Imagine Los Angeles
Los Angeles, a city historically challenged by water issues, is undergoing a modern infusion of infrastructure investment to secure its position as the Gateway to the Pacific.
Our event explored how the second largest city in the United States is re-shaping its relationships with the Los Angeles River, its ports, and underground aquifer to create a meaningful connection to its water, while enhancing water quality and achieving water security. As we Imagine Los Angeles in 2060, how will an enhanced, equitable and environmentally sensitive relationship with Water propel the city into its position as the American Capital of the Pacific Age?
At Imagine 2060: Imagine LA, local and international experts addressed how Los Angeles is re-shaping its relationships with the LA River, its ports and other resources to ensure the city’s vitality and resiliency in the decades ahead, and Imagine Los Angeles will explore how the City can ensure its role in the global economy while improving the quality of life of its citizens and protecting and enhancing its environment.
Speakers and Panelists
DAVID ABEL
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David Abel
David Abel is the Chairman and Managing Director of the VerdeXchange Institute, an environmental think-tank that informs innovators wishing to employ and deploy green technology. The seminal event, the VerdeXchange California Green Market-Makers Conference, recently celebrated its 10th Anniversary. Mr. Abel is also president and CEO of ABL Inc., a California-based public policy consulting firm. He is Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of The Planning Report. He has also chaired a number of civic organizations.
MARTIN ADAMS
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Martin Adams
Martin Adams is the Chief Operating Officer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), responsible for overseeing the City’s Water and Power Systems and key support functions. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Adams served as the Senior Assistant General Manager of the Water System and Director of Water Operations in charge of the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the historical Los Angeles Aqueduct and the City’s vast water supply, treatment, and distribution network.
DR. HILDA BLANCO
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Dr. Hilda Blanco
Dr. Hilda Blanco is currently Research Professor at the Price School of Public Policy in the University of Southern California. She is also Professor Emeritus in the Department of Urban Design and Planning at the University of Washington, where she served as Chair of the department from 2000-2007. Dr. Blanco’s work focuses on climate change and cities, urban growth management, urban water management, and renewable energy policy.
UWE S. BRANDES
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Uwe S. Brandes
Uwe S. Brandes has over 20 years of experience in the planning, design and finance of new buildings, public infrastructure and the urban landscape. He is Associate Professor of the practice and founding Faculty Director of Georgetown University’s cities program and maintains an advisory practice focused on strategic urban development in cities around the world. He is an active board member on several non-profit organizations and serves as co-curator of the global cities and urbanization knowledge platform hosted by the World Economic Forum.
NICHOLAS BROOKE
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Nicholas Brooke
Nicholas Brooke, SBS, JP, FRICS, FHKIS, is the Chairman of the Hong Kong Harbourfront Commission and the Chairman of Professional Property Services Limited, a specialist real estate consultancy based in Hong Kong. He is a member of the Commission on Strategic Development, a past global President of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the immediate past Chairman of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, and a former member of the Hong Kong Housing Authority and the Hong Kong Town Planning Board.
ANDREW BUI
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Andrew Bui
Andrew Bui, Senior Manager, Strategy, AECOM, has extensive experience in roadway design elements, including plans, profiles, traffic, construction staging, quantities, and cost estimates in Southern California. He has also been involved in transit design, including work on California High Speed Rail and LA Metro’s regional connector. Mr. Bui has developed design documents ranging from feasibility studies and preliminary engineering to design-build projects with Caltrans, the City of Los Angeles, and several other local municipalities.
DR. PAUL BUNJE
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Dr. Paul Bunje
Dr. Paul Bunje is a global thought leader in bringing innovation to solve environmental grand challenges and leads Energy & Environment prizes at the XPRIZE Foundation. Dr. Bunje has served as the founding Executive Director of the UCLA Center for Climate Change Solutions and as the Managing Director of the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability. Dr. Bunje is also the co-founder of Conservation X Labs, an organization that brings innovation to global conservation threats.
PETER CALTHORPE
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Peter Calthorpe
Peter Calthorpe is a San Francisco-based architect, urban designer and urban planner. He is Co-Founder of Calthorpe Analytics, Inc. Mr. Calthorpe has been named one of 25 “innovators on the cutting edge” by Newsweek Magazine for his work redefining the models of urban and suburban growth in America. His current work throughout China is focused on developing standards and examples of Low Carbon Cities in Beijing, Chongqing, Kunming and other major cities.
