Jonathan Nettler has lived and practiced in Boston, Washington D.C., San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles on a range of project types for major public, institutional, and private developer clients including: large scale planning and urban design, waterfront and brownfield redevelopment, transit-oriented development, urban infill, campus planning, historic preservation, zoning, and design guidelines.
Jonathan is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and serves on the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles section of the American Planning Association (APA) as the Vice Director for Professional Development. He is also active in local volunteer organizations. Jonathan's interests include public participation in the planning and design process, the intersection between transportation, public health and land use, and the ways in which new ideas and best practices get developed, discussed, and dispersed.
Jonathan previously served as Managing Editor of Planetizen and Project Manager/Project Planner for Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn (EE&K) Architects. He received a Master of Arts degree in Architecture from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Boston University.
Why We Should Plan According to Ecosystem, Rather Than Artificial Boundaries
The often arbitrary boundaries drawn up to define territory limits how most planners determine the extents of their projects. Neil Chambers argues why we, and the planet, would be better served if we planned according to natural characteristics.
How Far Should Communities Go To Subsidize Companies?
Tax breaks, cheap energy, and investments in infrastructure are among the subsidies often requested of local communities by companies searching for locations for their operations. Edward Alden asks what companies owe in return.
Building a Better Bus Means Cribbing from Trains
Kris Hudson investigates the ways in which cities across America are retooling the way their buses look and function in order to attract 'choice riders.'
Is a Rebound in the Architecture Profession on the Horizon?
Finally, some good (?) news for the decimated architecture profession. A survey conducted recently by McGraw-Hill Construction predicts that by 2014, U.S. architecture firms expect a shortage of qualified designers, reports William Hanley.
Can a Long Shot Lawsuit End Nairobi's Forced Evictions
Forty residents of Nairobi's Mukuru slum have petitioned "some of Kenya's most powerful individuals, companies and banks, demanding rights to the land they live on and an end to forced evictions." They've already succeeded in halting some evictions.