Reuben Duarte is a Land Use Planner at Sheppard Mullin in Los Angeles, California, where he assists real estate developers, property owners, and other business entities in guiding their projects through the entitlement process, including permitting, regulatory and environmental compliance (CEQA), stakeholder engagement, and community outreach. Reuben has also written as a contributing editor for the Climate Change Law & Policy Reporter.
Reuben received his BA in Legal Studies and Sociology from UC Berkeley, and a Masters in Urban & Regional Planning from UCLA, where he specialized in transportation planning and policy, and urban design and development. His primary areas of interest include: real estate and economic development, urban design, land use and transportation policy, high-speed rail, and political environments.
In his spare time, Reuben enjoys serving as the Communications Director for the California (UC Berkeley) Alumni Association in Los Angeles. Originally from Visalia in California’s Central Valley, he now lives in West Hollywood where he can be found drinking whiskey on a patio somewhere.
You can contact Reuben directly via email at RDuarte@SheppardMullin.com.
Removing California's Costa-Hawkins Act and the Future of Rent Control
In an attempt to combat prohibitively high housing costs in California, some look to repeal the 1995 state law that limits the power of local rent control ordinances. However, removing those restrictions would likely exaggerate current problems.
Measure S Is Just Bad Policy
Measure S gives city leaders a moderately satisfying smack across the face. As satisfying as that may be, Measure S is remarkably bad planning and development policy at the expense of the vast majority of Angelinos.
Bringing By-Right Affordable Housing to California
Reviewing Governor Jerry Brown's recent proposed legislation to permit projects that provide affordable housing to be approved as-of-right.
DIY Urbanism and Top-Down Planning
Though projects tend to be hyper-local and temporary, Do It Yourself, Tactical, or Guerrilla Urbanism is an endorsement of the top-down planning model, rather than a repudiation.
What's the Matter With the Planning Process?
Current planning models places housing affordability and preservation fundamentally at odds with one another. We must be willing to re-evaluate our processes if we are to truly move forward.