Building Capacity in Underserved Urban Areas

Seeing projects through—whether affordable housing, public space, or infrastructure—for low-income populations in cities like Los Angeles requires grit and coalition-building.

1 minute read

April 2, 2015, 8:00 AM PDT

By Molly M. Strauss @mmstrauss


Sherri Franklin, founder of the Urban Design Center (UDC), has spent a quarter-century devoted to just that. An expert at navigating the complexities of financing and realizing initiatives to serve South Los Angeles and other long-overlooked parts of the city, Franklin knows how to engage residents and help them transform their neighborhoods.

She recently spoke with The Planning Report to share lessons from her years building the capacity of these communities—as well as updating readers on current UDC work in Los Angeles ranging from the 6th Street Bridge, to the 710 Freeway Extension, to TOD and pedestrian-planning for Leimert Park Village. Franklin dedicated the interview to her mentor, Juanita Tate, who she celebrates in the piece.

Franklin reflects on the potential for South LA: "How do we begin to link Central Avenue in South Los Angeles to the business needs of the emerging population moving back to Downtown LA? What kind of connectivity can we create between transit nodes?... All the things that we thought of in the early ’90s are now in place because of the initial investment and leadership that was brought to Central Avenue."

Tuesday, March 24, 2015 in The Planning Report

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

US and Texas flags flying in front of Texas state capitol dome in Austin, Texas.

Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness

A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.

30 minutes ago - The Texas Tribune

Person in yellow safety suit and white helmet kneels to examine water samples outdoors on a lake shore.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure

If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

1 hour ago - Inside Climate News

Close-up of white panel at top of school bus with "100% electric" black text.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation

California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

April 30 - California Air Resources Board