UCLA Site Planning Studio Reimagines Santa Monica Airport and Business Park Redevelopment Students collaborate with city officials, developers, and community groups to explore future land use, housing, and open space possibilities for a major Los Angeles site.
The 2026 Site Planning studio at UCLA focused on one of Los Angeles’ most significant redevelopment opportunities: the future of the former Santa Monica Airport site and the adjacent Santa Monica Business Park. Over the course of the quarter, Luskin urban planning students explored how these interconnected sites could be reimagined to serve the evolving needs of the city, balancing housing, open space, mobility and economic uses.
The studio brought students into direct dialogue with key stakeholders shaping the future of the area. Community organizations such as the Great Park Coalition and Cloverfield Commons participated in reviews alongside representatives from the City of Santa Monica, Sasaki Associates—the planning team leading work on the airport site—and BXP, Inc., owner of the Business Park. This engagement allowed students to test ideas against real-world constraints and priorities while receiving feedback from those directly involved in the planning process.
Students were also supported by visiting practitioners Christopher Rhie and Midori Mizuhara, AICP, who contributed their expertise in urban planning and design throughout the quarter.
At the conclusion of the studio, students presented a wide range of proposals reflecting careful analysis and innovative design for the future of the sites. The work underscored the complexity of reimagining large-scale, post-airport redevelopment and highlighted the importance of collaborative planning processes that bring together public agencies, private developers and community voices.
Assistant Professor Minjee Kim, who led the 2026 Site Planning studio, emphasized the role of planners in shaping conversations about the future of cities. “Urban planners and designers have the power to energize and inform public debates about the future of our cities by showing us what is possible,” said Kim. “This Santa Monica Airport and Business Park redevelopment project offered the students an excellent training ground for becoming visionary city leaders.”
Adam Millard-Ball Explores How Data Can Expand Possibilities for Smarter, More Livable Cities
UCLA professor of urban planning Adam Millard-Ball was featured in UCLA Magazine’s “UCLA’s Innovation Engine,” highlighting his research on how cities can use data-driven approaches to rethink mobility, climate action and urban design.
Millard-Ball’s recent active travel study examined more than 11,500 cities across 121 countries to explore how walking and biking infrastructure could transform communities worldwide. The research found that adopting street designs similar to Copenhagen’s could significantly increase active transportation while reducing vehicle emissions and generating public health benefits.
At the heart of his work is a question that guides cities toward new possibilities: “What’s possible?” Millard-Ball emphasizes that universities provide the space for independent, long-term research that can help communities imagine and build better urban futures.
UCLA MRED Students Reimagine the Future of Real Estate Through Award-Winning Capstone Project
The UCLA Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) program celebrated the culmination of its 2026 academic year with capstone presentations on July 1, showcasing students’ ability to apply interdisciplinary knowledge to complex, real-world development challenges.
Serving as the program’s culminating academic experience, the applied synthesis capstone immerses students in the practice of real estate development. Rather than completing a traditional research project, students integrate concepts from real estate finance, market analysis, urban planning, design, development, public policy and investment strategy to create comprehensive development proposals. The intensive three-week exercise concludes with presentations that simulate investment committee pitches before faculty and industry professionals.
This year’s winning capstone, Pet-Centric Homes, was developed by Ari Zeen, Diana Liu and Ethan Wang. The project explored how intentionally designed residential communities can better serve pet owners while creating long-term value for developers, investors and residents.
“The most rewarding part was seeing all the pieces come together,” Zeen said. “The capstone gave us the opportunity to apply everything we learned throughout the MRED program — from design and planning to finance and market analysis — in a single, real-world project.” He added that leading the project’s design pushed him outside his comfort zone, and seeing the team’s vision come to life made the experience especially meaningful.
Grounded in market research and financial analysis, the proposal showcased the program’s emphasis on practical, innovative real estate development.
“One challenge that came up in every project was making sure our most creative ideas could work in the real world,” Liu said. “Every proposal had to balance market demand, planning requirements, design, and financial feasibility. As a team, we tackled that by constantly challenging our assumptions, incorporating feedback from industry professionals, and refining our ideas through multiple iterations.”
She added that the experience reinforced the role of real estate development as “where creativity meets execution.”
During the capstone, students selected from several development scenarios featuring sites with distinct market conditions, planning considerations and policy challenges. Each proposal required students not only to develop a feasible real estate project but also to consider broader strategies for addressing the social, economic and planning issues affecting the site.
