Cities of Quartz: How Mike Davis Transformed Urban Studies

We’re honoring Mike Davis at UHA in LA.

Urban History Association Conference 2025

Metropolitan Majorities: UHA 11th Biennial Conference

The Biltmore Los Angeles in Downtown LA, October 9-12, 2025

Cities of Quartz: How Mike Davis Transformed Urban Studies (Roundtable)

Saturday, October 11, 2025 | 1:15-2:45pm

Abstract:

In this roundtable discussion, a group of writers, academics, and urban planners will discuss the life and work of Mike Davis. With books like City of Quartz, Ecology of Fear, and Planet of Slums, Davis played an irreplaceable role in pushing urban scholars to foreground questions of equity, justice, and sustainability in their work. Each of Davis’ books and articles was grounded in a clear-eyed assessment of the power dynamics that create unequal societies, and throughout his life he remained a forceful advocate for the moral necessity that poor and working-class communities — whatever their ethnic or racial makeup — have the same chance at opportunity as the ruling class.

To illuminate Davis’ legacy, our discussion will begin with the impact he had on how the city of Los Angeles understands itself, before we open our inquiry into applying his method to cities everywhere and incorporating his ethos into future urban plans.

The roundtable will be moderated by Mike Sonksen, a poet and former Woodbury University professor who was mentored by Mike Davis and remained friends with him for over two decades.

Speakers:

— Carolina A. Miranda, Culture Writer

— Mike The PoeT Sonksen, Poet & Moderator

— David Kipen, UCLA Writing Faculty 

— Jonathan Pacheco Bell, Urban Planner 

— Kyle Paoletta, Journalist & Author

ADU Condos and Unpermitted ADU Legalization

Shout out to the YimbyTown Conference New Haven for including our panel, “Much ADU About State Legislation.”

I enjoyed the conversation and learning, and uplifting Casita Coalition’s implementation priorities, AB 1033: ADU Condos aka ADU Starter Homes and AB 2533: Unpermitted ADU Legalization.

From the conference program:

Much ADU About State Legislation

Abstract: Legislatures across the country are saying “yes” to backyard housing and passing statewide accessory dwelling unit (ADU) reforms. This panel brings together leaders from successful pro-ADU movements in California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts to share lessons learned, best practices, and model legislation for legalizing second units in single-family areas.

Speakers: Max Dubler, California YIMBY, Policy Manager; Mike Kriesberg, Abundant Housing Massachusetts, Policy and Advocacy Manager; Marina Rubina, Who Killed The Starter Home? Podcast, Principal, Architect; Jonathan Pacheco Bell, Casita Coalition, VP of Policy and Programs

Vacant Lot Activation in Florence-Firestone

Florence-Firestone Vacant Lot Activation

7700 S. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90001

Saturday, September 20, 2025, 2:00 – 5:00 PM

Project:

We are transforming the vacant lot at E. 77th Street and Central Avenue into a temporary community hub as part of Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell’s Corridors 2 Community Initiative. This initiative focuses on community-led revitalization of small business corridors in unincorporated communities in LA County’s 2nd District, including Florence-Firestone.

Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) and Florence-Firestone Community Organization (FFCO) are partnering with the County of Los Angeles to host a series of pop-up events over 6 months, bringing resources and services directly to the community.

These events will feature:

— Opportunities for residents to share their vision for the future of historic Central Avenue

— Live music and cultural activities

— Food and local vendors

— Services for small business owners

— County and community resources

— Free food for the first 75 participants!

Join us for FREE these resources, activities, and services for Florence-Firestone community members & businesses.

RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/corridors-2-community-corredores-hacia-la-comunidad-tickets-1677297204089?aff=oddtdtcreator

#FlorenceFirestone #EmbeddedPlanning

We Are Honoring Mike Davis at the Urban History Association 2025 Conference in Los Angeles

I’m on a roundtable panel at the Urban History Association Conference 2025 discussing the legacy and impact of Mike Davis. The conference is open to all. Registration: https://urbanhistory.org/Conference-Registration

Cities of Quartz: How Mike Davis Transformed Urban Studies

— Speakers: Carolina A. Miranda, Mike The PoeT Sonksen, David Kipen, Kyle Paoletta, and Jonathan Pacheco Bell

— Date/time: Saturday, October 11, 2025, 1:15-2:45pm

— Location: Biltmore Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles

Mike Davis Roundtable at the Urban History Association Conference 2025

I’m on a panel recognizing the legacy of Mike Davis with writer legends Carolina A. Miranda, Kyle Paoletta, David Kipen, and Mike The PoeT Sonksen at the Urban History Association Conference 2025 in Los Angeles. More to come soon.

