Podcast
Plan Dulce Podcast
Hosted by Latinos and Planning Division of the American Planning Association · EN
Plan Dulce, a podcast by the Latinos and Planning Divison of the American Planning Association, is a space for elevating projects, issues and initiatives taking place within Latino communities across the U.S. and abroad.
27episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Plan Dulce Live at LUGARES 2025 with Cristina Garcia
Nov 2700:55:28Tap to summarizePlan Dulce Host Michelle E. Zuñiga, AICP (she/her) is joined with Cristina Garcia (she/her), founder of Latinxs in Sustainability (LiS) for a live recording at LUGARES 2025, the annual virtual conference focused on bringing diverse Latiné voices across the nation and their contributions to planning in our communities. L.U.G.A.R.E.S. is Latinidad, Unity, Gente, Advocacy, Resiliencia, Equity, Spaces. Raíces Fuertes: Sowing Resilience. Guided by the wisdom passed down through generations, we gather to explore how collective community is a legacy we inherit, cultivate, and sustain —planting the seeds for the future. We are advancing resilience through collaborative creation, acknowledging dónde estábamos (where we have been), dónde estamos (where we are now), and dónde vamos (where we are headed). Together, we will examine how to sustain growth and justice for cities in the face of systemic barriers, climate change, and displacement—grounded in cultura, guided by historia, and committed to acción.Bio and Links:Cristina Garcia (she/her) is a first-generation Latina, native New Yorker, and Founder of Latinxs in Sustainability (LiS), a national nonprofit advancing Latinx leadership in climate and sustainability. Since 2017, LiS has grown to 2,000+ followers, hosted 75+ events, and built programs connecting Latinx students and professionals to mentorship and career opportunities.Cristina works at Con Edison, managing programs that help New Yorkers decarbonize their homes. She previously held roles at the Building Electrification Institute and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, where she launched workforce initiatives for CUNY students. A Certified Energy Manager, Cristina holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Environmental Engineering from City College of New York.Learn more about Latinxs in Sustainability (LiS):https://www.latinxsinsustainability.org/ --------------------------------------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. Want to recommend our next great guests and stay updated on the latest episodes? We want to hear from you! Follow, rate, and subscribe! Your support and feedback helps us continue to amplify insightful and inspiring stories from our wonderfully culturally and professionally diverse community.This episode was conceived, written, edited and produced by Michelle E. Zuñiga, AICP (she/her) and co-produced by Vidal F. Márquez (he/him).Connect with Plan Dulce and Latinos and Planning:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/plandulcepodcast/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/LatinosandPlanning/Youtube:Subscribe to Plan Dulce on Youtube LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4294535/X/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/latinosplanapa?lang=en—----
Transcribe →From South Florida to Oakland, Navigating Streets, Navigating the Career Hunt: Andre Soucy on Transportation Equity
Oct 1401:00:49Tap to summarizeHow do you build a city that's truly fair for all its residents? Plan Dulce Podcast Host Keyanna Ortiz-Cedeño, AICP talks to Andre Soucy, a Transportation Planner for OakDOT, whose mission is to secure the funding for projects that prioritize equality in transportation. He breaks down how cities secure multi-million dollar grants and explains his work managing Oakland's equity-driven Capital Improvement Program. Andre's passion for access and justice comes from his own roots as a Colombian/Venezuelan-American growing up in exurban South Florida. You'll hear how this Master in City Planning from UC Berkeley is shaping the future of urban areas.Bio and Links:Andre Soucy is a Transportation Planner for the City of Oakland’s Department of Transportation (OakDOT). He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida and a Master in City Planning from UC Berkeley. He is a Colombian/Venezuelan-American from South Florida whose interest in transportation access and equity is based on his experience growing up in the exurban community of Loxahatchee, Florida. His work on OakDOT’s Funding Strategy team involves pursuing grant funding to support multimodal capital projects across Oakland and updating the City’s equity and data-driven Capital Improvement Program.Learn more about:https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrebsoucy?trk=blended-typeahead--------------------------------------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. Want to recommend our next great guests and stay updated on the latest episodes? We want to hear from you! Follow, rate, and subscribe! Your support and feedback helps us continue to amplify insightful and inspiring stories from our wonderfully culturally and professionally diverse community.This episode was written and produced by Keyanna Ortiz-Cedeño and edited by Stefanie Esteban (She/They).Connect:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/plandulcepodcast/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/LatinosandPlanning/Youtube:Subscribe to Plan Dulce on Youtube LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4294535/X/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/latinosplanapa?lang=en—----
Transcribe →‘We Help Each Other’, Casita Ownership Opportunities with Noerena Limón