The capstone presentations concluded with a networking event that brought together graduating students, alumni, newly admitted students, faculty and industry representatives.
Reflecting on the experience, Wang said the program reshaped how he approaches real estate development.
“My biggest takeaway is that great real estate lives at the intersection of creativity and discipline,” Wang said. “A differentiated concept only matters if the underwriting holds, and a clean pro forma only matters if there’s a real market behind it. MRED taught me to hold both at once — to tell a compelling story and defend every number behind it.”
Two UCLA Alumni Return to the Luskin School as Assistant Professors of Social Welfare
This fall, UCLA Luskin welcomes two new assistant professors to its Department of Social Welfare: Anthony Gómez and Brianna Harvey. Both scholars bring expertise in child welfare and social work research, using innovative scholarship to advance policies and practices that improve the well-being of children, youth, families and communities.
Gómez, a UCLA alumnus, studies how child welfare policies shape the developmental, behavioral health and educational outcomes of adolescents and young adults transitioning from foster care. Using large-scale administrative data and advanced quantitative methods, his research identifies practical strategies to help child welfare systems better support young people’s long-term success. He also serves as an affiliated researcher with the California Child Welfare Indicators Project at UC Berkeley, where he contributes to research that informs child welfare policy across California.
“I can’t think of a greater way to pay it forward,” Gómez said of returning to UCLA as a faculty member. “The mentorship I received at Luskin changed the course of my career. I’m excited to continue that tradition by helping students discover their potential as social workers, scholars and change agents.”
A graduate of UCLA’s Master of Social Welfare program, Gómez earned his doctorate in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley.
Harvey returns to UCLA Luskin as both an alumna and former practitioner whose career has been dedicated to supporting communities affected by structural inequities. A critical qualitative methodologist, her research examines how schools, child welfare and carceral systems intersect to shape the lives of Black youth and their families. Her scholarship also explores how Black communities resist, subvert and reimagine systems of care and social institutions. Before entering academia, Harvey spent more than a decade as a community-based social worker and served as director of UCLA’s Bruin Guardian Scholars Program, which supports students with foster care backgrounds.
“Returning as faculty is not just a milestone — it is a return to a place where I am deeply connected to students and community,” Harvey said. “UCLA is where I became the scholar, researcher and practitioner I am today, and I’m excited to continue centering the voices of those most impacted by the systems I study.”
Together, Gómez and Harvey strengthen UCLA Luskin’s Department of Social Welfare with complementary expertise spanning quantitative and qualitative research, child welfare policy, racial equity and systems change.
From School Social Worker to Founder: Emily Dillon MSW ’16 on Transforming Mental Health Care
From supporting students in one of the nation’s largest school districts to founding her own psychotherapy practice, UCLA Luskin alumna Emily Dillon is setting a new standard for compassionate, evidence-based mental health care.. In this Q&A, she shares how her Luskin education, years in public service, and commitment to well-being continue to shape her work and her advice for the next generation of social workers.
You worked with LAUSD students for many years before launching your private practice, Wildflower Mental Health and Wellness. What lessons did you take from working in schools that you now bring into your practice?
My years as a Psychiatric Social Worker with LAUSD gave me an incredibly strong clinical foundation. Because of the diversity of the students, families, and school communities I served, I was exposed to a breadth of experiences early in my career that shaped the clinician I am today. I gained experience in crisis intervention, trauma work, group facilitation, consultation, advocacy, and working alongside families navigating complex challenges.
Emily Dillon MSW ’16
Beyond clinical skills, LAUSD taught me how to collaborate effectively across disciplines, navigate systems that don’t always function the way we wish they would, and advocate for meaningful change while still working within those systems. I learned how to be a teacher, leader, mentor, and advocate—not just for students, but for the broader school community.
Most importantly, it taught me humility. Some of the best social workers, teachers, and administrators I worked with understood that real change starts with listening. It reinforced my belief that clients are the experts on their own experiences. Our role isn’t to have all the answers, but to bring curiosity, humility, and clinical expertise while creating space for people to make sense of their own stories. That perspective continues to shape my work every day in private practice.
Balancing a thriving practice, family life, and personal health is no small feat. What has helped you navigate the transitions of your career while juggling work and life and your own mental health?
Honestly, a lot of trial and error.
Like many social workers, I entered the field because I care deeply about helping people. For a long time, I thought being a good clinician meant constantly pushing through, taking on more, and putting everyone else’s needs ahead of my own. As a crisis worker, especially during the pandemic, I spent years supporting others through incredibly difficult circumstances. While that work was meaningful, it also took a toll.
