A ULI AdvISoRy SERvIcES TEchnIcAL ASSISTAncE...

huntington healthy communitySEPTEMBER 2015

A ULI AdvISoRy SERvIcES TEchnIcAL ASSISTAncE PAnEL REPoRT

ii huntington hEALthY CoMMunitY Technical Assistance Panel

Panel members and staff

TAP ClienThuntington Memorial hospital Trust

PAnel ChAirJeff Lambertcommunity development director, city of ventura

PAnelisTsRonald AltoonPresident & cEo, Altoon Strategic

Wes Bassettdesigner, SoM

Lee BrennanPrincipal, cunningham Group

clare de BriereExecutive vice President and chief operating officer, The Ratkovich company

cecilia Estolanoco-Founder, Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors

cal hollisManaging Executive officer, countywide Planning and development, L.A. Metro

dianne Philibosiandirector, Institute for community health and Wellbeing, california State University northridge

chris RocheAcquisitions and development, california Landmark

Evangelique ZhaoArchitect/Urban designer, Gensler

Uli los Angeles ProjeCT sTAffGail Goldberg, FAIcPExecutive director

Jonathan nettler, AIcPdirector

Emma c. LalleyAssociate

rePorT ediTorMolly StraussEditor, The Planning Report

PhoTogrAPherJohn dlugolecki

rePorT designerStephen Sampson

uli los angeles mission statementAt the Urban Land Institute, our mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. ULI Los Angeles, a district council of the Urban Land Institute, carries forth that mission as the preeminent regional real estate organization providing inclusive and trusted leadership influencing public policy and practice.

about the uli los angeles technical assistance PanelsIn keeping with the Urban Land Institute mission, Technical Assistance Panels are convened to provide pro-bono planning and development assistance to public officials and local stakeholders of communities and nonprofit organizations who have requested assistance in addressing their land use challenges.

A group of diverse professionals representing the full spectrum of land use and real estate disciplines typically spend one day visiting and analyzing the built environments, identifying specific planning and development issues, and formulating realistic and actionable recommendations to move initiatives forward in a fashion consistent with the applicant’s goals and objectives.

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conTEnTS

Executive Summary ..................................................................................... 2

ULI’s TAP Advisory Panels ........................................................................... 5

hMh and South Fair oaks............................................................................ 6

defining healthy communities ................................................................... 10

observations/Findings ............................................................................... 13

Physical and design Improvements ........................................................... 16

Implementation ........................................................................................ 20

conclusion ................................................................................................ 25

Acknowledgements ................................................................................... 26

Panel Member Biographies ........................................................................ 27

2 huntington hEALthY CoMMunitY Technical Assistance Panel

ASSIGnMEnT And PRocESSWith changes in the healthcare industry altering service

delivery at huntington Memorial hospital (hMh) in the city

of Pasadena, property outside of its central campus is now

available for uses other than medical treatment. The collis P.

and howard huntington Memorial hospital Trust, which owns

and controls a portion of that land, has expressed interest in

using its holdings to contribute toward a “healthy community”

adjacent to hMh. At the same time, the Trust wishes to

maximize the value of its property, since its primary purpose

is to financially support hMh’s mission.

ExEcUTIvE SUMMARy

The area of interest—situated within the South Fair oaks

Specific Plan area—is one of the major employment centers

in Pasadena. Medical facilities have dominated the area,

along with Art center college of design’s new South campus.

out of a desire to preserve the district’s commercial and

industrial nature, housing is currently not allowed there. Retail

offerings are sparse surrounding hMh.

The area of interest will soon see changes to its zoning code

as the city of Pasadena updates its General Plan and the

Specific Plan governing land use there. Both major institutions

in the area—hMh and Art center—are undergoing master

planning processes for their facilities at this time. The ongoing

build-out of Los Angeles county’s rail infrastructure is also

touching the area at Fillmore Station as Metro’s Gold Line

extends eastward, making the hospital and district more

accessible by transit. Significant investment by Art center

and private investors is accelerating. This confluence of

factors creates a privileged moment when a coordinated

transformation of the area could occur.

In the context of these transitions, the Trust has asked the

Urban Land Institute’s Los Angeles district council to make

a preliminary study of findings and recommendations that

could guide the creation of a healthy neighborhood adjacent

to hMh. ULI has used a modified Technical Assistance Panel

(TAP) model for this report, meeting over a two-day period

instead of the customary one-day format, with a focus on

potential uses for the Trust’s holdings, specific land-use and

policy suggestions, and a compelling vision for the district

as a whole. Finally, the TAP provides a roadmap forward

for hMh and the Trust to initiate the creation of a healthy

neighborhood in the near-term.

Panelists tour the study area to address the goals of developing the “Huntington Healthy Community”.

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KEy QUESTIonSThe panel was asked to consider the following questions

during its study:

1. What are the main goals of a “huntington healthy

district”?

2. how do hMh and the Sponsor currently contribute

to a healthy district? What is the city of Pasadena’s

contribution?

3. What land uses contribute to a healthy

neighborhood? describe the positive and negative

influence of these land uses in relation to the goals of

a healthy district.

4. Which major parcels in the district are suitable for

redevelopment per the city of Pasadena, hMh, and

the Sponsor? What are the roles of Art center and

others? What are the likely development directions

for these properties in the context of a healthy

district?

5. What are the likely development directions for

Sponsor and hMh owned properties in the context of

a healthy district?

6. What connective “linkages,” such as walkways and

bicycle lanes, should be considered to promote the

healthy district goals?

7. Given hMh’s goal of being a catalyst for a healthy

neighborhood, what is a “road map” for creating the

planning and implementation for this goal?

MAJoR concLUSIonS1. current circumstances have created an opportunity: The

Trust’s off-campus properties can achieve two separate

goals concurrently. They could be utilized for both financial

gain and for community benefit, consistent with the hMh

mission. Rather than being mutually exclusive, pursuing these

objectives simultaneously actually reinforces both, allowing

the Trust to meet a broad mission that includes acting as a

responsible fiduciary agent for the hospital and increasing

health outcomes in the adjacent community, within which the

hospital operates.

2. Seeking to create a wellness community, hMh and the

Trust can set a precedent for meaningful collaboration with

partners, including the city of Pasadena, Art center, Metro,

and private stakeholders. Strengthening these relationships

is desperately needed while stakeholders have an opportunity

to align.

The Trust’s off-campus properties can achieve two separate goals concurrently- both for financial gain and community benefit.


The panel’s key findings include land use concepts to improve pedestrian and biking opportunities, including strong east west connections, energizing the street and making healthy modes of transportation both easier and safer

3. The area of interest currently suffers from poor east-west

linkages, which impedes rail accessibility. Enhancements to

improve pedestrian and biking opportunities, as well as an

emphasis on mixed-use development, would energize the

streets and make healthy modes of transportation both easier

and safer.

4. While maintaining a focus on jobs in this area is

essential—with an emphasis on innovation—workforce,

student, and senior housing should be strategically

incorporated. Medical uses can continue to cluster directly

adjacent to the hospital.

5. Providing creative programming across institutions and

exploring opportunities to share facilities can generate a

culture of collaboration among property owners in the area,

necessary for realizing their united vision for wellness.

6. To facilitate this process, the TAP recommends

establishing a Business Improvement district (BId) and

creating a health, Education, Arts, Research, and Technology

(hEART) overlay zone.

Moving forward, the Trust must determine whether to adopt

a passive or active role in creating a healthy community. If,

as recommended by the TAP, the Trust chooses to lead the

effort, it can proceed by:

• assembling its own project team

• organizing stakeholders into a collaborative group

• forging a consensus among participants

• establishing the BId

• fostering collaborations among stakeholders separate

from real estate

• leading efforts to engage the community

• driving the specific planning process

• calling for creation of the hEART overlay zone.

