Jonathan P. Bell

Jonathan Pacheco Bell is a practicing urban planner with over 20 years of experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors spanning the fields of urban planning, architecture, labor organizing, community libraries, and nonprofit leadership. He has expertise in community engagement, participatory planning and design, inclusive public space, General, Specific, Community and Vision Plans, code compliance, zoning ordinances, planning studies, policy writing, and project management. During his time as a County planner in South Central LA’s Florence-Firestone community, Jonathan created Embedded Planning. The praxis situates the work of planners on the street-level – not behind a desk – to increase equity and participation for historically marginalized populations harmed by inequitable planning. Today, he serves as Vice President of the Florence-Firestone Community Organization (501c3) working to improve lives through community-rooted services. Jonathan has guest-lectured widely on planning praxis. His speaking engagements include Columbia GSAPP, UCLA, University of Utah, Ohio State, Pratt Institute, Stanford Engineering, UC Irvine, Woodbury, and ELA College Architecture; state and national APA Conferences in California, Iowa, and Louisiana; and public forums such as MOCA, City Parks Alliance, and the SF Urban Film Fest. For over a decade, Jonathan has been a leader in the American Planning Association. He’s a member of the Latinos and Planning Division and is published in APA’s practitioner magazine, Planning. He served as APA Los Angeles Social Media Director and was the Southern California representative on the APA National Social Equity Task Force. Born in Boyle Heights and raised in East LA and Montebello, Professor Bell is a First Generation college student. This life experience motivated him to mentor emerging planners around the world. A product of the California public school system from kindergarten to graduate school, he holds an M.A. in Urban Planning from UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, an MLIS from San Jose State University iSchool, and undergraduate degrees in political science and architecture. Connect at c1typlann3r.blog.