UrbanPlan Committee

The mission of UrbanPlan is to educate the next generation of young people – our future voters, neighbors, public officials, and land use professionals – to better understand the many considerations and tradeoffs presented to land-use professionals in the design and development of our cities.

UrbanPlan harnesses the power of experiential learning to drive students to more deeply engage in the complex nature of land-use decisions and inspire them to take an active role as engaged citizens to create better communities. The curriculum-based program is available for high-school juniors and seniors, public officials, and community groups. Nationwide, this impactful program reaches almost 4,000 students per year in 52 high schools in 39 cities through ULI’s network of District Councils.  Learn more about the national program here.

The ULI LA UrbanPlan Committee meets monthly to implement programming and workshops throughout Los Angeles. If you are a ULI LA member and interested in joining the UrbanPlan committee, please enroll here.

Get Trained & Get Involved with UrbanPlan

ULI-LA is excited to bring you along on all things UrbanPlan. From the local school to civic leaders and the public sector, ULI LA’s UrbanPlan Committee hosts sessions.

Get Involved HERE

UrbanPlan Volunteers Serve as Ambassadors for ULI’s DEI Goals

High school students pose with their awards and site plans after completing an UrbanPlan course in 2019.

“This [pandemic] year has been incredibly challenging for us and the students, as we opted to remain fully virtual for the entire school year. I am so proud and happy to report that our students loved the program, and I am so confident that they learned a lot about how to be changemakers in their communities. This program is truly a wonderful opportunity for our students, and I know we are all better for having experienced it.”
—Gaby Gallegos | Teacher, Alliance Smidt Tech High School | Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles | Virtual Classroom – MAY/JUNE 2021

UrbanPlan for High Schools

In-Classroom

UrbanPlan is a classroom-based learning curriculum developed for high school juniors and seniors. Traditionally imbedded into semester-long Economics or Government classes, the program is currently reaching almost 4,000 students per year in 52 high schools in 39 cities through ULI’s network of District Councils. In the 15 class hours of the curriculum, students learn about land use and its related disciplines in business, city planning, real estate, architecture, and law.

Students form development teams and respond to an RFP to redevelop a 5½ block site in a fictional city. Each team member assumes one of five development roles and together the team develops a financial proforma and physical model of their plan. Once complete, each team presents their proposal to a mock City Council who then awards the ‘development contract’ to the winning team.

High school students work with UrbanPlan facilitators and volunteers to develop their site plan for “Yorktown.”

“10/10! I learned about different professional roles and gained a better understanding of the urban planning field.  The LEGOS allowed me to visualize our site. The experts helped a lot because they gave us the perspective of the City Council members.”
— D. Castillo | Role of Financial Analyst | Student – Alliance Smidt Technology High School | 2 Week Summer Camp, Los Angeles – JULY 2019

Public Officials collaborate over Zoom using the virtual site planner tool.

“As a planning commissioner, this workshop helped me to better understand the role and concerns of the private sector, including the types of risks a developer might have assessed in putting together their project proposals. It has strengthened my resolve to ask more informed questions in order to publicly shed more light on those risks balanced against community needs and interests.”
—Fabiola Inzunza | City of South Gate | Planning Commissioner | UrbanPlan for Public Officials – MAY 2021

UrbanPlan for Public Officials

In April 2021, ULI-LA held our first-ever virtual UrbanPlan Workshop. Teams explored key issues of land-use with other elected officials, professional land use practitioners, and ULI volunteers. Thank you to the 17 public officials from around LA County who participated as well as our member-volunteers who served as facilitators and team advisers!

UrbanPlan is an opportunity for public officials to build their toolkit for understanding how public/private partnerships can make a positive impact on city-led projects. We anticipate that Public Officials Workshops will become a signature part of our annual UrbanPlan programming. Keep an eye out for future workshop opportunities.

For more information on the UrbanPlan Workshop for Public Officials, please check out the flyer

UrbanPlan Chair

Want to get involved in UrbanPlan?

For more information or to volunteer, contact our two co-chairs: Lori Summers [email protected] and Rebecca Martinez [email protected].