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
Monday’s Headlines: We Fixed Congress Edition
DOT installed "don't walk" signs next to pedestrians ramps in Brooklyn, then removed them after Streetsblog started asking questions. Plus more news.
March 23, 2026
The City Is Doing to Prospect Park What It Needs to Do to All Parks
A long-awaited bike lane in Brooklyn will create almost full protected cycling coverage around Prospect Park — setting a new standard for the rest of the city.
March 23, 2026
NYC Pols To DOT: We Want More — And Better — Summer Streets!
A group of 29 current and former elected officials asked DOT to expand the car-free streets program so that it's not just a few random Saturdays along unconnected stretches.
March 23, 2026
Why Some Members of Congress Want to Go Big on Greenways
A new bill would multiply federal funding for walking and biking paths — even as some powerful congresspeople threaten to take away what we've already got.
March 23, 2026
Drunk Driver Arrested In High-Speed Harlem Crash That Killed Cyclist, Injured Four Others
The reckless speeding driver who killed one cyclist and injured four more people on Thursday night on the busy main street of Harlem has been arrested and charged with drunk driving and manslaughter, cops said on Saturday.
March 21, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.