STEPHEN CHEUNG
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Stephen Cheung
Stephen Cheung is the President of World Trade Center Los Angeles. Previously, Mr. Cheung was Secretary General for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, responsible for managing policies related to the Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports, International Affairs and Global Trade. Concurrently, Cheung was the Director of International Trade for the Port of Los Angeles. Prior to that, he served as Managing Director of International Trade and Clean Technology for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
SEAN CHIAO
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Sean Chiao
Sean Chiao is President, Asia Pacific at AECOM, where he oversees strategic growth and business operations across Greater China, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, covering over 12,000 employees. A proponent of collaboration for holistic solutions, and inspiring future talent, Sean has spearheaded a number of award-winning masterplans in the region; the 2016 publication “Jigsaw City”; and AECOM’s collaboration with Harvard University Graduate School of Design.
JENNIFER COHEN
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Jennifer Cohen
Jennifer Cohen is the Director of Government Affairs for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. Ms. Cohen began her career in the City of Los Angeles in 2006 as the Transportation Deputy for Los Angeles City Councilmember Wendy Greuel, where she oversaw the Transportation Committee and worked closely with the region’s transportation stakeholders. She continued her government affairs work at Metrolink where she oversaw local, state and federal affairs for the largest commuter rail system in California. Ms. Cohen has spent 10 years in transportation, both inside agencies and in policymaker’s offices, developing a combination of technical and political experience at the federal, state, and local levels.
DR. PATRICK CONDON
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Dr. Patrick Condon
Dr. Patrick Condon is Chair of the Masters of Urban Design program at the University of British Columbia where he holds the James Taylor Chair in Landscape and Livable Environments. Mr. Condon has over 25 years of experience in sustainable urban design. He received the Canadian Institute of Planners Award for Planning Excellence and the BC Union of Municipalities Award for his work with the City of North Vancouver in producing the “100 Year Sustainability Vision.”
MARISSA CHRISTIANSEN
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Marissa Christiansen
Marissa Christiansen is the Executive Director of Friends of the LA River (FOLAR). Prior to FOLAR, she held roles in policy, advocacy and development at XPRIZE, the City of Redondo Beach, and the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. While she did not set out to be at the center of the River Movement started by Lewis MacAdams 30 years ago, she cannot imagine a cause worthier of devotion.
DR. RICHARD DROBNICK
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Dr. Richard Drobnick
Dr. Richard Drobnick is an economist and the director of the one-year, mid-career international MBA Program at USC’s Marshall School of Business (IBEAR MBA). He is a member of the Executive Committee of Asia Society’s Southern California Center and served as USC’s inaugural Vice Provost for International Affairs (1994-2005). He was the founding Secretary General and a member of the Steering Committee of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (1997-2011).
STEPHEN ENGBLOM
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Stephen Engblom
Stephen Engblom, AIA, LEED AP, is a Senior Vice President and architect with AECOM with a global track record of working with public and private sector clients to develop healthy and successful places. As Global Director of AECOM Cities, Mr. Engblom and his team are dedicated to forward-thinking urban policy and development strategies that underpin world-class infrastructure.
TIAN FENG
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Tian Feng
Tian Feng, FAIA, FCSI, is the District Architect for the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), where he formulated the BART Sustainability Policy and pioneered initiatives such as the Environmental Management System. He was the founder and chief editor of Transit Sustainability Guidelines published by American Public Transportation Associations. Mr. Feng is currently an executive member of California Architects Board and the chair of the Board’s Professional Qualifications Committee.
DR. KIAN GOH
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Dr. Kian Goh
Dr. Kian Goh, RA, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Urban Planning at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. She researches urban ecological design, spatial politics, and social mobilization in the context of climate change and global urbanization. A licensed architect, she co-founded design practice SUPER-INTERESTING!, and previously worked with Weiss/Manfredi and MVRDV. She has taught at Northeastern University, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, New School, and WUSTL. Dr. Goh received a PhD in Urban and Environmental Planning from MIT, and a Master of Architecture from Yale University.
DR. MARK GOLD
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Dr. Mark Gold
Dr. Mark Gold is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Environment and Sustainability at UCLA. His research focuses on integrated water management, coastal resource management, and urban sustainability. He is spearheading UCLA’s first ever Grand Challenge: Thriving in a Hotter Los Angeles2050: a Path to 100% Renewable Energy, 100% Local Water and Enhance Ecosystem and Human Health. Dr. Gold serves on Mayor Garcetti’s Water Task Force and is a city representative othe Metropolitan Water District. Prior to working at UCLA, Dr. Gold was the President of the environmental group, Heal the Bay, for 18 years.