Looking back, I can see that my mind and body were asking for a change long before I was consciously ready to make one. As my children got older, I found myself wanting to be more present with my family while also recognizing that I needed a different level of balance and flexibility for my own health and well-being. Leaving the district was not an easy decision. I loved being a school social worker and gained some of the most formative experiences of my career there. At the same time, I knew I couldn’t ignore what my nervous system had been telling me for years.
Opening my private practice felt like a leap of faith, but it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Running a business comes with its own challenges, but it has allowed me to build a career that aligns with my values, supports my family, and gives me the flexibility to care for myself in a way I couldn’t before. In many ways, that experience has also deepened my work as a therapist. Today, many of the people I work with are navigating their own versions of that same question: how do I stop pushing through and create a life that feels more sustainable? I’ve learned that balance isn’t something you achieve once—it’s something you continue to revisit and 
adjust as life changes.
For current Luskin students or new social workers entering the field, what advice would you give about building a sustainable career in social work while also protecting your own well-being?
I would tell them that it’s okay for their definition of success to evolve over time. When I graduated from Luskin, I had a certain vision of what my career would look like. Some parts of that vision came true, while other parts changed in ways I never could have predicted. Some of the most meaningful opportunities in my career came from staying open, following my curiosity, and trusting myself when it was time to grow in a new direction.
I would also encourage new social workers to remember that there is no single “right” way to build a career in this field. Social work can be incredibly meaningful work, but it can also be demanding. Many of us work within systems that are under-resourced, stretched thin, and ask a lot of the people working in them. While those realities are important to acknowledge, I think it’s equally important to regularly check in with yourself about what you need to stay healthy, engaged, and effective over the long term.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that helping others shouldn’t require losing yourself in the process. The more grounded, balanced, and supported I am in my own life, the better I’m able to show up for my clients, my family, and my community. Give yourself permission to grow, change course when needed, and build a career that supports the life you want to live.
Luskin Students Earn Honorable Mention in National APA Planning Competition MURP team recognized for equity-focused Detroit greenway proposal developed through months of collaborative planning
Led by MURP student Micah Wilcox, the team—Elizabeth Shin, Gus Grunau, and Sophie Craypo—developed a multi-month planning proposal addressing mobility, land use, housing, environmental resilience, and community needs on vacant land adjacent to the proposed urban trail. The project drew on existing community planning efforts and emphasized integrated, place-based design strategies.
Assistant Professor of Urban Planning Minjee Kim served as faculty advisor, providing guidance and feedback throughout the development and refinement of the submission.
“Understanding the whole project allowed us to effectively divide up work, hit milestones along the route to completing the final product, and focus on content rather than logistics.”
For Wilcox, the experience highlighted both the rigor and rewards of collaborative planning practice. “Submitting a successful proposal consumed a lot of time outside of meetings; we needed to gain a clear sense of what tasks we would need to complete and to estimate the time associated with each, while balancing school and outside jobs,” he said.
“Understanding the whole project allowed us to effectively divide up work, hit milestones along the route to completing the final product, and focus on content rather than logistics. Achieving this balance made us a more competitive team and made the process more fun and fulfilling.”
Wilcox also received the UCLA Urban Planning Dean’s Award for Overall Excellence, recognizing sustained academic achievement and contributions across the two-year MURP program. The award is presented annually by faculty to one graduating student in recognition of exceptional work throughout the degree.
Q&A with Tristhan Lim: Public Affairs Minor Shaping Equitable Cities From GIS and transportation data to public policy and urban planning, a Luskin minor student reflects on how coursework connects cities, systems, and equity.
Why did you choose to pursue the public affairs minor?
I chose to pursue the Public Affairs minor because I wanted to understand the policy side of the urban issues I studied in my Geography classes. I have always cared about cities, transportation, housing, and infrastructure, but Public Affairs gave me a stronger framework for understanding how these decisions get made. The minor helped me connect mapping, data, and spatial analysis to questions of equity and access in our built environment. I wanted to understand why they happen, who they affect, and what kinds of policies can respond to them.
Tristhan Lim is a Geography Major, Public Affairs and Geospatial Information Systems & Technologies Minor
What does “urban planning” mean to you personally, and how has your time at Luskin shaped or changed that definition?
