James Rojas is an urban planner, community activist, and artist. He holds a Master of City Planning and a Master of Science of Architecture Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. When I returned to the states, I shifted careers and studied city planning at MIT. Theres a whole litany of books on this topic. I use every day familiar objects to make people feel comfortable. My practice called Place It! In East Los Angeles, as James Rojas (1991) has described, the residents have developed a working peoples' manipulation and adaptation of the environment, where Mexican- Americans live in small. When Latino immigrants move into traditional U.S. suburban homes, they bring perceptions of housing, land, and public space that often conflict with how American neighborhoods and houses were planned, zoned, designed, and constructed. Like other racial/ethnic minorities and underserved populations, Latinos experience significant educational, economic, environmental, social, and physical health risks coupled with significant health care access issues. More. References to specific policymakers, individuals, schools, policies, or companies have been included solely to advance these purposes and do not constitute an endorsement, sponsorship, or recommendation. He recognized that the street corners and front yards in East Los Angeles served a similar purpose to the plazas in Germany and Italy. Then there are the small commercial districts in Latino neighborhoods, which are pedestrian-oriented, crowded, tactile, energetic. Rojas is also one of the few nationally recognized urban planners to examine U.S. Latino cultural influences on urban design and sustainability. The natural light, weather, and landscape varied from city to city as well as how residents used space. Salud America! Participants attach meaning to objects and they become artifacts between enduring places of the past, present, and future. Building small cities became my hobby as I continued to find objects with which to express architecture and landscapes in new ways. Strategies and Challenges in the Retention of Latino Talent in Grand Rapids 2017 - DR. ROBERT RODRIGUEZ Through these early, hands-on activities I learned that vacant spaces became buildings, big buildings replaced small ones, and landscapes always changed. As a planner and project manager for Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority who led many community workshop and trainings, Rojas found people struggled to discuss their needs with planners. How a seminal event in Los Angeles shaped the thinking of an urban designer. Most children outgrow playing with toys- not me! The civil unrest for me represented a disenfranchised working class population and the disconnection between them and the citys urban planners. Read more about his Rojas and Latino Urbanism in our Salud Hero story here. These places and activities tell a story of survival and identity that every Latino in the US has either created, or experienced. Streetsblog: What would you say are the key principles of Latino Urbanism? He started noticing how spaces made it easier or harder for families, neighbors, and strangers to interact. I took classes in color theory, art history, perspective, and design. Through this interdisciplinary group, LUF was able to leverage our social network, professional knowledge, and political strategy to create a dialogue on urban policy issues in mainly underserved Latino Communities, with the aim of preserving, and enhancing the livability of these neighborhoods. writer Sam Newberg) that talks about the real-life impact of the "new urbanist" approach to planning in that city, and the []. Im going to Calgary, where I will be collaborating with the citys health and planning departments and the University of Calgary on a project to engage Asian immigrants. I was fascinated by these cities. But no one at MIT was talking about rasquache or Latinos intimate connection with the spaces they inhabit. Front yard nacimiento (nativity scene) in an East Los Angeles front yard. Overall, Rojas felt that the planning process was intimidating and too focused on infrastructure for people driving. I excelled at interior design. I begin all my urban planning meetings by having participants build their favorite childhood memory with objects in 10 minutes. Salud America! Each person had a chance to build their ideal station based on their physical needs, aspirations and share them with the group. Latinos are the nation's largest racial/ethnic minority group, yet knowledge of their physical health is less well documented or understood relative to other groups. or the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Showing images of from Latino communities from East Los Angeles, Detroit, San Francisco, and other cities communities across the country illustrates that Latinos are part of a larger US-/Latino urban transformation. For hours I laid out streets on the floor or in the mud constructing hills, imaginary rivers, developing buildings, mimicking the city what I saw around me. Where I think in these middle class neighborhoods, theyre more concerned about property values. His Los Angeles-based planning firm is called Place It! My research on how Latinos used space, however, allowed me to apply interior design methodology with my personal experiences. Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use). Much to everyones surprise I joined the army, with the promise to be stationed in Europe. But they change that into a place to meet their friends and neighbors. To learn about residents memories, histories, and aspirations, Rojas and Kamp organized the following four community engagement events, which were supplemented by informal street interviews and discussions: We want participants to feel like they can be planners and designers, Kamp said. 11.16.2020. is a new approach to examining US cities by combining interior design and city planning. By examining hundreds of small objects placed in front of them participants started to see, touch, and explore the materials they begin choosing pieces that they like, or help them build this memory. In an essay, Rojas wrote that Latino single-family houses communicate with each other by sharing a cultural understanding expressed through the built environment.. provides a comfortable space to help community members understand and discuss the deeper meaning of place and mobility. James Rojas, founder of the Latino Urban Forum, in an essay published by the Center for the New Urbanism describes how Latinos experience the built environment in Los Angeles. During this time, he came across a planning report on East Los Angeles that said, it lacks identitytherefore needs a Plaza.. Theyve always had that kind of market tradition. Since James Rojas was child, he has been fascinated with urban spaces like streets, sidewalks, plazas, storefronts, yards, and porches. How Feasible Is It to Remodel Your Attic? In the United States, however, Latino residents and pedestrians can participate in this street/plaza dialogue from the comfort and security of their enclosed front yards. Support the Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Cultural Vitality Program, educational outreach, and more. The residents communicate with each other via the front yard. Despite . Ironically, this is the type of vibrancy that upscale pedestrian districts try so hard to create via a top-down control of scale, uses, consistent tree canopy, wide sidewalks, and public art. Place IT! In Pittsburg, I worked on a project that had to do with bike issues and immigrants. These included Heidelbergs pink sandstone buildings, Florences warm colored buildings. In early December, I would see people installing displays in front yards and on porches in El Sereno, Highland Park, Lincoln Heights, Boyle Heights. We advocated for light rail projects such as the East Side Gold Line Rail and Expo Line. Meanwhile the city of Santa Ana cracked down on garage scales. Parking is limited, and so people come on foot. The Latino Urban Forum was an offshoot of my research. Fences are an important part of this composition because they hold up items and delineate selling space. A lot of it is based on values. Uncles played poker. James Rojas is an urban planner, community activist, and artist. These objects include colorful hair rollers, pipe cleaners, buttons, artificial flowers, etc. Urban planners work in an intellectual and rational tradition, and they take pride in knowing, not feeling. Children roamed freely. For the past 30 years Latinos across the US have invited me into their communities to help them plan through their built environment, Rojas said. Because we shared a culture, we were able to break down the silos from our various jobs. is a national Latino-focused organization that creates culturally relevant and research-based stories and tools to inspire people to drive healthy changes to policies, systems, and environments for Latino children and families. Rojas is pounding the pavement and working the long-game, one presentation at a time. So, he came up with Latino vernacular, which morphed into Latino Urbanism.. By building fences, they bind together adjacent homes. James Rojas (right) created a sixteen-foot-long interactive model of the L.A. River with the Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation. Your family and neighbors are what youre really concerned about. Do issues often come up where authorities, maybe with cultural biases, try to ban Latino Urbanism on the basis of zoning or vending licenses? in 2011 to help engage the public in the planning and design process. Im not sure how much of that I can convey in []. James Rojas Combines Design and Engagement through Latino Urbanism Alumnus James Rojas (BS Interior Design '82) is an urban planner, community activist, and artist. Photo courtesy of James Rojas. In 2014, he worked in over ten cities across seven states. Social cohesion is the degree of connectedness within and among individuals, communities, and institutions. Wherever they settle, Latinos are transforming Americas streets. I am inspired by the vernacular landscapes of East L.A.the streetscapes of its commercial strips and residential areas. I was working for LA Metro and the agency was planning the $900 million rail project through their community. The use of paint helps Latinos to inexpensively claim ownership of a place. These residents had the lowest auto ownership, highest transit use in LA County, and they had more on-the-ground knowledge of using public transit than most of the transportation planners. Orange County also saw . Then they were placed in teams and collectively build their ideal station. American lawns create psychological barriers and American streets create physical barriers to Latino social and cultural life. Like many Latino homes, the interior lacked space for kids to play. I was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany and in Vicenza, Italy. I tell the students that the way Latinos use space and create community is not based on conforming to modern, land-use standards or the commodification of land, Rojas said. Particularly in neighborhoods.. Today hundreds of residents us this jogging path daily. Folklife Magazine explores how culture shapes our lives. Its more urban design focused. Dr. Michael Mendez is an assistant professor of environmental policy and planning at the University of California, Irvine. After the presentations, they asked me, Whats next? We all wanted to be involved in city planning. The only majority-minority district where foreign-born Latinos did not witness higher rates of turnout than non-Latinos was the 47th (Sanchez). Words can sometimes overlook the rich details of places and experiences that objects expose through their shape, color, texture, and arrangement. It required paving over Rojas childhood home, displacing his