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ULI’S TEchnIcAL AdvISoRy PAnELS

TAP PRocESSPrior to the Technical Assistance Panel, ULI staff consulted

with an advisor to huntington Memorial hospital and the

Trust to determine the scope of the panel assignment. ULI

selected panel members with practiced and professional skills

that address the stated objectives for the TAP as provided by

hMh and the Trust. Panel members reviewed background

materials prepared by hMh and the Trust prior to the TAP.

The TAP process is usually a day-long event, but given

hMh and the Trust’s desire for a thorough study of the

opportunities and challenges inherent in developing a healthy

neighborhood surrounding hMh, this TAP lasted for a day and

a half. on the first day, panel members toured the area with

an hMh representative and later met with key stakeholders.

(out of exceptional commitment to the process, certain

panel members arrived a half-day early to conduct their own

extensive tour of the area.) on the second day, panelists

worked through an intensive analysis in a range of disciplines

on the specified issues before presenting their findings to

select stakeholders and program sponsors.

The panel reviews their recommendations in the context of the key questions posed by Huntington Memorial Hospital and Trust.

TAP PAnEL oF ExPERTSULI convened a panel of professionals representing a variety

of disciplines connected to land use and health, such as:

architecture and design, real estate development, economic

analysis, transportation, and wellness/healthcare-specific

land-use. ULI selected panel members with the intent to

collect a robust array of professional expertise relevant

to hMh and the Trust’s objectives for the study. ULI also

selected panel members with a working knowledge in the

sectors of the real estate market and the design typologies

common in the study area. All panel members volunteered

to participate in the panel process and did not receive

compensation for their work.


hMh And SoUTh FAIR oAKS

AREA dEScRIPTIonhuntington Memorial hospital (hMh) is located near the

southern entrance to the city of Pasadena, within the South

Fair oaks area near the termination of the historic Arroyo

Seco Parkway/110 Freeway. hMh’s hospital and medical

services complex is situated on a 35-acre campus.

The city of Pasadena, well known as a cultural, retail,

and residential center, encompasses 23 square miles

with a population of about 137,000. Residents within five

miles of the city have an average household income near

$100,000. The consumer base is largely well-educated

and sophisticated, with interests in arts and luxury products.

however, areas of concentrated poverty exist in the city,

and one of the primary goals of Pasadena’s Economic

development Strategic Plan is to support investment in the

community that creates new jobs. Pasadena is currently

home to over 110,000 jobs across a breadth of industries.

South Fair oaks is one of the major employment areas in

Pasadena. Its land uses are governed by the 1998 South Fair

oaks Specific Plan, which aimed to create a clean industrial

district there. The plan promoted a “specific economic vision”:

“biomedical and technology-based including but not limited

to computer software, digital imaging and digital sound.”

The plan emphasized retention and enhancement of local

businesses within “the nation’s leading growth industries,”

though it also noted a desire for “community serving retail.”

Since 1998, acute medical, outpatient medical, and medical

support facilities have dominated the area, along with Art

center college of design’s South campus, established in

2004. however, retail has largely not located there. The

commercial and industrial nature of the 1998 Specific Plan

does not allow housing of any kind to be constructed.

The Huntington Memorial Hospital Trust owns and controls five acres of land beyond the hospital’s campus that may be suitable for development. These parcels are located directly to the east of the hospital campus.

W cALIFoRnIA BoULEvARd

S RAyMond AvEnUE

S FAIR oAKS AvEnUE

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Within South Fair oaks, the Trust owns and controls five

acres of land beyond hMh’s campus that may be suitable for

development. These parcels are located directly to the east of

the hospital campus.

The Los Angeles county Metropolitan Transportation Authority

(Metro) operates its Gold Line Fillmore Station to the east

of hMh, a short walk from the main campus. however the

relatively low rate of public-transportation use by hMh faculty

and staff (reported by hMh leadership to be less than 5

percent) suggests underutilization of this asset.

For the purposes of this TAP, the panel has focused on

the area between the base of hMh’s campus to the west,

Fillmore Station and the rail right of way to the east, california

Boulevard to the north, and Glenarm Street and the old

Pasadena power plant to the south. This “area of interest”

includes the Trust’s adjacent off-campus holdings. It directly

abuts hMh and includes much of Art center’s campus—

therefore encompassing the two major property owners in

the neighborhood. It also represents the zone best served by

public transportation.

other current uses in the area of interest include: a historic

plant nursery, a limited selection of coffee shops and primarily

fast-food restaurants, public storage, parking; a city-owned

float manufacturing facility, and a resale shop. Unlike much

of the rest of affluent Pasadena, this section currently suffers

from littering and debris.

Residential uses border the area of interest to the west and

southwest.

conTExT And BAcKGRoUndhMh has more than a century-long history of delivering high-

caliber medical services to the residents of Pasadena and the

San Gabriel valley as a whole.

hMh is a not-for-profit institution with 625 beds and the

only Level II trauma center in the San Gabriel valley. Its 800

doctors and 3,000 employees are particularly renowned for

neurosciences, cardiovascular services, and cancer care.

hMh is an active teaching hospital with graduate medical

education programs in internal medicine and general surgery.

The hospital treats more than 60,000 patients seeking

emergency care each year.

The hospital’s mission is to “excel at the delivery of healthcare

to our community” and its core values are “respect,”

“integrity,” “stewardship,” and “excellence.”

dramatic transformation is occurring in healthcare delivery

across the nation, due in large part to structural changes

resulting from the Affordable care Act. Passed in 2010 and

upheld by the US Supreme court, the two pieces of legislation

making up the Act expand insurance coverage for Americans

and emphasize preventative medicine, along with many other

impacts.

The main pedestrian connection between the Metro station and HMH’s campus along Fillmore Street could be strengthened.


Under the Act, healthcare delivery is increasingly driven by

physician performance, patient outcomes, chronic population

management, and results. hMh is responding accordingly.

With these rapid shifts occurring, hMh has redefined its

core services and is focusing on the “continuum of care”

and “value over volume.” The hospital is slowing the growth

of its acute care services, instead shifting toward outpatient

specialty care, post-acute care, primary care, and chronic

care. clustered, co-located services are now desired.

…

The South Fair oaks district, as well as the city of Pasadena

and Los Angeles county as a whole, has undergone

significant changes since the Specific Plan for the area was

first created in 1998.

The city of Pasadena has experienced revitalization in the last

30 years, as it invested in old Town Pasadena and adjacent

retail districts, sometimes relying on Business Improvement

districts to direct local business tax dollars back into the

areas where those businesses are located. The subject area

of interest has not seen a level of revitalization comparable

with that experienced in other parts of Pasadena.

When the Specific Plan was created, Metro’s Gold Line was

not yet in existence. Fillmore Station, now a stop on that line,

had only been identified as a stop on the proposed Blue Line

light rail. The Specific Plan expressed an intention to integrate

land use and transportation programs with the station site.

however, given that it was adopted before Los Angeles’

current public transportation renaissance—with five rail lines

currently under construction, a bond measure in place to

fund expansion of this infrastructure through 2035, and a

second bond measure proposed for the 2016 election—best-

practices regarding connectivity were not realized at Fillmore

Station. Today, the Gold Line stretches from the Atlantic

Station in East Los Angeles through downtown Los Angeles

and east again to Sierra Madre villa in Pasadena.