To me, urban planning means shaping cities in ways that improve people’s everyday lives. Before Luskin, I mostly understood planning through the physical city: streets, transit, housing, parks, and land use. My time at Luskin expanded that definition. I now see urban planning as deeply connected to political power, equity, access, community-building, and public decision-making. Luskin taught me that planning does not only ask what a city should look like. It also asks who gets access, who benefits, who faces displacement, and who gets included in decisions that shape the city.
Is there a specific class, professor, or project at Luskin that completely shifted your perspective on the field of public affairs?
I enjoyed PUB 113, Policy Analysis: Approaches to Addressing Social Problems, with Professor Covington in Spring 2025. This class shifted my perspective when thinking about policies and public programs, as it helped me understand how these ideas or projects move through bureaucracies, institutions, and management before they reach the public. I learned that agencies must interpret rules, manage resources, coordinate departments, and respond to political, financial, and administrative constraints before enacting a policy. That helped me see public affairs as more than policy ideas on paper. I got to learn that implementation depends on the people, systems, and institutions responsible for carrying out those decisions.
This class also gave me useful context for my work on infrastructure projects with UCLA Transportation and the City of Los Angeles – Bureau of Street Services. When I work with transportation data, GIS maps, sidewalk infrastructure, or mobility projects, I can better understand the larger process behind those projects. Public infrastructure requires coordination between planners, engineers, departments, funding sources, and community needs. PUB 113 helped me see how slow, complex, and layered policy implementation can become, especially in a city like Los Angeles. I now approach infrastructure work with a stronger understanding of how policy, management, and bureaucracy shape what actually gets built, maintained, or improved.
How has your Luskin coursework helped you navigate the real-world complexities of LA’s transportation systems?
Luskin helped me understand that transportation is not a singular matter. Transportation connects to housing affordability, labor, race, disability access, public health, the built environment, and economic opportunity. My coursework helps me ask better questions when I work with that data. Instead of only asking which route works fastest, I think about who has access to reliable transportation, who faces longer commute burdens, and how transportation planning can either reduce or reproduce inequality (shoutout PUB AFF 155 – Economics and Equity in Transportation Systems with Professor Bills)
Can you explain what you do as a Geographic Information Systems Intern for the City of Los Angeles and a Transportation Planning Intern for UCLA? What does a typical day look like for you?
As a Geographic Information Systems Intern for the City of Los Angeles, I work with spatial data to support city projects. My work includes cleaning datasets, creating maps, analyzing infrastructure, and using GIS tools to help visualize urban conditions. A lot of the work involves turning raw data into maps, dashboards, and visuals that planners, engineers, and decision-makers can use. An interesting project I am currently working on right now is analyzing which streets in Los Angeles should receive cool pavement to help reduce urban heat!
As a Transportation Planning Intern for UCLA, specifically in the Mobility and Traffic Systems unit, I support projects related to campus mobility and transportation behavior. I work with transportation data, commute/mobility patterns, GIS maps, dashboards, and reports that help UCLA understand how students, staff, and faculty move to and around campus. A typical day might include cleaning transportation data, building a map in ArcGIS, updating a dashboard, analyzing survey results, or preparing visuals for a report. I enjoy this work because it combines technical GIS skills with real planning questions about mobility, access, safety, and how people experience the campus environment.
How do you balance a demanding academic schedule, a city internship, and your extracurricular commitments?
I balance everything by being clear about my priorities. Work experience in my field matters a lot to me, so I try to structure my schedule around school and internships first. I use my calendar heavily, break big assignments into smaller tasks, and try not to wait until the last minute when I know my work schedule will get busy. I have also learned that balance does not always mean doing everything equally; sometimes school takes priority, sometimes work takes priority, and sometimes I need to step back from extracurriculars. The biggest thing has been learning how to manage my time without overcommitting.
Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years? What kind of impact do you ultimately want to make through your career?
In 5 to 10 years, I see myself pursuing a master’s in urban planning or master’s in GIS. Career-wise, I want to work in a job that combines GIS, planning, and urban analytics. I want to use data and mapping to make cities more accessible, sustainable, and equitable. Long term, I hope to work on projects that improve transportation systems, reduce barriers to mobility, and help communities access better infrastructure and public resources.
What advice would you give to other Luskin students?
My advice would be to take advantage of every opportunity to connect coursework with real-world experience. Public affairs can feel very broad. Internships, projects, and campus work can help you figure out what issues you want to focus on. I would also tell students not to underestimate technical skills. Learning GIS, data analysis, writing, and visualization can make your public affairs background even stronger.
