August Event Details

Urban Development and Transportation in the Inland Empire

The event is Hybrid, hosted by Omnitrans, Address: 1700 West 5th Street, San Bernardino, CA 92411

The facility is at the corner of Fifth St. and Medical Center Dr. Enter on Medical Center Dr., at the second driveway north of Fifth St.

Attending Online? A Zoom link will be sent before the event.

N.B.: let us know if your plans have changed by August 18, 2023 -- email: ltc@csusb.edu

Register HereEvent Program

The Issue

Rising housing costs in California's coastal regions have pushed population growth inland, but residents face long commutes due to insufficient public transit and the remote location of job centers. This situation heightens reliance on personal vehicles, leading to increased traffic and higher total living costs when accounting for both housing and transportation. There is a need to unify land use and transportation planning to improve affordability and life quality.

This Dialogue will investigate the growth of the Inland Empire's suburban and rural areas, contemplating its future. The focus will be on the mutual impact of urban development and transportation - how each drives the other's evolution. The interplay between the two will be crucial in shaping the region's future.

Speakers 

Juan is currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the County of Riverside since February 2021. In this position, he oversees the constituent services areas of County government, including working in partnership with elected and appointed Department Heads representing 25 County departments. Juan has been with the County of Riverside for 22 years. His previous roles included serving as Assistant CEO/TLMA Director overseeing the Public Works, Land Use, and Environment functions of the County, and the Transportation and Land Management Agency. Prior to that, Juan served as Deputy Director of Transportation before becoming the Director of Transportation. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona in 1989, and is a Registered Civil and Traffic Engineer in the State of California. Juan also received his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Organizational Studies from Cal Baptist University in 2014. Juan started his career in the private sector with various consulting firms providing municipal transportation services. Prior to coming to the County, Juan was employed by the City of Hemet for nine years, including the last four as the City’s Director of Public Works.

Student Research Team 

My name is Dorlins Villalobos, and I am a student-parent first-generation, non-traditional student. I returned to school in the fall of 2018 to pursue higher education, hoping for career options. At first, returning to school was just a means to an end. However, after the pandemic, I saw historical racial disparities within my community in Compton. I realized my community was disproportionally affected by the lack of meaningful public policy. My interest in public policy came from lived experience, and I decided that a master's degree would bring me closer to making a change for the benefit of my community. My purpose now is to play a role in helping our society be better for my son, my community, and our future. 

I am Jordan Leffew, a first-generation college student born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. I recently earned my B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, Riverside, where I am also pursuing my M.A. in Public Policy. For most of my undergraduate career, I had been exposed to various community service and advocacy opportunities through my membership in Alpha Phi Omega, a National Co-Ed Community Service Organization at UCR. I prided myself in being able to contribute to the Inland Empire’s community development and promote civic engagement within its low-income, POC communities. My advocacy work focused on accessibility to resources and services, outreach, and education. Utilizing my personal and lived experiences, I decided to take my advocacy work to the next level by pursuing a career in policy. I understood the importance of establishing equitable, effective, and sustainable policy solutions that could aid regions like the IE and its community members. With that being said, I hope to bring my passion and knowledge to the LTC student research team to help address the complex, interrelated challenges between housing and transportation in the IE.

“Solutions for the Region, Solutions for the World.” - UCR, School of Public Policy

My name is Kirill Rogovoy, I am 22 years old, and have immigrated to the USA with my family 12 years ago. In May of 2023, I have graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. I am very interested in Transportation Engineering and am currently pursuing my M.S. in this subject at Cal Poly Pomona. My dream is to attain a PhD in a Transportation Engineering-related field, and become a professor one day who would conduct research and teach!

I am Yasamin Rasouli, a 24-year-old from Iran. Five years ago, my family and I immigrated to the USA and have been residing in Orange County ever since. Currently, I am a junior student at Cal Poly Pomona, studying Civil Engineering. Last fall, I transferred from Saddleback College to continue my academic journey. I am passionate about shaping the built environment and look forward to making valuable contributions in the field of Civil Engineering.