Metro’s Gold Line Foothill Extension to Azusa will be

operational in Spring 2016. Stations to open are: Arcadia

Station, Monrovia Station, duarte/city of hope Station,

Irwindale Station, Azusa downtown Station, and APU/citrus

college Station. Eventually, the line is planned to reach

Montclair.

Beyond that, Pasadena’s bikeshare program is slated to arrive

in 2018, with 34 proposed hubs in the city. The Fillmore

Station Metro stop is expected to become one of the hubs.

…

The city of Pasadena is currently amending its General Plan,

with adoption expected later this year. The draft General Plan

marks a policy shift for South Fair oaks by acknowledging

the need for, and encouraging an increase in, housing.

once the General Plan is complete, the city of Pasadena will

then produce a new South Fair oaks Specific Plan, which

will contain zoning and design guideline changes. This new

specific plan presents an opportunity to refine or even re-think

the character of the area and the best uses for land.

The vision for South Fair oaks articulated by the city of

Pasadena in the General Plan draft “capitalizes on the

presence of [existing] uses, focusing development adjoining

the Fillmore Metro Gold Line station; introducing housing for

seniors, students, or employees of the major institutions; and

converting underutilized industrial areas for new businesses

and job-generating uses leveraged by the medical and

creative office uses.”

The City of Pasadena is currently amending its General Plan and subsequent specific plans and presents an opportunity to refine or even re-think the character of the area and the best uses for land.

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Relevant elements of the proposed specific plan update

include:

• higher-density mixed-use developments adjoining the

transit station, incorporating retail, office, and multi-

family housing—the “Fillmore Transit village”

• additional amenities to improve safety and quality of

life

• extensive landscaping and improvement of

sidewalks/streets to improve pedestrian activity and

connectivity

• new urban parks

• space for startups, creative office, and flex space

…

At the same time, Art center college of design is in the midst

of a master planning process. Art center is a world-class

design school particularly renowned for automobile, graphic

and product design. Its Academic Master Facilities Plan is

designed by architect Michael Maltzan.

Elements of the Master Plan that are relevant to broader

community planning include:

• Student/staff housing: Phase 1 includes one building

with 320-500 beds. Phase 2 includes an additional

building with up to 500 more beds, and may also

contain a mix of amenities and academic space.

• A ground-floor bike repair shop open to the

community.

• An elevated quad south of the Gold Line Fillmore

Station, which will descend to the street.

Several major private property holdings providing space for

medical research, senior housing, and future development

were also considered in the TAP study. one significant

example is huntington Medical Research Institutes (hMRI),

a biomedical research organization located in the area that

“improves health and prolongs lives by conducting biomedical

research and developing and applying new technology for

prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases.”

…

hMh, in concert with community Partners, began a project

in January 2015 to outline a district plan, which would inform

the future of its property holdings as they contribute to hMh’s

vision and goals and to the broader community.

during that process, hMh and community Partners polled

stakeholders and consultants to determine the most attractive

uses for the area. The results of this analysis concluded that

the most attractive uses with the highest land value were:

apartments and condominiums, groceries, family housing,

parking, pharmacies, medical offices, independent senior

living, congregate care, and assisted living.

TOP: Art Center College of Design is in the midst of a master planning process for their campus.BOTTOM: Distinctive features in the area, such as the Glenarm Power Plant, can be transformed into assets.


consensus is forming among experts in both the land-use

and medical fields that “the built environment is part of the

health problem.” At the same time, it is also “part of the

solution.” Medical centers are increasingly aiming to improve

their neighborhoods as a means for improving public health.

Meanwhile, urban planners, developers and architects are

beginning to craft the built environment to consider the health

of residents. This TAP sits at the confluence of these two

complimentary professional endeavors.

Today, nearly two-thirds of deaths across the globe are the

result of chronic or “lifestyle” diseases—with 52 million

deaths per year attributable to these ailments expected

by 2030. Therefore, creating physical environments that

encourage healthier lifestyles can have profound health

benefits. Urban planners, transportation engineers, architects,

and developers can all contribute expertise to compliment

the healthcare profession in designing places that combat

risk factors for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, type

2 diabetes, cancer, and other conditions that can be traced,

in whole or in part, to undesirable land uses and land-use

patterns.

Recognizing the difference between a “healthcare”

community and a “healthy’ community is essential for those

in the medical profession. While high-quality medical services

are an essential feature of communities that promote health,

they are not sufficient to create wellness broadly speaking.

A healthy community extends beyond the borders of medical

facilities, obligating the healthcare profession to consider the

built environment’s complete impact on individuals.

dEFInInG hEALThy coMMUnITIES

This TAP provided a comprehensive definition of communities

that engender wellness:

1. Puts People First

cities have long been designed to accommodate automobile

traffic. however, reliance on this mode of transportation

can contribute to obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and other

chronic diseases—as well as causing harmful air pollution.

Physical environments should therefore encourage walking,

biking, and other forms of active transportation. Individuals

are more likely to be active in a community designed around

their wellbeing. For community members to opt for non-car

modes, necessities and amenities must be accessible via

walking and biking. Additionally, infrastructure must be

in place to make alternative modes attractive, safe, and

convenient.

overall, “putting people first” means making quality of life a

district-wide priority. Rather than considering the impact of

health late in the planning process, land-use decisions should

be informed from the beginning by this objective.

2. Recognizes the Economic Value

consumers of all ages want to visit, live, and work in

walkable, mixed-use, transit-rich communities. Thus, healthy

places can create enhanced economic value for the private,

public, and non-profit sectors. A community’s unique appeal

can drive economic prosperity. Emphasizing wellness can

distinguish cities in a positive—and financially rewarding—

manner.

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3. Empowers Champions for Health

For healthy communities to succeed, attracting the necessary

energy and resources, champions must carry the vision to

stakeholders.

Forging broad partnerships is essential here, particularly

between medical communities and developers. Trusted

leadership representing a variety of interests is best equipped

to convey the benefits of healthy communities to all parties.

The process of creating a healthy community also opens

marketing opportunities, capturing the area’s cohesive

mission and brand in recognizable and appealing manners.

4. Builds Community and Social Connectivity

A sense of belonging and connections with others promote

physical and mental health—while isolation, exacerbated by

a lack of activated public space, can lead to deterioration and

increased medical costs.

While creating new open areas through improvements to

the built environment can be costly and time-intensive,

existing shared spaces can be energized through regular

programming that appeals to a variety of participants. Events

can be produced quickly and inexpensively in comparison

with altering the built environment. Spaces in varieties of

sizes and areas can be repurposed to accommodate such

programming, as well as continuing to accommodate

existing uses, even if those spaces don’t resemble traditional

parks. This can increase activity at all times of day. vibrant

communities encourage serendipitous social interaction—

utilizing streets as public spaces to encourage such

encounters.

5. Makes Healthy Choices Easy

communities should make the healthy choice the one that

is safe, accessible, fun, and easy. Since individuals are

accustomed to making habitual decisions, breaking existing

patterns requires providing options that are attractive in the

eyes of users. Removing barriers to healthy decision-making

is the first step—including remedying unsafe conditions.

Then, public art and whimsical design can be effective

tools to foster new ways of moving around. For instance,

Stockholm, Sweden’s piano stairs, which play music when

travelers ascend and descend, led to 66 percent more people

than normal choosing stairs over an escalator or elevator. A

shopping center in Bangkok, Thailand has also incorporated

piano stairs, creating a major attraction for all ages—and

creating some health benefits.

Stockholm’s interactive Piano Stairs succeeded in attracting 66 percent more pedestrians to use the stairs instead of the escalator.


