Farmlab Public SalonMelani Smith+Sumire GantFriday, February 8, 2008 @ NoonFree Admission

"All Roads Lead Home:
A Community Livability Plan for I-710 Corridor Neighborhoods in Long Beach, CA"

About the Salon

Goods movement and its associated quality of life impacts are a gritty reality in our region, often considered a glamour capitol. Explore the process one local City has initiated in an effort to shift its focus from just moving vehicles, to providing mobility options and livability improvements for people living in its I-710 corridor--and also LA River corridor--neighborhoods.

About the Salon Presenters

Melani V. Smith brings to her work at Meléndrez communication, management, leadership, and facilitation skills born out of a diverse background in urban planning, marketing and public relations. As Principal and Director of Melendrez’s planning practice, she works at regional, community, neighborhood, and site-specific scales. Her work on projects ranges from identifying and engaging project stakeholders, to visioning and goal setting, and continues through planning, developing design guidelines and standards, and developing implementation strategies. She is a 19-year resident of Long Beach, and in 2007 was appointed a Planning Commissioner in the city. Smith is on the Board of Directors of the USC Architectural Guild, is an associate member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI). She has a Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of California at Irvine and a Bachelor of Arts in History from UCLA.

Sumire Gant has enjoyed twenty-eight years of public service at the local and regional level, including her present position as Transportation Programs Officer with the City of Long Beach. She is responsible for updating the Mobility Element of the General Plan and Bicycle Master Plan. She works on transportation planning projects of all sizes from small streetscapes to the 710 Corridor improvements in Long Beach, and secures funding to implement those projects. As a resident of Long Beach, she enjoys finding new ways of working with the community on projects that make a difference in their lives. Prior to joining the City of Long Beach, Sumire worked for ten years at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority as Transportation Planning Manager and as Manager of Government and Public Affairs. She has an MBA from UCLA and a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from USC.

Photo illustration courtesy Meléndrez