CRAIG HOLLAND
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Craig Holland
Craig Holland, P.E., is Vice President for AECOM and is based in Long Beach, California. As a civil engineer, his career has focused entirely on port and waterfront developments encompassing environmental assessment, planning, design, construction management, and program management. The breadth of his experience spans seaport developments in Korea, Indonesia, India, Qatar, South Africa, and Argentina as well as US ports in California, Washington, and Alaska. He currently leads AECOM’s Ports and Marine Sector for North America’s West Coast region.
JONATHAN KARP
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Jonathan Karp
Jonathan Karp is Executive Director of Asia Society Southern California. Mr. Karp’s distinguished career in journalism includes a decade of reporting in Asia. Most recently, he served as Senior Editor at Marketplace Radio, leading the business coverage for their family of public radio shows. Mr. Karp began his journalism career in Israel in 1986 and continued as a foreign correspondent based in Hong Kong, New Delhi and Sao Paulo, Brazil, the last two posts as a staff writer for The Wall Street Journal.
STEVEN KELLENBERG
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Steven Kellenberg
Steven Kellenberg is the President of Kellenberg Studios, an urban planning and design consultancy with a focus on large scale new communities, mixed use town centers, and urban development. Mr. Kellenberg has 35 years of experience in the industry including five years as head of planning for the Irvine Company, developer of the largest built new community in the nation. He is also distinguished in the field of sustainability research and development. He is an active member of ULI and APA, and serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor, Masters of Real Estate Program, at the University of Southern California.
JOHN F. KWANT
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John F. Kwant
John F. Kwant is Vice President, City Solutions, Ford Smart Mobility, LLC. He leads Ford’s global efforts to work together and partner with municipalities to identify key urban mobility needs that inform development of new mobility services while also working to create, pilot and implement new mobility solutions in cities worldwide. Prior to this role, Mr. Kwant served as Ford’s Director of Global Strategy, focusing on mobility initiatives. He also worked in Ford’s Asia Pacific Group for over 10 years in a variety of roles. Mr. Kwant joined Ford in August 1999.
STELLA LI
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Stella Li
Stella Li is presently the Senior Vice President of BYD Company Limited and the President of BYD Motors Inc., which imports renewable-power products, green-energy products and zero-emissions vehicles from China. In 1996, Ms. Li joined BYD as the marketing manager for all global exports. She opened BYD’s first overseas office in Hong Kong, founded the first European office, set up BYD’s North America Sales headquarters in Chicago, and established BYD’s North America Headquarters in Los Angeles.
ANDY LIPKIS
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Andy Lipkis
Andy Lipkis founded TreePeople and has served as President since 1973. He is a leader in Citizen Forestry movement and has helped make Los Angeles a testing ground for successful community-based partnerships. Mr. Lipkis is a social entrepreneur and visionary who develops, implements and communicates green infrastructure solutions to pressing public health, economic and environmental issues by forging partnerships between diverse and sometimes conflicting parties.
JACINTA MCCANN
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Jacinta McCann
Jacinta McCann, Executive Vice President at AECOM, has worked for more than 25 years to enhance the quality of cities and their communities and waterfronts globally. Originally from Sydney, where she worked on large scale urban regeneration projects such as the Sydney Olympics, Ms. McCann has continued to work on complex, integrated projects such as Pier 70 in San Francisco and the Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Revitalization. Ms. McCann leads AECOM’s Design, Planning and Economics practices globally, is the past president of LAF, and currently serves on the ULI global awards jury and the Bay Conservation Development Commission Design Review Board.
MARK MCCOMISKEY
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Mark McComiskey
Mark McComiskey is Head of Infrastructure and Senior Managing Director at AECOM Capital. Mr. McComiskey leads AECOM Capital’s infrastructure investments, with a focus on greenfield and brownfield developments in the power, oil & gas, logistics and transportation, water and tech sectors. From 2013 to 2015, Mr. McComiskey was an advisor to SK Group, the third-largest global energy corporation in South Korea. From 2004 to 2012, Mr. McComiskey was co-head of the private equity business at First Reserve, the leading global energy and energy infrastructure investment firm.
