Have you ever heard of or watched the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)? It is a classic comedy which[Read More...]
About Clement Lau
Clement Lau, AICP, has over 13 years of professional experience in urban and regional planning. Currently, Dr. Lau is a Departmental Facilities Planner with the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, where he is responsible for determining parkland obligations for residential subdivisions, preparing park and recreation plans for unincorporated areas of the county, and working on joint use and license agreements with other entities. He enjoys writing about a variety of planning issues and is on the author panel for UrbDeZine. He has also published articles in California Planning & Development Report, Public Works Management & Policy, and Progressive Planning. Dr. Lau previously worked for Los Angeles County's Department of Regional Planning and the consulting firm of Cotton/Bridges/Associates in Pasadena. He has guest lectured on public policy and urban planning topics at the University of Southern California and California State University, Northridge. He holds a doctorate and master's in urban planning from USC, and bachelor's in economics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
What does an Urban Church look like?
April 25, 2013 By
Churches and other places of worship are important institutions in our communities that serve multiple roles and needs.
APA Conference: Lessons from Chicago
April 22, 2013 By
I was just in Chicago, one of my favorite cities, for the American Planning Association (APA)’s National Planning Conference.
Book Review: The Art of Urban Sketching
February 19, 2013 By
Have you ever heard of “urban sketching”? Essentially, it is the art of freehand drawing on location at cities where[Read More...]
Land Use Law & Order
February 4, 2013 By
On January 18, 2013, I attended UCLA Extension’s annual Land Use Law and Planning Conference which covered a wide range[Read More...]
Los Angeles as a Museums Capital: Part II
January 31, 2013 By
Los Angeles is indeed a museums capital. As I shared in a previous article, there are hundreds of museums and[Read More...]
Images, Instagram, and City Planning
December 28, 2012 By
It takes vision to plan and implement creative ideas to improve our communities. Vision as used here refers to a[Read More...]
Los Angeles as a Museums Capital
November 28, 2012 By
Have you ever considered Los Angeles to be a cultural capital? Or do you think that our city is still[Read More...]
Canstruction: Promoting Design and Fighting Hunger
November 15, 2012 By
While visiting FIGat7th in Downtown Los Angeles over the weekend, I noticed that a giant shoe sculpture made entirely of canned food[Read More...]
Any Idiot Can Plan?
November 9, 2012 By
“Any idiot can plan!” That is the response I have heard some critics and cynics give when asked what AICP[Read More...]
Teaching Planning and Policy: a First-Timer’s Perspective
November 5, 2012 By
In his book The Skillful Teacher (2006), Dr. Stephen D. Brookfield states: “Teaching is about making some kind of dent[Read More...]
Downtown Schooling
September 13, 2012 By
In deciding where to live, most parents with young children typically choose neighborhoods with quality public schools. Unfortunately, most of[Read More...]
Village at USC: Good for the University and Los Angeles
August 31, 2012 By
As a planner and a former resident of the North University Park area, I have been very excited about the[Read More...]
Why We Need the American Community Survey
August 26, 2012 By
What provides data that helps determine how over $400 billion in federal and state funds are spent annually? What information[Read More...]
A Tale of Two Downtown Parks
August 7, 2012 By
Just about everyone has been talking about Los Angeles’ Grand Park these days. The first two blocks of the new[Read More...]
Land Art: A Planner’s Perspective
July 18, 2012 By
As a planner, I have an interest in just about anything land-related, including any exhibit with the word “land” in[Read More...]
A Hospital Near You?
June 9, 2012 By
In deciding where to live, most parents typically consider the quality and proximity of amenities like schools and parks in[Read More...]
LEGOs and Urban Planning
May 31, 2012 By
I love LEGOs. I suspect that I am not the only one, especially among current and future urban planners. I[Read More...]
Walking in Los Angeles
May 17, 2012 By
Do people actually walk in Los Angeles? I certainly do, but obviously, I cannot speak for all Angelenos. As a[Read More...]
Partnerships for Parks
May 9, 2012 By
While visiting New York City for the first time last year, I could not help but notice how well used[Read More...]