immediate and extended family. Maybe theres a garden or a lawn. A much more welcoming one, where citizens don't have to adapt to the asphalt and bustle, but is made to fit the people. He holds a degree in city planning and architecture studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he wrote his thesis The Enacted Environment: The Creation of Place by Mexican and Mexican Americans in East Los Angeles (1991). Rojas found that urban planners focus too much on the built environment and too little on how people interact with and influence the built environment. I wanted a dollhouse growing up. Its a different approach for urban space, Rojas said. Applied Computer Science Media Arts (STEM), Computer Science in Data Analytics (STEM), Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership, Center for Leadership, Equity & Diversity, Woodbury Integrated Student Experience (WISE). Dozens of people participated in the workshop to envision their potential station. Maybe theyll put a shrine and a table and chairs. Because of Latino lack of participation in the urban planning process, and the difficulty of articulating their land use perspectives, their values can be easily overlooked by mainstream urban planning practices and policies. The ephemeral nature of these temporary retail outlets, which are run from the trunks of cars, push carts, and blankets tossed on sidewalks, activates the street and bonds people and place. But for most people, the city is a physical and emotional experience. Use of this Site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy. For example, in one workshop, participants build their favorite childhood memory using found objects, like Legos, hair rollers, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, buttons, game pieces and more. Beds filled bedrooms, and fragile, beautiful little things filled the living room. Theres a lot of great stuff happening here and plenty of interesting people. Rather than ask participants how to improve mobility, we begin by reflecting on how the system feels to them, Rojas said. Latino New Urbanism: Building on Cultural Preferences Michael Mendez State of California For generations, Latino families have combined traditional values with modern ones. . I was in Portland, Oregon, for a project to redesign public housing. Enriching the landscape by adding activity to the suburban street in a way that sharply contrasts with the Anglo-American suburban tradition, in which the streets are abandoned by day as commuters motor out of their neighborhood for work and parents drive children to organized sports and play dates. Latinos have something good. Fences represent the threshold between the household and public domain, bringing residents together, not apart, as they exchange glances and talk across these easy boundaries in ways impossible from one living room to another. Instead of admiring great architecture or sculptures, Latinos are socializing over fences and gates.. He also has delivered multiple Walking While Latino virtual presentations during COVID-19. My satisfaction came from transforming my urban experiences and aspirations into small dioramas. There is a general lack of understanding of how Latinos use, value, and retrofit the existing US landscape in order to survive, thrive, and create a sense of belonging. Traditional Latin American homes extend to the property line, and the street is often used as a semi-public, semi-private space where residents set up small businesses, socialize, watch children at play, and otherwise engage the community. So do you think these principles would be beneficial for more communities to adopt? Entryway Makeover with Therma-Tru and Fypon Products, Drees Homes Partners with Simonton Windows on Top-Quality Homes, 4 Small Changes That Give Your Home Big Curb Appeal, Tile Flooring 101: Types of Tile Flooring, Zaha Hadids Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre: Turning a Vision into Reality, Guardrails: Design Criteria, Building Codes, & Installation. Urban planners use abstract tools like maps, numbers, and words, which people often dont understand.. Rojas was alarmed because no one was talking about these issues. The new Latino urbanism found in suburban Anglo-America is not a literal transplant of Latino American architecture, but it incorporates many of its values. These different objects might trigger an emotion, a memory, or aspiration for the participants. I find the model-building activity to be particular effective in engaging youth, women, and immigrantspeople who have felt they had no voice or a role in how their environments are shaped. This was the first time we took elements of Latino Urbanism and turned them into design guidelines, Kamp said. Most recently, he and John Kamp have just finished writing a book for Island Press entitled Dream, Play, Build, which explores how you can engage people in urban planning and design through their hands and senses. The network is a project of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio. I wanted to understand the Latino built environment of East Los Angeles, where I grew up, and why I liked it. Kickoff workshop at the El Sombrero Banquet Hall with a variety of hands-on activities to explore participants childhood memories as well as their ideal community; Pop-up event at Sombrero Market to explore what participants liked about South Colton and problems they would like fixed; Walking tour beginning at Rayos De Luz Church to explore, understand, and appreciate the uniqueness of the neighborhood; and. Feelings were never discussed in the program. Like a plaza, the street acted as a focus in our everyday life where we would gather daily because we were part of something big and dynamic that allowed us to forget our problems of home and school, Rojas wrote in his 1991 thesis. In Latino neighborhoods in Los Angeles and Chicago and Minneapolis, you might notice a few common elements: A front fence, maybe statue of the Virgin Mary, a table and chairs, even a fountain and perhaps a concrete or tile floor. Through this method he has engaged thousands of people by facilitating over 1,000 workshops and building over 300 interactive models around the world. The stories are intended for educational and informative purposes. You can even use our reports to urge planners and decision-makers to ensure planning policies, practices, and projects are inclusive of Latino needs, representative of existing inequities, and responsibly measured and evaluated. For five years they lobbied the city. Map Pin 7411 John Smith Ste. Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. If you grow up in communities of color there is no wrong or right, theres just how to get by. In New York, I worked with the health department and some schools to imagine physically active schools. Its been an uphill battle, Rojas said. A cool video shows you the ropes. of Latinos rely on public transit (compared to 14% of whites). Rojas has lectured and facilitated workshops at MIT, Berkeley, Harvard, Cornell, and numerous other colleges and universities. Mr. James Rojas is one of the few nationally recognized urban planners to examine U.S. Latino cultural influences on urban design and sustainability. The work of urban planner James Rojas provides an example of the field's attention to Latinos as actors, agents of change and innovators. Rojas has lectured and facilitated workshops at MIT, Berkeley, Harvard, Cornell, and numerous other colleges and universities. And its important to recognize that this vernacular shouldnt be measured by any architectural standard. They try to avoid and discredit emotion, both theirs and the publics. Through these interventions based on memory, needs, and aspirations, many Latinos transform auto-centric streets into pedestrian-friendly zones for community interaction, and cultural expression. However, Latino adaptations and contributions like these werent being looked at in an urban planning context. Business signagesome handmadeare not visually consistent with one another. This new type of plaza is not the typical plaza we see in Latin American or Europe, with strong defining street walls and a clearly defined public purpose. What distinguishes a plaza from a front yard? The homes found in East Los Angeles, one of the largest Latino neighborhoods in the United States, typify the emergence of a new architectural language that uses syntax from both cultures but is neither truly Latino nor Anglo-American, as the diagram illustrates. Vicenza and East Los Angeles illustrated two different urban forms, one designed for public social interaction and the other one being retrofitted by the residents to allow for and enhance this type of behavior. Ill be working with students on applied critical thinking about equity. Here a front yard is transformed into a plaza, with a central fountain and lamppost lighting. James Rojas (1991, 1993) describes . They gained approval as part of a team of subcontractors. However its the scale and level of design we put into public spaces that makes them work or not. Thats when I realized urban-planning community meetings were not engaging diverse audiences, visual and spatial thinkers, personalities, and promoting collaboration. Since a platform for these types of discussions didnt exist, Rojas had to make it up. We conducted a short interview with him by phone to find out what the wider planning field could learn from it. In addition to wrangling up some warm clothes, he had to pull together about a dozen boxes containing Lego pieces, empty wooden and Styrofoam spools, colored beads, and plastic bottles. It has to do with how Latinos are transforming urban spaces. By James Rojas. Street life creates neighborhood in the same sense that the traditional Plaza Central becomes the center of cultural activity, courtship, political action, entertainment, commerce, and daily affairs in Latin America. They used the input from these events, along with key market findings, to develop the South Colton Livable Corridor Plan, which was adopted by Colton City Council in July 2019. We collaborated with residents and floated the idea of creating a jogging path. They are less prescriptive and instead facilitate residents do-it-yourself (DIY) or rasquache nature of claiming and improving the public realm. And dollars are allocated through that machine.. Also, join this webinar on transportation equity on Nov. 18, 2020, which features Rojas. The overall narrative of the book will follow the South Colton project, Kamp said. This meant he also had to help Latinos articulate their needs and aspirations. Since the 1980s, new immigrants from Central America and Mexico have made L.A. a polycentric Latino metropolis. Like my research our approach was celebratory and enhanced the community. I would select a handfulof varied techniques and scalesand then I would talk with the owners and give them a heads up. Where available, Latinos make heavy use of public parks, and furniture, fountains, and music pop up to transform front yards into personal statements, all contributing to the vivid, unique landscape of the new Latino urbanism. His extended family had lived in their home on a corner lot for three decades. What I think makes Latino Urbanism really unique is it really focuses on the micro. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "acccb043b24fd469b1d1ce59ed25e77b" );document.getElementById("e2ff97a4cc").