Planning Advocate Award and Keynote on Embedded Planning at APA Los Angeles Awards 2024

On June 25, I received the Planning Advocate Award 2024 and delivered the invited keynote on Embedded Planning at the APA Los Angeles annual awards gala. I thank my colleagues for the recognition and support! It means a lot coming from my home section. 

Rightfully, Florence-Firestone Community Organization was in the house. Embedded Planning was born on the streets of Florence-Firestone in South Central LA. We wouldn’t be here without Florence-Firestone.

As I wrote after the APA Inland Empire awards, and as I shared in the LA keynote, our #EmbeddedPlanning movement won. What began in Florence-Firestone is now a planning praxis in other states, regions, countries, and hemispheres. 

We have built the future of planning.

Planning Pioneer Award 2024 from APA Inland Empire

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 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.“

Planners Network Disorientation Guide, 2nd Edition

As a member of the Planners Network social media team, I’m stoked to announce that the second edition of the Planners Network Disorientation Guide is now ready and freely accessible at the following link: bit.ly/DisorientationGuide2024. Special thanks goes out to our authors and contributors, our main editor Cara Chellew, and the editorial and design/lay-out team for all their hard work. Finally, it would not have been possible to make this a freely-accessible resource without the ongoing support and contributions of PN members. Not yet a PN member? Join here. 

Description of Guide: What does it mean to be a “progressive” or “radical” planner? And what kind of power do planners have to enact change? The Planners Network Disorientation Guide attempts to orient folks new to the field of urban and regional planning to ideas, concepts, and practices linked to progressive or radical planning traditions. Reimagined 20 years after its first iteration, the Disorientation Guide features a range of articles, interviews, and excerpts sourced from progressive planning academics and practitioners. In addition, the guide includes additional resources with links to grassroots organizations, non-profits, and academic research groups involved in progressive city-building practices. It is our hope that this guide can help to inspire positive ways forward amid present challenges and offer a lens into the kinds of alternative visions and practices that planning can be. Download the guide (PDF) at: http://bit.ly/DisorientationGuide2024.

Please print, share, and distribute!  

Our SELA Region Photo Shoot in Huntington Park

Shout out to SELA Collaborative for today’s #OurSELARegion photo shoot spotlighting the Florence-Firestone Community Organization!

We’re in the final phase of the campaign capturing the essence and diversity of community leaders that make up the fabric of the Southeast LA region.

Big up to SELA Collab’s Anthony Martinez and photographer Alan Arvizu for the fun day outside Huntington Park City Hall. Stay tuned.

Watch FFCO’s spotlight video and civic engagement interview here: linktr.ee/c1typlann3r

Learning From Informal Urbanism at UC Irvine USSA

I’m joining UCI’s Urban Studies Student Association May 30th at 6pm for the talk, “Learning From Informal Urbanism Enforcement.” As this is the last general meeting of the quarter, we’re going out strong with a critical discussion of my decade+ doing Zoning Enforcement in South Central LA. This talk on Zoom is free and open to all.

Summary: With 20 years of experience in the field of planning and as the creator of Embedded Planning, a praxis that places the planner on the ground with the fundamental goal of equity and engagement, Jonathan has ample experience with the way cities and planners interact with informal urbanism. The question remains: What is the planner’s precarious role in land use regulation? 

Embedded Planning at Cal Poly SLO

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 💚

City of Quartz Walk with UCI USSA

With UCI USSA at Los Angeles State Historic Park

I joined the City of Quartz walking tour on May 11th with the UC Irvine Urban Studies Student Association. Shout out to Professor Walter Nicholls and students for allowing me to guest narrate our field trip.

We keep Mike Davis alive by reading his works, engaging his critiques, and putting feet on the street to understand the city.

Selected photos from the walk:

Discussing Hostile Architecture outside Angels Flight
Layers of history on Broadway
Disney Hall almost did not happen
Professor Nicholls explaining the development of Grand Avenue
Rendezvous point at Los Angeles State Historic Park

South LA College Prep High School

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.

Speaking on Embedded Planning at East LA College Department of Architecture Spring Lecture Series

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.

City of Quartz Panel at LitFest in the Dena 2024

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.

City of Quartz Panel at LitFest in the Dena

I’m joining Iván Salinas and Mike The PoeT Sonksen at LitFest in the Dena on the panel, “Excavating the Future in Los Angeles: A Discussion of Mike Davis’s City of Quartz,” 5/5 in Altadena.

Arguably the late Mike Davis’s best known work, City of Quartz is one of the most significant books detailing the history of urban development in LA. Our panel will discuss passages, answer audience question, engage poetry rooted in place, and reflect on the enduring impact of Mike Davis and City of Quartz.

LitFest in the Dena is FREE and OPEN TO ALL: https://litfestinthedena.org/

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.