Renowned UCLA planning professor, urbanist, and author Edward W. Soja passed away last month. L.A.-based planner, and former Soja student, Jonathan Bell writes about his teachings and how they influenced him.
UCLA Planning Professor Edward W. Soja passed away last month. Author of the planning classics Postmodern Geographies: the Reassertion of Space in Critical Social Theory and Postmetropolis, Soja influenced a generation of planning students.
His work on space, postmodernism, and Los Angeles were core readings in history and theory classes . . .
L.A.-centered planner and former Soja student Jonathan Bell describes the influence that Soja had on him:
Soja taught me that space is active, congregative, and people-centered. This spatial awareness is helping me build more spatially just communities in Los Angeles. Today, as a practicing planner, whether preparing policy documents, writing about cities, or working in partnership with communities to improve quality of life, I remain ever faithful to Soja’s simple rule: “Put space first.
. . .
A celebration of Edward Soja’s life and work will be held Monday, January 25, 2016, from 4pm to 6pm at the UCLA Faculty Center, Sequoia Room.
FULL STORY: Epitaph for Edward W. Soja
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA
The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.
Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
Southern Californians Survey Trees for Destructive Oak Pest
Hundreds of volunteers across five counties participated in the first Goldspotted Oak Borer Blitz, surveying oak trees for signs of the invasive beetle and contributing valuable data to help protect Southern California’s native woodlands.
Opinion: How Geothermal HVAC Lowers Costs, Improves Grid Resilience
Geothermal heating and cooling systems can reduce energy costs and dramatically improve efficiency.
Tenant Screening: A Billion-Dollar Industry with Little Oversight. What’s Being Done to Protect Renters?
Reports show that the data tenant screening companies use is often riddled with errors and relies on information that has no bearing on whether someone will be a good tenant.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)