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Salud America! In Europe I explored the intersection of urban planning through interior design. ELA was developed for the car so Latinos use DIY or raschaque interventions to transform space and make it work. Legos, colored paper or palettes of ice cream. They will retrofit their front yard into a plaza. He holds a Master of City Planning and a Master of Science of Architecture Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before they were totally intolerant. As such, a group of us began to meet informally once a month on Sundays in LA to discuss how we can incorporate our professional work with our cultural values. Makes Smart Move to Mandate Seated Vehicles in its Micromobility Program, Fridays Headlines Are Fitter and Happier, California E-bike Incentive Program Is Coming into Focus, Talking Headways Podcast: The City Is a Painting You Walk Into, New Urbanism, Old Urbanism and Creative Destruction, TACTICAL URBANISM: Lets Make More Plazas, Tweeting Live from the Congress for the New Urbanism in Denver. We organized bike and walking tour of front yard Nativities in East Los Angeles. Unlike the great Italian streets and piazzas which have been designed for strolling, Latinos [in America] are forced to retrofit the suburban street for walking, Rojas later wrote. Rojas wanted to create a common language for planners and community members. For example, planners focused on streets to move and store vehicles rather than on streets to move and connect people. Activities aim to make planning less intimidating and reflect on gender, culture, history, and sensory experiences. Mr. Rojas coined the word Latino Urbanism and a strong advocate of its meaning. with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Artists communicate with residents through their work by using the rich color, shapes, behavior patterns, and collective memories of the landscape than planners, Rojas said. Mr. Rojas has written and lectured extensively on how culture and immigration are transforming the American front yard and landscape. In 2013 I facilitated a Place It! Its a collective artistic practice that every community member takes part in.. Theyll put a fence around it to enclose it. Is there a specific history that this can be traced back to? James Rojas Latino homes Non-Latinos once built the homes in Latino neighborhoods, but these homes have evolved into a vernacularformas new residents make changesto suit their needs. For me, this local event marked the beginning of the Latino transformation of the American landscape. They extend activities and socializing out to the front yard. Its very DIY type urbanism. For example, unlike the traditional American home built with linear public-to-private, front-to-back movement from the manicured front lawn, driveway/garage, and living room in the front to bedrooms and a private yard in the back, the traditional Mexican courtyard home is built to the street with most rooms facing a central interior courtyard or patio and a driveway on the side. 1000 San Antonio, TX 78229 telephone (210)562-6500 email saludamerica@uthscsa.edu, https://laist.com/2020/10/23/race_in_la_how_an_outsider_found_identity_belonging_in_the_intangible_shared_spaces_of_a_redlined_city.php, https://commonedge.org/designers-and-planners-take-note-peoples-fondest-memories-rarely-involve-technology/, https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/06/05/what-we-can-learn-from-latino-urbanism/, https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/a-place-erased-family-latino-urbanism-and-displacement-on-las-eastside, http://norcalapa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Latino-vernacular-is-transforming-American-streets.pdf?rel=outbound, https://www.lataco.com/james-rojas-latino-urbanism/, https://lagreatstreets.tumblr.com/post/116044977213/latino-urbanism-in-east-la-and-why-urban-planners, https://www.kcet.org/shows/artbound/why-urban-planners-should-work-with-artists, https://www.voicesactioncenter.org/walking_while_latino_build_your_ideal_latino_street?utm_campaign=it_feb_27_20_5_nongmail&utm_medium=email&utm_source=voicesactioncenter, We Need More Complete Data on Social Determinants of Health, Tell Leaders: Collect Better Crash Data to Guide Traffic Safety, #SaludTues 1/10/2023: American Roads Shouldnt be this Dangerous, Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR). And then there are those who build the displays outside of their houses. How could he help apply this to the larger field of urban planning? He previously was the inaugural James and Mary Pinchot Faculty Fellow in Sustainability Studies at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. They customize and personalize homes and local landscapes to meet their social, economic, and cultural needs. So it reduces the need to travel very far? Organization and activities described were not supported by Salud America! The new facility is adjacent to an existing light rail line, but there was no nearby rail station for accessing the center. In the unusual workshops of visionary Latino architect James Rojas, community members become urban planners, transforming everyday objects and memories into placards, streets and avenues of a city they would like to live in. Planners develop abstract concepts about cities, by examining numbers, spaces, and many other measures which sometimes miss the point or harm [existing Latino] environments, Rojas wrote in his thesis. Its very informal. They worked for municipalities, companies, elected officials, educational and arts institutions, social services, and for themselves. The photo series began 30 years ago while I was at MIT studying urban planning. A much more welcoming one, where citizens don't have to . Just as the streets scream with activity, leaving very few empty places, the visual spaces are also occupied in Latino neighborhoods. It was always brick and mortar, right and wrong. These activities give participants a visual and tactile platform to reflect, understand, and express themselves in discussing planning challenges and solutions regardless of language, age, ethnicity, and professional training. I began to reconsider my city models as a tool for increasing joyous participation by giving the public artistic license to imagine, investigate, construct, and reflect on their community.
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