Author Bios

James Rojas is an urban planner, community activist, and artist. He is one of the few nationally recognized urban planners to examine U.S. Latino cultural influences on urban planning/design.  He holds a Master of City Planning and a Master of Science of Architecture Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  His influential thesis on the Latino built environment has been widely cited.  Growing out of his research, Mr. Rojas founded the Latino Urban Forum (LUF), a volunteer advocacy group, dedicated to understanding and improving the built environment of Los Angeles’ Latino communities.  

Interactive planning is a new initiative developed by James Rojas designed to engage underserved communities and children in the planning process. This process breaks down the planning process into simple terms and helps participants translate conceptual planning ideas into physical forms.  It serves as a valuable tool to inform and educate constituents about the value of planning through two primary methods.