6. Ensures Equitable Access

creating healthy neighborhoods means considering all types

of users in design—including those of different ages and

abilities. Many population segments would benefit from better

access to services, amenities, and opportunities. Rather

than being a cost burden, accommodations for older adults

and those with limited mobility can generate real-estate

value because these populations are not currently catered to

sufficiently, creating untapped markets. Integrating land uses

with a variety of transit options can serve those of diverse

ability levels, offering additional options to make it more likely

for the disabled to select the healthiest choice.

7. Mixes It Up

A variety of land uses, building types, and public spaces

can be used to improve physical and social activity. Findings

show that mixed-use development makes people much

more likely to walk or use transit. Building vertically rather

than horizontally brings services closer together and makes it

easier to travel without an automobile. Ensuring a diversity of

indoor and outdoor spaces makes the choice to travel on foot

more pleasant.

8. Embraces Unique Character

Places that are different, unusual, or unique can be helpful in

promoting physical activity. communities have had success

when taking advantage of existing assets and history, which

may have been forgotten or abandoned over time. distinctive

features that initially seem like constraints—including

industrial structures—can be transformed into benefits with

creative thinking.

9. Promotes Access to Healthy Food

Because diet directly affects human health, neighborhoods

prioritizing wellness incorporate access to healthy food into

local land use and economic policies. This means adjusting

brick-and-mortar offerings to discourage unhealthy food

choices, and offering a variety of other options that are

more convenient and visually prominent. But beyond that,

healthy food should become a destination. Many areas have

found success with farmers markets, offering a chance

for communities to come together around fresh produce,

often with entertainment. Likewise, urban agriculture and

community gardens can provide healthy food while offering

programming and educational opportunities.

10. Nurtures Healthy Minds and Bodies

healthy neighborhoods consider impacts on, but also beyond,

the human body. Services and environments cultivate and

support mental, as well as physical, health—providing spaces

for contemplation, gathering, and play. They also include

medical services for both physical and mental wellbeing.

Places that stimulate all five senses help individuals fully

activate their bodies and minds, a tenet of wellness.

11. Strives for Highest Standards of Environmental

Sustainability

creating a healthy community includes addressing impacts

to the environment, in part because greenhouse-gas

emissions that contribute to climate change adversely affect

human health in the short and long term. Success beyond

mandated sustainability practices can be achieved through

incorporation of emerging technologies. Places that aim

for the most efficient uses of water, energy, and natural

resources create human wellness directly and indirectly.

Referencing sustainability and wellness standards can

be helpful benchmarks for measuring progress. These

include Leadership in Energy & Environmental design for

neighborhood development (LEEd-nd) and delos Well

Building Standard.

Detroit’s Eastern Market 360 program is turning a historic marketplace into a destination for food, both creating an economic development opportunity and encouraging healthy eating.

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oBSERvATIonS/FIndInGS

The TAP collected a number of observations—obtained by

touring the area of interest, interviewing stakeholders, and

referencing background materials—that impact the pursuit of

a healthy community:

1. As summarized in hMh’s long-range Master Plan, the

hospital’s primary mission is covered on its existing campus.

hMh has no plans to expand beyond its current boundaries.

Instead, a phased replacement and improvement of hMh’s

core facilities will occur on the central campus. This frees up

property owned by the Trust beyond the campus for other

uses.

2. The South Fair oaks Specific Plan failed to activate the

area of interest. Its zoning, while effective at preserving the

industrial/commercial nature of the area, did not allow for a

mix of uses that incentivizes non-car modes of transit, did not

encourage a vibrant street culture, and did not create an area

particularly attractive for new businesses (as evidenced by

vacant properties and lower-caliber uses).

3. While providing an exemplary medical facility, hMh is not

currently modeling the attributes of a healthy district.

The hospital does have a consistent track record of engaging

with the community in the provision of healthcare services. It

provides millions of dollars annually in charity care, benefits

for vulnerable populations, health research, education,

and training and support programs that may otherwise be

absent from the community. Specifically, the hospital’s

community outreach programs focus on health education

and prevention, reaching into neighborhoods through nurses

and health educators who provide free classes, clinics,

health counseling, screenings and seasonal flu vaccinations.

Additionally, hMh’s Senior care network provides for seniors’

needs in their homes, while the huntington community health

Library offers educational articles, books, pamphlets, and

videos for use by the community.The Panel observed that the study area suffers from a lack of east-west connections, long blocks and introverted frontages.


While highly laudable, these efforts remain focused on

medical needs narrowly defined. The TAP did not find

evidence of broader engagement with community members

in support of wellness—neither via the facilities it controls

nor via programming. In fact, the hMh hospital campus

is physically isolated from the balance of the Specific Plan

area east of Fair oaks Avenue, as well as from residential

areas to the southwest. As the hospital expands its purview,

in line with its transition toward an emphasis on wellness,

improvements can occur in improving these linkages.

4. East-west connections between Fair oaks Avenue, where

the hMh campus begins, and Raymond Avenue, where

Fillmore Station is located, are very limited. on both Fair

oaks Avenue and Raymond Avenue, the single north-south

block from Glenarm Street to Fillmore Street is 2,000 feet in

length, without an east-west cross axis—while a standard

city block generally ranges from 260 to 300 feet. This lack of

connectivity increases travel times on foot within the district

and almost completely isolates Raymond Avenue-facing land

uses—the eastern half of the study area—from hMh.

5. Institutions and developments in the area of interest largely

do not embrace the street, instead focusing inward. In fact,

recent developments have tended to convey an introverted,

industrial aesthetic and image.

6. Among key property owners in the area, a lack of

communication and collaboration persists despite a desire

among many parties to better coordinate.

…

These current circumstances create opportunities:

The Trust’s off-campus properties can achieve two separate

goals concurrently. They can be utilized for both financial gain

and for mission-driven community benefits. Rather than being

mutually exclusive, pursuing these objectives together actually

reinforces both, allowing the Trust to meet a broad mission

that includes acting as a responsible fiduciary agent for the

hospital and increasing health outcomes in the adjacent

community.

Seeking to create a healthy community, hMh and the Trust

can establish a precedent for meaningful collaboration with

partners. Strengthening these relationships is needed in this

critical moment, when stakeholders still have an opportunity

to align.

Each major player in the area is moving forward with its own

land-use plan: hMh’s Master Plan; the city of Pasadena’s

General Plan and Specific Plan update; Art center’s

Academic Master Facilities Plan; hMRI’s new building; and

the private owners of significant development sites in the

district. Key properties are under new ownership, setting the

stage for additional privately motivated transformation and

partnership. If all of these are pursued without coordination,

the result could be a disparate built environment without a

united mission, recognizable brand, or cohesive district. This

outcome would adversely affect land-values in the area and

result in a lost opportunity to do something special.

…

15

Panelists discuss how the current circumstances create opportunities for the Trust’s off-campus properties.

during interviews with the TAP, stakeholders expressed a

variety of often-overlapping desires:

• “humanizing the street”: striving for a pedestrian-

scale environment that encourages activity, with

additional green space and opportunities for

gathering.

• Affordable workforce, senior, and student housing:

rectifying the significant lack of housing available

to those working at the area’s major institutions,

particularly faculty and staff at hMh. (A lack of

student housing was also mentioned, but Art

center’s Master Plan seeks to address this issue.)

• Resident engagement with institutions: increasing

community interface with the major anchors of the

area, including an expansion of programming.

• Innovation village: prioritizing economic development

in the area, with an emphasis on maintaining and

increasing innovation-oriented jobs. (Some expressed

concern about losing job-generating uses in the area

if residential development is allowed.)

• cultural center: establishing a museum-type

destination in the area.

• Institutional collaboration: forging relationships

between major players, maximizing opportunities for

collaborative activities and work.