DR. MICHAEL MEHAFFY
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Dr. Michael Mehaffy
Dr. Michael Mehaffy is Director of the Future of Places Research Network, and Senior Researcher at the Center for the Future of Places at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. He is also Executive Director of the Sustasis Foundation, an urban sustainability think tank based in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Mehaffey was a consultant to UNHabitat for the Habitat III conference and its outcome document, The New Urban Agenda. He is also an author, researcher, educator, and practitioner in urban design and strategic urban development. He received his Ph.D. in architecture at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
NANCY MICHALI
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Nancy Michali
Nancy Michali has over 30 years of experience in successfully working with multiple public agencies and stakeholders to address complex community-based land use, urban design and transportation issues resulting in built projects. On the public sector side, Ms. Michali served as manager of rail development, manager of joint development, and director of bus service performance and analysis with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro); and land use and transit project director for the former Community Redevelopment Agency, City of Los Angeles.
OMAR MOGHADDAM
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Omar Moghaddam
Omar Moghaddam has over 33 years of experience in management of municipal water, renewable energy, and solids resources technologies and operations; environmental regulations and permits; biosolids, biomass, waste-to-energy, biogas-to-energy, and RD&D projects; deep injection of biosolids and bio-slurry material; and implementation of resource recovery projects. He negotiates long-term renewable energy contracts and has extensive experience in chemical processes and refineries and development of a comprehensive greenhouse gases inventory.
MATT PETERSEN
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Matt Petersen
Matt Petersen is the City of Los Angeles’ First Chief Sustainability Officer. He developed and began implementing a pioneering plan to make Los Angeles the most sustainable city in the U.S., and also co-chairs Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Water Cabinet, which is charged with meeting the City’s aggressive water conservation goals. In July, Petersen will become President and Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, a private nonprofit organization helping to accelerate the commercialization of clean technologies.
DR. N. BRUCE PICKERING
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Dr. N. Bruce Pickering
Dr. N. Bruce Pickering is Vice President of Global Programs at Asia Society and Executive Director of Asia Society Northern California. Prior to joining Asia Society, Dr. Pickering was Director of Public Affairs and Development at the Graduate School of Journalism and Special Assistant to the Director of the Institute of East Asian Studies at UC Berkeley. Before that, he was Program Director of the World Affairs Council and Executive Director of the US-Japan 21st Century Project. He is a former Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, serving from 1981 to 1993.
SEAN QUINN
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Sean Quinn
Sean Quinn, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, BEAM Pro, is the Sustainable Design Leader of HOK’s Pacific Region. He directs the studio’s integrated design approach for sustainable strategies including performance, resilience, biomimicry and green building certification. He also directs HOK IMPACT, the firm’s social responsibility and community development initiative. With a focus on sustainable design, Mr. Quinn has led and assisted design projects throughout America, Europe, Africa, Middle-East and Asia.
EDUARDO PEREZ REYES
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Eduardo Perez Reyes
Eduardo Perez Reyes represented Council District 1 as a Los Angeles City Councilmember. He served as Chairman for the City of Los Angeles’ Planning and Land Use Committee from 2001 to 2013. As former Chairman of the Los Angeles River Committee, Mr. Reyes promoted planning and economic development policies for the City of Los Angeles to stimulate new economies along 33 miles of potential new waterfront development. Currently, he is an appointee of Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis as Park Commissioner for L. A. County District 1.
BARBARA ROMERO
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Barbara Romero
Barbara Romero was appointed Deputy Mayor of City Services by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in March 2015. In this role, she oversees the work of fifteen departments, including those directing billions of dollars in public investment, such as Public Works, Transportation, Recreation and Parks, and Water and Power. Previously, Ms. Romero was appointed by Mayor Garcetti to serve as a commissioner on the City’s Board of Public Works. In the previous mayoral administration, she served as a City Planning Commissioner, appointed by then-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
WADE ROSE
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Wade Rose
Wade Rose is the Vice President of External & Government Relations for Dignity Health. He is responsible for developing and maintaining strategic leadership relations between Dignity Health, its CEO, and key external organizations and individuals. Since 1993, Mr. Rose has worked to position Dignity Health in San Francisco, the Bay Area and California; comprehensive health care reform in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.; and business and labor relations.
JONATHAN ROSENTHAL
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Jonathan Rosenthal
Jonathan Rosenthal is a serial entrepreneur and currently serves as Chairman of TTSI, one of the largest port trucking companies in the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor. He is the Founder / Chairman of the Los Angeles Harbor Performance Enhancement Center, and a technology data management start-up, WherehouseIT.com. Mr. Rosenthal was recently appointed to the Marine Transportation System National Advisory Committee, and to the Los Angeles Sustainable Freight Advisory Board.