Join us on Saturday, October 11th, 1:15-2:45pm at the Biltmore Hotel in Downtown LA.

Register for the UHA Conference here: https://urbanhistory.org/Conference-Registration.

Florence-Firestone Walk and Roll Event

Join LA Walks + the Florence-Firestone Community Organization for a Walk and Roll event: Adapting for Community Safety & Accessibility!

What we’re doing:

VISIONING: Envisioning safer, more welcoming streets and sidewalks

WALK AUDIT: Documenting and analyzing current street and sidewalk conditions

ART: Creating a zine with artist Audrey Chan to share community experiences

*Register at Roosevelt Park Senior Center or online here.

Date: Saturday, Sept 6, 2025, 2-5pm

Location: FFCO Office, 6940 Compton Ave, LA 90001

Sponsored by AARP

Googling New Regionalism

Continuing to release writings from my Student Papers Archive, here is Googling “New Regionalism”.

This analysis was submitted on April 20, 2005 in Edward W. Soja’s UP 230 Intro to Regional Planning course at UCLA Urban Planning. Google was fairly new and better at retrieving information than other search engines. At this point, Soja was writing less about Postmodernism, more about New Regionalism, and always “putting space first.” He asked us to go deep in the search results to uncover definitions of New Regionalism in this digital space.

20 Years

In 2005, I graduated from UCLA Urban Planning with my MAUP and took a photo on graduation day with my mentor, Professor Edward W. Soja. In 2025, I got to take photos with my urban planning and landscape architecture students on graduation day at Cal Poly Pomona Urban and Regional Planning. We’re all on a journey.

This video is cross-posted on my LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and c1typlann3r.blog.

Permit Pitfalls Panel at the Build the Middle National Housing Convening 2025

I learned so much from moderating this breakout session at the Build the Middle National Housing Convening 2025. And from feedback received thus far, session attendees gained many insights, tools, and practical action steps.

Big thanks to our panelists: Diana Gonzalez from Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning, Tennis Wick from Permit Sonoma, Derek Ouyang from Stanford RegLab, and Awais Azhar from HousingWorks Austin.

Thank you, Cal Poly Pomona

My time at Cal Poly Pomona has come to an end. The last 4 years were a dream come true. In 2021, I’d never have imagined that 1 lower division course would blossom into 6 across our bachelor’s and MURP programs, including my personal goal of teaching planning theory (my favorite at UCLA Luskin!). With that accomplished, I’ve decided to exit on a high note. This move makes space for new lecturers . . . new ideas, new lessons, new texts, new assignments, new theories, new planning methods, new pedagogies, new critiques, new praxis.

I’ll miss my students. My greatest joy was being a part of their journeys. I got to see folks new to the field evolve before my eyes into fierce urban planners—change agents. I hope my ramblings contributed to their growth. My students give me boundless hope. The future of urban planning is in good hands. 

I was a mentor before CPP and I remain one. I’ve formed lifelong relationships with CPP students, faculty, and university fam. Many believe in Embedded Planning and other forms of activist praxis. We have momentum.

So this isn’t a “goodbye” but rather a “see you out there, in the neighborhoods, alongside our community members, planning and organizing, with your feet on the street.”

Scenes from Embedded Planning is the Future at Duke

Scenes from Duke University from my 4/10 guest talk, “Embedded Planning is the Future.” The invited lecture was delivered in partnership with the undergraduate group Duke Our Urban Future and Duke Urban Studies.

This is chapter 3 in the #EmbeddedPlanning story.

We begin in medias res amidst my high stakes confrontation with unnamed powerholding figureheads suspicious of Embedded Planning because it subverted top-down control. I retrace my steps and epiphanies as a zoning enforcement planner to create Embedded Planning in South Central LA’s Florence-Firestone community. Drawing from personal experiences, I reflect on the challenges and benefits of street-level planning in the face of power. I then present case studies of others doing Embedded Planning coast to coast — and beyond!

When you hear planners today talk about “meeting people where they are,” know that we’ve long called it Embedded Planning praxis. And now we’re a worldwide movement.

Photos by AJ Adovor & Avery Smedley of Duke OUF and Dr. Ashley Hernandez of UNC Chapel Hill Carolina Planning. Thank you, Duke urban planners, for inviting me to speak on your campus!