Talking Headways Podcast: The City Is a Painting You Walk Into
This week I'm joined by James Rojas of Place It! to talk about art in planning and Latino urbanism. James is an award-winning planner and a native Angeleno, and he tells us about how growing up in East LA and visiting his grandmother’s house shaped the way he thinks about urban spaces and design.
By
Jeff Wood
4:00 PM EDT on April 21, 2016
This week I’m joined by James Rojas of Place It! to talk about art in planning and Latino urbanism. James is an award-winning planner and a native Angeleno, and he tells us about how growing up in East LA and visiting his grandmother’s house shaped the way he thinks about urban spaces and design.
Tune in and hear James discuss the importance of plazas to Latino culture and the history behind them, how people understand place, and why the public planning process works better when you start by tapping into people’s childhoods rather than treating it purely as a problem solving exercise. Enjoy!
More from Streetsblog New York City
As NYC Debates Amazon’s Delivery Model, Its Partner Fires 200 E-Bike Workers
Just as the City Council debates reining in Amazon's business practices, the delivery giant threw workers of the job after canceling its contract with a Manhattan subcontractor.
November 12, 2026
Brooklyn’s New Bike Boulevards Will Benefit the 90 Percent of Residents Who Don’t Drive To Work
Nine out of ten Brooklynites living around the proposed bike route commute to work without a car, but lazy reporters would rather write a "neighborhood divided" piece with no context.
November 12, 2026
GET OUT: E-Bike Battery Fires are a Crisis We Can No Longer Ignore
New York City must confiscate sub-standard ebike batteries that cause deadly fires. A surcharge could pay for the sweep.
November 12, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines: Let’s Talk BQE Edition
Now's your chance to speak out against the mayor's plan to keep the BQE in place for another half-century. Plus the news.
November 12, 2026
Feds Characterize Trump As Mercurial King In Latest Bid to End Congestion Pricing
The federal government insists that you can't count on the federal government to keep its word.
November 11, 2026
