CENTER FOR PACIFIC URBANISM
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CENTER FOR PACIFIC URBANISM
 

aBOUT Us

About the Center for Pacific Urbanism

The Center for Pacific Urbanism is an independent research and advocacy center based in Los Angeles, advancing bold, equity-driven approaches to land use, housing, and urban transformation across California and the Pacific region.

We operate at the intersection of spatial analysis, public policy, and cultural insight—where deep data meets deep care. Our work fuses technical precision with community imagination, developing new tools and frameworks that challenge outdated paradigms and open space for more inclusive, resilient futures.

Our approach is multidisciplinary, design-forward, and unapologetically innovative. We’ve pioneered projects ranging from the Housing Allocation Index, which redefined how Los Angeles sets fair housing targets, to parcel-based analyses of publicly owned land that informed federal litigation on homelessness. In Venice, our research revealed critical omissions in historic preservation and empowered underrepresented communities with tools to advocate for equity in land use.

At the core of our mission are five guiding objectives:

  • Community-driven supply, maintenance, and governance of housing and essential infrastructure

  • Empirical data analysis in service of justice, clarity, and transparency

  • Public education around urban trends, access, and local histories

  • Policy evaluation to expose harm and inform reform

  • Community economic development as both strategy and outcome

The Center is not simply responding to urban challenges—we are shaping the frameworks, the tools, and the conversations that will define what comes next.

Some of the topics in which we engage include:

 
 
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Policy Evaluation

Evaluate existing or proposed policy from local jurisdictions, agencies, and departments which manage the development of the built environment.

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Demographics

Analyze historical trends through population demographics to gauge fairness and equity from the results of policy.

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Modeling & Projections

Create conceptual models and project data trends into the future to verify expected results of policy decisions and their effectiveness.

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Housing Production

Study the relationship between land use and zoning policy, local decision-making processes, and the rates of housing production for a community.

Land Use Planning

Assess former, existing, and proposed land use plans in order to determine best practices for local and regional development.

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Environmental Justice

Explore how regional policies influence which communities are adversely affected by extended commute times, greenhouse gas emissions, water quality, and related environmental problems.

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Homelessness

Examine how homelessness is exacerbated or mitigated through public decisions regarding housing policy and supportive services.

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Spatial Analyses

Utilize public data and geographic information systems to visualize and understand data trends across any given space.

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Community Economic Development

Use price analyses to investigate how communities develop economically and which policies support or hinder prosperity.

 

Pacific Urbanism Resume

Select Publications, Lectures, and Citations

2020

LA Alliance for Human Rights vs. City of Los Angeles and County of Los Angeles. “Homeless Off-Street Sanctuary & Site Suitability Analysis”

Office of Assemblymember for the 62nd District of the California State Assembly. “Building Capacity Development and Fair Housing Now.”

Save Venice and Historic Oakwood Community. “The FAIR Venice Plan for Historic Oakwood to Meet 2029 RHNA Targets.”

2019

City of Santa Monica Housing and Planning Commissions. “Special Joint Meeting of the Planning Commission and Housing Commission.” Retrieve Video (1:55:50)

Joint Presentation to the City of Los Angeles Office of the Mayor and Department of City Planning. “Housing Allocation Index and Rezoning Program. A New Method to Allocate the 2029 RHNA Target by Community Plan Area.”

Northridge West Neighborhood Council Board Meeting. “Demographic Trends, Land Use Policies, and Their Effects.”

Office of Councilmember for the 9th District of the City of Los Angeles Office of Planning & Economic Development. “Land Use and Origin-Destination Analysis for Slauson Corridor and City of Los Angeles Council District 9.”

West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission. “Area Planning Commission Data Trends 1940-2015. West Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Metropolitan Statistical Area.” Retrieve Audio

2018

Antonio Villaraigosa Campaign for Governor of California. “How to Achieve Target of 3.5 Million Homes in California by 2025.”

California Coastal Commission. “ Retrieve Video 1 (CAL-SPAN 46:00) Retrieve Video 2 (CAL-SPAN 37:30)

Office of Councilmember for the 5th District of the City of Los Angeles. “Inventory of Dwelling Units by Type and Zone District.”

Office of Councilmember for the 11th District of the City of Los Angeles. “US Census Bureau Data Trends for Council District 11 1960-2015.”

Venice Neighborhood Council Board Meeting. “Timeline of Development and US Census Bureau Data Trends 1960-2010. Venice, California and the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area.”

2017

Los Angeles Police Department Pacific Division. “Building Permit and US Census Bureau Data Trends.”

The Wall Street Journal. “Venice Beach Is a Hot Place to Live, So Why Is Its Housing Supply Shrinking?”

Venice Neighborhood Council Land Use and Planning Committee. “US Census Bureau Data Trends 1960-2010. Venice, California and the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area.”

 
 

featured publications

 
 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY 2020

Subsidized low income housing units, often referred to as “affordable housing”, are housing units in which rental costs are partially or wholly subsidized by public funds and agencies. These units are intended to provide support for households who are overburdened by rent but also service senior citizens, individuals with severe mental health conditions, people with physical disabilities, and others who require similar assistance. As such, knowing the total amount and location of these units is imperative to understanding the current status of affordable housing in Los Angeles, as well as the creation of future policy surrounding affordable housing and overall dwelling unit production citywide.

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VENICE COMMERCIAL LAND ANALYSIS

Commercial use (along with residential, industrial, open space, and various other uses) is a major component of land use policy and zoning laws. Properties zoned for commercial use often include shopping malls, wholesale retail stores, offices, financial establishments, entertainment centers, and other similar businesses. Due to this, commercially zoned areas are of particular importance to better understanding local and regional economies. Whereas recommendations for the intensity and areas of commercial use in Los Angeles have been published elsewhere, this paper builds upon a growing body of academic and policy research that evidences growing opportunities in all neighborhoods for community economic development.

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HOMELESS OFF STREET SANCTUARY

As Los Angeles continues to face a worsening housing scarcity and unaffordability crisis, we must determine and implement policies that will help our neighbors avoid homelessness by providing adequate shelter and housing both in the immediate as well as permanently. This study provides a comprehensive list of potential sites for off-street homeless shelters in Los Angeles as well as an inventory of precedents from various cities that should be considered by local policymakers in addressing homelessness in our communities.

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