• Transit connections: strengthening the accessibility of

public-transportation stations.

• Shared facilities: considering opportunities for

overlapping use of existing institutional buildings and

amenities, including parking.

• district brand: creating a new and recognizable

identity for the area, including re-naming the Fillmore

Street Metro Station to reflect this character.


PhySIcAL And dESIGn IMPRovEMEnTSTaking into account existing conditions and stakeholder

desires, the TAP provided its analysis of effective physical

improvements to the area of interest that would contribute to

a healthy community.

noRTh-SoUTh coRRIdoRSThe TAP began by articulating the ideal character of three

critical streets:

Raymond Avenue: Transform into a “complete street”

considerable attention is paid to transforming Raymond

Avenue into a pedestrian and bike-oriented spine for the

district. Sidewalk widths are increased, a significant street

landscape program is implemented, and parklets are created.

A median is introduced down the middle of the avenue.

Ground-floor active uses are prioritized, with an emphasis on

innovation and creativity. opportunities to incorporate public

art in this linear “urban experience” are explored.

Fair Oaks Avenue: Maintain institutional and medical

uses

Acute medical and support, as well as outpatient and

ambulatory medical support, continue to locate adjacent to

hMh, clustering these uses in the healthcare-oriented part

of the district. Fair oaks Avenue continues to be a major

thoroughfare, connecting the district to South Pasadena and

reaching north to old Town Pasadena.

Edmondson Alley: Activate for bikes and pedestrians

The alley continues to accommodate necessary service

vehicles, but improvements are made to allow safe and

pleasant access for pedestrians and cyclists. opportunities

for permeable pavement and other “green street” innovations

are explored.

The panel’s observations of the issues in the study area include the ideal character of the three critical north-south corridors: Raymond Avenue, Fair Oaks Avenue and Edmondson Alley

17

2. Attach nodes to strong east-west corridors:

These streets can be optimized for active transportation,

creating attractive and safe paths to approach both campuses

without using a car.

• Fillmore Street: Strengthening and improving the

pedestrian connection between the Metro Gold

Line Station and hMh’s campus could dramatically

increase public transit ridership.

• Hurlbut Street: currently, hurlbut Street ends its

eastward trajectory at Fair oaks Avenue however,

were it possible to extend the street farther east to

Raymond Avenue, it could draw community members

living to the southwest of the area of interest into

the commercial core. While the TAP encourages

full access including vehicles, providing pedestrian

access would improve the district’s connectivity.

currently, properties with a variety of owners occupy

this area—including public storage and an AT&T lot.

Therefore, creating a linkage will require negotiation,

community support, and perhaps a longer timeframe.

BIG IdEAThe TAP offered its most ambitious vision here, since it

recommended striving for a major transformation rather than

beginning with less ambitious practicalities.

1. Create two “healthy community” nodes:

These rounded, green soft spaces are pedestrian-oriented

gathering places where the areas’ two major institutions meet

the community. This concept is based on the proven retail

model of creating anchors.

• The first, to cross Fair oaks Avenue at the base

of hMh’s campus on Fillmore Street, creates

a landing area that welcomes patients and

community members from the light-rail station

into the hospital—rather than greeting visitors

with a parking lot and a path through it marked by

bollards (as currently proposed by hMh’s Master

Plan). huntington conveys through this node that it

embraces the city.

• The second, to cross Raymond Avenue, provides a

community-oriented anchor for Art center’s campus.

currently, Art center’s Master Plan places housing

in this location. however, given the college’s desire

to interface with the community—promoting its

design as the “anti-fortress”—perhaps architectural

adjustments could be made to accommodate this

node.

Two nodes orient the district around its two key anchor institutions.


3. Add and strengthen additional east-west linkages:

With the nodes and their extensions forming a strong base,

additional connections will increase walkability and add

vibrancy to the street environment by creating blocks 500 to

600 feet long.

• Bellefontaine Street: Where Bellefontaine Street

meets Fair oaks Avenue, a historic plant nursery

currently blocks access farther east to Raymond

Avenue creating a pathway along the nursery for

pedestrians and those walking their bikes could

elevate the business as a cultural asset, bringing

passersby into close proximity with its natural beauty.

Additionally, the parking lot located to its south

serves a business even farther south. Relocating that

parking elsewhere could allow the nursery to shift or

expand, providing more space for the pathway.

• Pico Street: Pico Street currently connects Fair oaks

Avenue and Raymond Avenue, but the connection

could be improved for those outside of cars. Adding

green space to the east, where Pico Street meets

Raymond Avenue, is advised.

4. Program public corridors and other available spaces

with wellness opportunities.

• Suggestions include farmers’ markets, outdoor

movies, tai chi/yoga, rock climbing, walking clubs,

and areas for reflection.

LAnd USE conTExTThe TAP provided its land-use suggestions based on what

is currently feasible, beginning from existing conditions and

relationships.

Overarching principles:

• Ensure that every piece of land has more than one

use, with multiple purposes and time cycles

• Link together the hospital corridor and arts corridor

• open new buildings to the street

• Increase density where possible and appropriate

• Strive to create destinations

The land use concept imagines a mix of uses that share facilities and enhance their urban context.

19

Recommendations:

• Line Fillmore Street, between hMh and the Metro

station, with 5-story residential (workforce and senior

housing) over retail, cafes, and restaurants.

• continue locating healthcare and additional outpatient

support services on Fair oaks Avenue, across from

the hMh campus. Building these uses up, and over

parking, offers plenty of room to accommodate future

medical uses.

• connect the hospital and arts corridors by

repurposing the Trust’s property at the southwest

corner of Fillmore Street and Raymond Avenue,

currently medical office/research lab space. This

building could house programming at the intersection

of arts and health. It is particularly important that the

corners of this building be permeable to the street,

with active edges on the two outward-facing sides.

• convert the site that now houses catz, over time,

into a mixed-use building that might contain ground

level retail with a second-level fitness center above,

and senior housing on top. This placement allows for

seniors to act as museum docents and take classes.

• house a cultural amenity—perhaps a museum

or gallery—in what is now the Rose Bowl float

manufacturing facility. The city of Pasadena, which

owns the property, has indicated that this land

may no longer be suitable for its current use. A

stakeholder in the area has expressed a desire to

showcase a private collection that might create a

unique draw for the area.

• Establish a creative/innovation zone on Raymond

Avenue to the northeast, locating creative office

there.

• Activate Edmondson Alley, which is currently a

service route used for truck deliveries and other

purposes without sidewalks or other pedestrian

accommodations. “Greening” the alley could provide

another people-oriented path through the district.

• Utilize the space between hMRI’s existing building

and GEM Transitional care (formerly a Trust property)

as an incubator area that can hold fresh markets,

performances, yoga classes, or outdoor movies. If

this area is later occupied by a permanent use, the

incubator would transition to another underutilized

and available location.

• Locate parking behind retail and housing, with

development possible above it.

• discourage “peopleless” uses like public storage,

rental-car facilities, and public utility yards whenever

possible.

• connect hMRI’s facilities to the rest of the district by

utilizing “greened” Edmondson Alley.

Panelists discuss the vision for the land use concept.


IMPLEMEnTATIon

huntington Memorial hospital can start to support a healthy

community in its vicinity through two straightforward steps.

1. hMh can formally adopt principles and objectives for a

healthy community, incorporating tenets like those outlined in

this document as part of its broad mission. hMh is part of the

district as a major anchor, and can have significant influence

on the nature and quality of the neighborhood adjacent to it.

Adopting wellness principles requires hMh to change how it

perceives itself in relationship to the area east of Fair oaks

Avenue.