GENE SEROKA
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Gene Seroka
Gene Seroka is the Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, where he manages a $1 billion+ budget, advances major capital projects, grows trade volumes and promotes innovative, sustainable practices. Mr. Seroka brings more than 28 years of experience in shipping, global logistics and executive management. After several key overseas positions for American President Lines (APL) Limited in Shanghai, Jakarta, Singapore, and Dubai, he returned to the U.S. in 2010 to become President – Americas for the shipping line in Phoenix.
DR. SHAN WENHUI
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Dr. Shan Wenhui
Dr. Shan Wenhui is the founder and design principal at UrbanDATA Inc., a multidisciplinary urban and architectural design firm. Dr. Shan is also the founder and director of the Center for Urban Studies at Fudan University. Dr. Shan graduated with a Masters in Urban Planning and Design from Tongji University and was a Research Fellow at the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University.
DR. BRIAN D. TAYLOR
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Dr. Brian D. Taylor
Dr. Brian D. Taylor is Professor of Urban Planning; Director, Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies; Director, Institute of Transportation Studies and the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Dr. Taylor’s research centers on transportation policy and planning, including how society pays for transportation systems and how these systems in turn serve the needs of people who have lower levels of mobility. Prior to joining UCLA in 1994, Professor Taylor taught planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and before that he was a planner with Metropolitan Transportation Commission in the San Francisco Bay Area.
MANUEL TRUTE
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Manuel Trute
Manuel Trute is the current Chief of the Planning Office of the City of Panama. Mr. Trute is a Panamanian architect and urbanist and has worked as an advisor for the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning and the Office of Historical Heritage. He has participated as Project Manager in several planning initiatives as an independent consultant. He has also served as a professor of urban planning at two Panamanian universities.
DEANNA WEBER
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Deanna Weber
Deanna Weber leads the AECOM Sustainable Systems Integration Model & Trade team and is a planner, sustainability consultant, and landscape architect for private, public, and federal clients. Ms. Weber has managed and completed complex projects involving federal installations, mixed use/revitalization sites, resort and recreation planning/design projects, and large master planned communities. She is known for her strategic approach to problem solving, sustainable design background, facilitation skills, and focus from planning to implementation.
DR. JONATHAN WOETZEL
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Dr. Jonathan Woetzel
Dr. Jonathan Woetzel is a director of the McKinsey Global Institute, McKinsey’s business and economics research arm. He also leads McKinsey’s Cities Special Initiative and is responsible for convening McKinsey’s work with city, regional, and national authorities. He is a co-chair of the non-profit think tank, the Urban China Initiative—a joint venture of Tsinghua University and McKinsey—which aims to develop and implement solutions to China’s urbanization challenges.
Highlights from the 5th Annual PCSI Forum
The Los Angeles metropolitan region, which is comprised of five adjoining counties, is the second largest city by population in the United States and is one of the world’s largest urban areas. One of the most critically important financial, commercial, industrial and cultural centers in the world, Los Angeles, like other major cities, is experiencing a population explosion as people are drawn to the city for its economic and cultural opportunities. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, as well as Los Angeles International Airport, also act as a channel for most of the international trade goods moving to and from the U.S., especially from Asia.
As urbanization continues in Los Angeles, the city is facing new opportunities and challenges to secure a sustainable and environmentally friendly urban future. In the decades ahead, Los Angeles will need to continue to improve accessibility, air quality, and mobility for all. The city’s commitment to redesigning the urban landscape, while investing in technology and transportation, positions it as a shining example of what cities should be doing to ensure their futures.
This year’s Pacific Cities Sustainability Initiative (PCSI) Annual Forum was organized in association with Imagine 2060: Delivering Tomorrow’s Cities Together and examined Los Angeles’ place among the world’s great megacities as an economic and cultural hub, in large part because of its role as a waterfront city. Imagine 2060 is an original three-year global discourse series co-organized by Asia Society and AECOM designed to inspire a new way of delivering the cities of tomorrow.
The Forum brings together experts in urban planning, civil society, the private sector, academia, government, and NGOs from around the U.S., the Asia-Pacific region, and elsewhere for high-level interactive and engaging dialogues to share best practices and explore promising new approaches to developing cities that are liveable, innovative, and vibrant. The Forum is a unique opportunity to think critically, ask questions, share tools, identify new solutions, examine best practices, and build long-lasting partnerships.