!

I appreciate the opportunity to grow with a strong team at the COG. They inspire me.

Next chapters await. This work continues.

Vision Zero Community Walk in Florence-Firestone

In support of Vision Zero, join us for a community walk in Florence-Firestone Sunday, July 23rd from 10am to 1pm. FFCO’s Ramsey Nicholson and I will highlight landmarks, social history, and community issues on the route. No registration required! Just come through.

Meeting place:
Florence-Firestone Community Organization (501c3)
6940 Compton Avenue, Los Angeles 90001

Route includes:
Compton Avenue, Florence Avenue, Maie Avenue, Graham Avenue, Miramonte Boulevard, E. 66th Street

Florence-Firestone Community Organization in partnership with Estolano Advisors, BikeLA, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, & California Office of Traffic Safety

Quoted in LAist on Student Debt

Image: LAist

I’m interviewed about the history of student debt in this excellent long form reporting by Julia Barajas at LAist. I thought about my urban planning students at Cal Poly Pomona and Pitzer College for this one.

Excerpt:

In May 2022, the Washington Post reported that White House officials were exploring the promised cancellation of $10,000 in student debt per borrower, but limiting efforts to people who earned less than $150,000 last year.

Opponents to this proposal can be found across the political spectrum.

Jonathan Pacheco Bell, an urban planner and adjunct professor at Cal Poly Pomona and Pitzer College, said he appreciates that Biden has not forgotten his campaign promise, but $10,000 is insufficient.

“It’s a way to split the difference so that you make some people happy and some people mad, but you’re not going to piss off the other side of the aisle, because you didn’t wipe away all the debt. It’s a very comfortable and extremely safe position,” he said.

Some of his students have taken on tens of thousands of dollars in debt, he added. “Meanwhile, the U.S. seems to be endlessly funding wars and other priorities with almost no hesitation, but it hesitates to invest in its own workforce.”