2. From there, hMh can refine its Master Plan to implement

these healthy community principles, showcasing that hMh is

not only a superlative healthcare facility, but is also interested

in contributing to—and modeling—a healthy community.

This step would not require making wholesale changes to

the Master Plan. Instead, it would involve selected strategic

tweaks with high impact. This might include creating walking

paths, and in particular, enhancing the route from the Fillmore

Station onto the hMh campus.

other effective and feasible interventions include creating

a fitness center for employees, setting goals for active

transportation among staff, and providing showers and bike

lockers. Metro offers support and programs for institutions

looking to increase non-car modes of commuting. These

should be investigated further.

Finally, when Pasadena’s bikeshare program debuts in 2018,

hMh can advocate to become a hub. These actions can

make significant contributions to the healthy community hMh

wishes to support.

…

As the owner of real estate, with fiduciary responsibilities, the

The panel recommends that the Trust lead the transition of its surroundings into a healthy community.

21

Trust has a more significant strategic decision to make as

to its involvement in facilitating a healthy community. If hMh

does adopt the principles outlined in this document, how will

the Trust implement those principles through the real estate

it holds off campus? The TAP panel offered two distinct paths

forward:

Option 1: The Trust decides to play a passive role, choosing

not to interpret its mission more broadly than it currently

does. In this scenario, the Trust allows the city of Pasadena’s

Fair oaks Specific Plan update process to occur—simply

contributing to the public dialogue as an influential property

owner, along with other community members. Through that

update, the Trust achieves significant increases in the value

of its property. When the value is optimized, the Trust could

elect to sell its property.

In this scenario, the Trust determines that it is not in the

“implementation” business. Instead, it leaves the creation of

a healthy community to others, hoping that the new Specific

Plan directs developers who purchase nearby properties to

incorporate more wellness elements into future construction

than currently exist. however, developers outside of the

medical professional may pay only cursory attention to

wellness.

Option 2: The Trust decides to play a proactive role, leading

the transition of its surroundings into a healthy community

through management of its real estate and by spearheading

a coalition. The TAP panel recommends this route for the

following reasons:

First, it provides the best opportunities to ensure enhanced

wellness, because the Trust remains in control of critical

properties in the neighborhood. This allows the Trust to direct

both the use of its parcels and, because of its stake in the

area, the Specific Plan update process.

Second, staying engaged maximizes value from a real estate

investment perspective. Some discounting is involved if the

Trust sells its properties. Properties are currently selling for

$125+ per foot in the area, and the Trust holds $20-30

million worth of property. The TAP believes there is significant

upside potential to that property. The more the Trust stays

engaged, the more it will realize that increase in value.

Finally, leading the effort enhances employee retention and

recruitment. Since professionals, particularly in the medical

field, prefer working in environments conducive to wellness,

ensuring that a healthy community is created will help keep

hMh attractive as an employer.

If the Trust chooses to lead the healthy-community effort,

it should acknowledge that the task will require investment

of resources and human capital: hiring internal staff or

external consultants and designating a credible, consistent

spokesperson to become the face of huntington’s healthy

community planning initiative.

…


The following is a roadmap, providing a tangible path for the

Trust to follow if it chooses to lead the healthy community:

First, the Trust assembles a project team, beginning with a

dedicated leader for the effort whose sole responsibility is to

see it to fruition. other useful members include a land-use

consultant, designer, and someone to help with community

engagement. The cost of these consultants might be shared

by key property owners in the area.

once the Trust assembles its own team, it organizes

stakeholders into a collaborative group. The Trust invites

all major and interested property owners in the area to

participate through attendance at regular meetings.

The Trust should spearhead the convening of consistent

gatherings at which property owners share the vision for

their land over the next 10 to 50 years. Being up front with

information and intentions, property owners can identify

common ground and potential conflicts. This will begin to

streamline efforts toward a healthy community. confusion

regarding the future land-use plans of large institutions—

including hMh and Art center—can be prevented. In

addition, clear and consistent communications can minimize

the pursuit of projects that proceed in a one-off, disparate

manner that does not contribute to the overall health and

prosperity of the district.

After the Trust convenes the stakeholder group, it aims to

forge a consensus among participants about the tenets of

the healthy community all wish to pursue. Since creating

a desirable destination will increase property values, land

owners in the area of interest share the same incentives to

reach that goal. Based on interviews conducted during the

TAP process, the TAP predicts that a consensus regarding

desired land-uses, street improvements, design guidelines,

and overall vision will be easier to obtain than perhaps

anticipated.

The Trust then leads the establishment of a Business

Improvement district, which will allow local businesses to

reinvest tax dollars into the area of interest itself. The BId

takes on neighborhood trash clean-up, ensuring that the

current littering issue is resolved. The BId also spearheads

branding of the area, proposing a name for the district and

a new name for Metro’s Fillmore Station. The BId produces

marketing materials for the district.

Establishing a BId creates a dedicated organization focused

solely on promoting the district, with a leader whose job is

to represent all property owners and implement stakeholder

objectives. creating a BId also ensures regular meetings

projecting the future of the district as a collective. The

success of a BId can be measured around short-term,

specific objectives: Is the district cleaner? Is the brand

established and being marketed effectively?

Precedents for highly successful BIds exist in the city of

Pasadena, including BIds in the Playhouse district and old

Pasadena.

Edmondson Alley could become a safe and pleasant artery for pedestrians and cyclists.

23

At the same time, the Trust fosters institutional collaborations

among stakeholders separate from real estate pursuits.

Ample opportunities exist to establish mutually beneficial ties

between the area’s key anchors—ties that contribute to a

healthy community, in and of themselves, and also create a

collaborative foundation for future land-use efforts.

opportunities include:

1. hMh and hMRI implementing translational

medicine—translating hMRI’s research and

findings into clinical trials and cutting-edge tools and

procedures at hMh.

2. hMh, hMRI, and Art center creating art and

wellness programming—offering hospital staff and

art students opportunities to participate in enriching

classes that take advantage of the links between

health and creativity.

3. hMh, Art center, and other property owners sharing

facilities, including a fitness center (the senior center

could host hMh, for instance), auditorium, housing,

parking, and open space. day to day collaboration

between entities creates the culture of trust that

forms the basis of a community.

4. hMh, Art center, and other property owners

educating staff and students about public transit

opportunities and investing in bicycle infrastructure—

setting a goal for a percentage of staff and faculty to

arrive by transit, biking, and walking, then engaging

Metro and the Los Angeles county Bicycle coalition

to provide additional resources and information to

promote these choices (particularly as the Gold Line

extension opens and Pasadena’s bikeshare arrives in

2018).

concurrently, the Trust leads efforts to engage the community

through active listening and dialogue. Rather than informing

residents about plans for projects, the Trust asks residents

how they define a healthy community and incorporates these

views, preferences, and needs into a vision for the area.

Relevant neighborhood associations to engage in this

outreach include West Pasadena and Madison heights.

At this stage, in particular, having a dedicated, consistent,

and committed spokesperson for the healthy community

effort is essential. Forging long-term, productive relationships

with residents impacted by proposed land-use improvements

requires an individual communities can associate with the

initiative, who they can approach with concerns or ideas.

The Panel recommends that the Trust fosters institutional collaboration with neighbors like Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI).


The Trust also drives the specific planning process for the

area of interest, as the city of Pasadena updates the 1998

South Fair oaks Specific Plan once its General Plan update

is complete. Steering this public process requires the same

level of energy as designing and implementing hMh’s own

Master Plan, and must be approached with equal intensity

so as not to relegate hMh to the role of passive receptor

of others’ planning visions. The Trust ensures that the plan

enables and enacts the values, missions, and objectives for

a wellness district that the stakeholder group has agreed

upon. This specific planning process may take three years—

and could last up to seven—from initiation to completion.

