Stefanie Esteban (She/They) speaks with Alex Shippee, a queer Latino transit planner working in Southern California’s Inland Empire region (commonly known as the IE). In this conversation, they talk about his capstone research on heat, bus shelters, and dignity in public space; as well as his current work in transit planning; and a public art initiative he helped launch that centers community, color, and care at bus stops. They also dig into topics like mixed identity, queerness, burnout, and the quiet acts of self-expression that show up in planning work every day.

Bio:

Alex Shippee (Him/Him) is a queer Latino planner who grew up in southern California. He studied biology at UCLA, but after working with nonprofits in LA and teaching English overseas in Egypt, travel and these cities grew his interest in urban planning and how cities settings are shaped. Alex began his planning career as an intern at Omnitrans and then moved into a full-time position as a transit planner.

Learn more about:

Omnitrans Beautiful Benches Project / Proyecto Bancas Bellas (2024)

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Plan Dulce is a podcast by members of the ⁠⁠Latinos and Planning Division⁠ of the American Planning Association⁠. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only.

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This episode was conceived, written, edited and produced by

Stefanie Esteban (She/They)

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Planning in the In-Between: Queer Movement, Mixed Identity, and Bus Stop Belonging