Successfully driving the process will require staying power

and a willingness to invest.

In the interim, the Trust calls for creation of a health,

Education, Arts, Research and Technology (hEART) overlay

zone. This planning solution would allow projects to move

forward that are currently not allowed under the 1998

Specific Plan without losing the wellness objectives or current

market momentum. An overlay would specify the design

elements and land uses agreed upon by property owners

and the city of Pasadena, allowing workforce housing, for

instance, to locate in certain areas without harming one of the

last job creation zones in the city. While the acronym hEART

is only a suggestion, it reflects the current economic activities

occurring in the area, as well as the ones stakeholders wish

to encourage. This is the place where ideas from within hMh,

Art center, and hMRI can spin off to become new ventures,

capitalizing on the creative, productive energy generated by

these significant institutions.

Working with the city of Pasadena, the Trust can determine

whether an overlay zone is the best method for achieving

these ends—promoting wellness-oriented development now

rather than waiting for the completion of the new Specific

Plan—or whether another city process would be more

straightforward or effective.

A Health, Education, Arts, Reseach and Technology (HEART) overlay zone would allow projects to move forward that are not allowed under the current specific plan.HEART District Overlay

Huntington Healthy Community TAP

Outpatient Ambulatory Medical and Support

Acute Medical and Support Retail

• Health• Education• Arts• Research• Technology

Health

Mixed Use

Education/ Arts/Research/ Technology

HEARTHEART

HEART Overlay District

25

concLUSIonhMh and the Trust should be commended for seeking

consultation on how best to create a healthy community

in the area of interest. For a medical institution to consider

expanding its activities to meet its mission in a more broadly

defined manner is worthy of praise.

hMh and the Trust are uniquely qualified to serve as leaders

in the area, improving quality of life and enhancing property

values with an emphasis on wellness. Through a collaborative

planning, design, outreach, development, and programming

process, hMh and the Trust can instigate a transformation—

supporting the health of those living in, working in, and

visiting South Fair oaks while enhancing the neighborhood’s

character as well its employment and business-creation

opportunities.

hMh and the Trust have proven extremely skilled at meeting

their goals around service delivery. If these entities choose to

lead the creation of a healthy community as outlined in this

report, the TAP is enthusiastic to witness the results.

Panelist Ronald Altoon presents the panel’s observations of the study area in an effort to create the “Huntington Healthy Community”.


AcKnoWLEdGEMEnTS

The Technical Assistance Panel is thankful for the commitment and participation of stakeholders, city staff and elected officials.

The following is a list of individuals who were interviewed or provided valuable information and perspective during the TAP

process.

Steve Ralph, huntington Memorial hospital

Eugene Gutierrez, huntington Memorial hospital

Jane haderlein, huntington Memorial hospital

Jim noble, huntington Memorial hospital

Jeff Weigand, huntington Memorial hospital

Sunil hegde, M.d., huntington Memorial hospital

Armando Gonzalez, collis P. and howard huntington

Memorial hospital Trust

Mayor Terry Tornek, city of Pasadena

councilmember Steve Madison, city of Pasadena

Eric duyshart, city of Pasadena

vince Bertoni, city of Pasadena

Professor Marie csete, M.d., huntington Memorial

Research Institutes

George Falardeau, Art center college of design

Lauren Montgomery, Art center college of design

Richard Kale, Regency Park Senior Living

Greg McLemore, octane Realty & development

dan Rosenfeld, community PartnersThe panelists meet with Mayor Tornek, City of Pasadena.

27

PAnEL MEMBER BIoGRAPhIES

JEFF LAMBERTcommunity development director, city of ventura

Jeffrey Lambert serves as the community development

director for the city of ventura and received his Master of

Planning from USc in 1988 and his membership to American

Institute of certified Planners (AIcP) in 1990.

Jeffrey worked for the city of Santa clarita, as the Planning

Manager and then the director of Planning & Building

Services. While there he was responsible for the Planning

division, Building division, GIS division, and Environmental

Services division with full time staff of 60. he then left the

public sector and started his own consultant service providing

planning and government relations services to public and

private clients.

Jeffrey joined the city of ventura as the community

development director in June 2009. As director, Jeffrey

oversees the Planning division and Building & Safety division

with a staff of 43.

RonALd ALToonPresident & cEo, Altoon Strategic

Ronald Altoon’s vision is to provide advisory services to

capital market entities such as investment banks, insurance

companies, and pension funds, as well as property owners

and real estate development companies relative to optimizing

the functional planning and architectural design of their

consultants in order to exceed their investment goals. The

intent is to support investment and ownership entities with the

experience and knowledge necessary to evaluate planning

and design options and to create added value to their real

property capital investments.

Prior to founding ALToon | Strategic, for 30 years he was

Founding design Partner of Altoon Partners, a Los Angeles,

Amsterdam, and Shanghai based planning, urban design,

and architectural consulting firm. defining his vision, he

strategized the firm’s growth into global markets on all

continents. his experience includes commercial mixed-use,

transit-oriented, higher education, residential and historic

preservation projects in 46 countries. his holistic contextual

design approach is responsive to environmental, regional, and

cultural issues that inform and enlighten the design process

and build community. his projects have received over 75

awards for design excellence internationally.

Altoon holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the

University of Southern california, and a Master of Architecture

from the University of Pennsylvania where he studied with AIA

Gold Medalist Louis Kahn and noted pioneering landscape-

ecologist Ian Mcharg.


WES BASSETTdesigner, SoM

Wes is a native of southern california and an architectural

professional with Skidmore owings & Merrill in Los Angeles.

Prior to his career in architecture, he worked for his family’s

small construction outfit, specializing in renovations and

custom homes where he developed a passion for the craft

of building. Wes holds degrees in architecture from both

cal Poly Pomona and columbia University in new york.

his professional career in architecture includes 6 years’

experience as a designer at Altoon Partners in Los Angeles

where he worked from concept design through construction

administration on domestic and international urban scale

mixed-use and retail projects. This combination of craft,

academic research, and professionalism has led to his

strong belief in the value of design and architecture’s ability

transform urban spaces and connect people.

LEE BREnnAnPrincipal, cunningham Group

Mr Brennan has over 35 years of professional experience,

27 of those years have been focused in healthcare,

encompassing all aspects of project delivery, from strategic

planning and programming through design and construction.

As a Principal and healthcare leader at cuningham Group, he

works to develop creative and innovative responses to meet

the challenges facing the healthcare industry.

A consistent leader in planning, design, and project

management, Mr. Brennan works with a wide range of

clients, including public and private real estate developers,

investor owned companies, publicly held corporations,

nonprofit organizations, universities, city and county

governments, and federal agencies.

his work and writings have been published in Architectural

Record, design Journal, Form Magazine, Inland Architect,

Medical design and construction, Progressive Architecture,

and Texas Architect, and he has played instrumental roles in

projects that have received design awards from Progressive

Architecture and the American Institute of Architects.

he is currently a board member for cuningham Group and

leader of the heal Market Group.

29

cLARE dE BRIEREExecutive vice President and chief operating officer, The Ratkovich company

clare de Briere is the Executive vice President and chief

operating officer of The Ratkovich company. She joined the

company as a summer intern in 1991 after graduating from

UcLA and worked her way through property management,

leasing, construction, financing and development

management while earning her graduate degree at USc’s

prestigious Lusk center for Real Estate.

In her career with the company she has overseen the

acquisition, entitlement, planning development and/or

disposition of millions of square feet of development from The

Wiltern Theatre, 2601 Wilshire, 5900 Wilshire, 800 Wilshire,

The Alhambra, The hercules campus in Playa vista and The

Bloc.

clare is an active member of the Urban Land Institute serving

on the district council’s Executive committee, and has

served on a ULI Advisory Panel in the city of denver. She has

been named on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Women

Making a difference list and has been on the Real Estate -

Southern california’s Women of Influence list every year since

2003. clare is also on the Advisory Board of the UcLA history

department; and is on the Executive committee of the Board

of the Los Angeles conservancy.

cEcILIA ESToLAnoco-Founder, Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors

cecilia v. Estolano is an expert in sustainable economic

development and urban revitalization. As co-founder of ELP

Advisors she has advised local governments, non-profits

and foundations on redevelopment dissolution and economic

revitalization; overseen research on green infrastructure,

energy efficiency upgrades and job creation; and managed

complex multi-stakeholder processes, including the creation

of economic development implementation plans.

Ms. Estolano previously served as chief Executive officer of

the community Redevelopment Agency of the city of Los

Angeles (cRA/LA). Under Ms. Estolano’s tenure, cRA/LA

boasted an annual budget of over $726 million and a work

program covering 32 project areas. Ms. Estolano redefined

the role of cRA/LA, rebuilt the agency’s housing department,

shepherded cRA/LA’s adoption of a landmark policy on local

hiring in construction jobs, directed the adoption of a healthy

neighborhoods policy, and created a $42 million Land

Acquisition Fund to jumpstart development in underserved

markets like South Los Angeles.

Prior to joining cRA/LA, Ms. Estolano was of counsel at

Gibson, dunn & crutcher, where she represented developer,

private equity fund and lender clients in land use, zoning,

redevelopment, environmental and real estate matters.

Ms. Estolano is a graduate of Uc Berkeley School of Law and

holds an M.A. in Urban Planning from UcLA. She received

her undergraduate degree from harvard-Radcliffe colleges.

She serves as vice President of the california community

colleges Board of Governors and on the boards of directors

of Manufacturing Renaissance and the national Employment

Law Project.


cAL hoLLISManaging Executive officer, countywide Planning and development, L.A. Metro

calvin hollis is a Managing Executive officer in the

countywide Planning and development department. he

joined Metro in May 2011, reporting to the chief Planning

officer. This department is responsible for system-wide

planning for rail and bus operations. As part of his duties,

Mr. hollis manages the implementation of the Union Station

Master Plan, a 40 acre multimodal transit center in downtown

Los Angeles with over 7 million square feet of commercial

development entitlement.

Prior to joining Metro, Mr. hollis served as chief operating

officer for the community Redevelopment Agency of

the city of Los Angeles (“cRA/LA”). his duties included

oversight of the seven Regional operations, which included

31 active redevelopment project areas and approximately

90 employees. Additionally, he directed the Real Estate

department and the capital Finance department.

Prior to the cRA/LA, he served for 26 years as managing

principal of the Los Angeles office of Keyser Marston

Associates, Inc., a prominent real state advisory firm

specializing in structuring public/private transactions

throughout the western United States.

Mr. hollis is a member of Lambda Alpha, The Urban Land

Institute and vice chair of its Public/Private development

council, the International council of Shopping centers, and a

Board Member of Pasadena heritage.

Mr. hollis is a graduate of california State University, Los

Angeles in Economics.

dIAnnE PhILIBoSIAndirector, Institute for community health and Wellbeing, california State University northridge

dr. dianne Philibosian, director of the Institute for community

health and Wellbeing, has been an administrator and faculty

member at california State University, northridge for over 40

years, as associate dean of the college of health and human

development, department chair, and faculty member. As

director of the Institute she brings an interdisciplinary focus to

promoting collaborations among the campus and community

to strengthen individuals and communities through creative

partnerships.

With an extensive background in early care and education,

not-for-profit organizations and in governance of public

agencies. She serves on the boards of the University of the

Pacific (former chair), the national Learning Institute, and the

San Fernando community health center. In the public sector

she is a Supervisorial appointee to the county of Los Angeles

child care Planning committee, the Pasadena center

operating company (Mayoral appointee), and previously was

a Gubernatorial appointee to the State of california child

development Policy Advisory committee (former chair).

She has consulted extensively with california First 5 children

and Families commissions from multiple counties in california

and worked with a variety of organizations and architects

in designing child care centers. dr. Philibosian, as a

specialist in children’s development through play, is an active

advocate for open spaces, outdoor environments, and nature

experiences for children.

31

chRIS RochEAcquisitions and development, california Landmark

chris Roche is a development Manager with california

Landmark Group. his primary responsibilities include

development analysis, due diligence coordination, entitlement

processing, project permitting and construction management.

With 6 years of experience in the development business, he

brings a wide range of skills to the team having worked on

everything from single family homes to downtown high rises

and everything in between.

Prior to joining california Landmark, chris was a development

Associate with city ventures in their San Francisco office

working on urban infill townhome projects throughout the

Bay Area. he began his career as a land use consultant at

craig Lawson & company guiding private, institutional, and

public clients through the entitlement process in the city of

Los Angeles.

As a graduate of the University of Southern california, chris

obtained a bachelor’s degree in real estate development

and a minor in psychology. chris is a licensed Real

Estate Broker and is currently pursuing a certificate in

construction Management at UcLA. Active in several external

organizations, he is the community Service co-chair with the

Urban Land Institute’s young Leaders Group, a family mentor

at Imagine LA and an active member of the LA conservancy.

EvAnGELIQUE ZhAoArchitect/Urban designer, Gensler

Evangelique Zhao is an architect and urban designer. She

has 10 years of experience in a wide range of architecture

and master planning projects; including the LAcMA Resnick

Pavilion, the Broad Museum, Gensler’s Los Angeles office,

hyundai north America headquarters, vistamar high School,

Eko Atlantic Masterplan, and the Great Park Masterplan.

Evangelique has volunteered her time and professional

expertise in campus planning and designing a new school

(Ecole nationale Jacob Martin henriquez) in Jacmel, haiti

in 2010; six months after the devastating earthquake.

She believes that everyone should have access to great

design. Evangelique is a member of the American Institute

of Architects, a LEEd Accredited Professional, and holds a

ncARB certificate.


Top Row (left to right): Evangelique Zhao, Cal Hollis, Cecilia Estolano, Ronald Altoon, Chris Roche, Jonathan Nettler, Molly Strauss Bottom Row: Dianne Philibosian, Dan Rosenfeld, Wes Bassett, Clare De Briere, Jeffrey Lambert, Lee Brennan

v1.6-20150930A document of ULI Los Angeles©copyright 2015

at the urban land institute, our mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide.

ULI Los Angeles, a district council of the Urban Land Institute, carries forth that mission as the preeminent real estate forum in Southern california, facilitating the open exchange of ideas, information and experiences among local, national and international industry leaders and policy makers.

Established in 1936, ULI is a nonprofit education and research institute with over 40,000 members across the globe –1,600 here in the Greater Los Angeles area. As a nonpartisan organization, the Institute has long been recognized as one of America’s most respected and widely quoted sources of objective information on urban planning, growth, and development.

The membership of ULI Los Angeles represents the entire spectrum of land use and real estate development disciplines. They include developers, builders, investors, architects, public officials, planners, real estate brokers, appraisers, attorneys, engineers, lenders, academics and students. Members of the Urban Land Institute in the counties of Los Angeles, ventura, Kern, San Luis obispo, and Santa Barbara are automatically members of ULI Los Angeles.

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