Aug 1400:56:33Tap to summarizePlan Dulce host Vidal F. Márquez (He/Him) speaks with Norena Limón (She/Her) from the Casita Coalition to discuss the California housing supply crisis and her journey raised in the Inland Empire, working at the Obama White House, going to Harvard and becoming a CEO in policy advocacy in California. Bio and Links:Noerena Limón brings over 16 years of experience working at the nexus of government, public policy, and the private sector. She is currently the CEO of the Casita Coalition, where she leads efforts to address California’s housing crisis through policy advocacy and community engagement. Previously, she founded Mariposa Strategies LLC, a consulting firm providing strategic guidance to nonprofits, government entities, and private organizations on housing. In 2023, Limón was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the Board of the California Housing Finance Agency. Since 2021, she has also served as a Housing Fellow at UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation, where she collaborates on research addressing California’s housing supply crisis.Noerena has spent most of her career doing federal policy work with experience at the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Obama White House and U.S. Congress. Noerena received her B.A. from UC Berkeley and her Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.Learn more:https://casitacoalition.squarespace.com/https://casitacoalition.squarespace.com/build-the-middle-national-housing-convening-2025 --------------------------------------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. Want to recommend our next great guests and stay updated on the latest episodes? We want to hear from you! Follow, rate, and subscribe! Your support and feedback helps us continue to amplify insightful and inspiring stories from our wonderfully culturally and professionally diverse community.This episode was conceived, written, edited and produced by Vidal F. Márquez (He/Him). Connect:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/plandulcepodcast/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/LatinosandPlanning/Youtube:Subscribe to Plan Dulce on Youtube LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4294535/X/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/latinosplanapa?lang=en
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Aging with Dignity: Queer Elders and Community Care
Jul 1, 202500:24:49Tap to summarizePride Series: The Power of Communities. Stefanie Esteban (She/They) speaks with Andres David Veliz (all pronouns) from the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Senior Services team in this Pride Month episode of Plan Dulce. Together, they explore what it means to design cities where queer and trans elders can age with dignity. Drawing from his work creating affirming programs across senior housing sites, Andres shares how joy, accessibility, and belonging show up in planning at the community level.They talk about the stories and needs of LGBTQIA+ elders, the importance of intergenerational connection, and the legacy of queer spaces that no longer exist. From bilingual HIV support dinners to public art projects that center color and care at bus stops, this conversation is a reminder that community care is city planning.Andres David Veliz (all pronouns) is a Senior Services Activities Coordinator at the Los Angeles LGBT Center and a former journalist and translator with roots in Venezuela. He designs inclusive programs for queer elders across LA’s diverse neighborhoods, bridging language, culture, and access. Through storytelling, bilingual outreach, and community-based design, Andres builds spaces where aging is honored and difference is celebrated.Learn more about Senior Services at the LA LGBT Center:http://lalgbtcenter.org/services/senior-services/https://volunteer.lalgbtcenter.org/--------------------------------------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. Want to recommend our next great guests and stay updated on the latest episodes? We want to hear from you! Follow, rate, and subscribe! Your support and feedback helps us continue to amplify insightful and inspiring stories from our wonderfully culturally and professionally diverse community.This episode was conceived, written, edited and produced byStefanie Esteban (She/They) Connect:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/plandulcepodcast/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/LatinosandPlanning/Youtube:Subscribe to Plan Dulce on Youtube LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4294535/X/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/latinosplanapa?lang=en—----
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Planning in the In-Between: Queer Movement, Mixed Identity, and Bus Stop Belonging
Jun 17, 202500:44:33Tap to summarizeStefanie 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)--------------------------------------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. Want to recommend our next great guests and stay updated on the latest episodes? We want to hear from you! Follow, rate, and subscribe! Your support and feedback helps us continue to amplify insightful and inspiring stories from our wonderfully culturally and professionally diverse community.This episode was conceived, written, edited and produced byStefanie Esteban (She/They) Connect:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/plandulcepodcast/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/LatinosandPlanning/Youtube:Subscribe to Plan Dulce on Youtube LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4294535/X/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/latinosplanapa?lang=en—----
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Emerging Queer Latinx Planners – Spotlight
Jun 10, 202500:47:43Tap to summarizeStefanie Esteban (She/They) is joined by their fellow Masters of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) graduates from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona to explore their experiences in the Master’s program, advocating for anti-displacement and gentrification community organizations and growing as queer Latine professionals in today’s political climate. Marcos Molina (He/Him/His) is an LA native that has been living in Pomona for over 10 years. He is a nonprofit worker at a community based organization called Day One working on anti gentrification efforts in the City of Pomona. He is a big advocate for walking and biking – so much as he refuses to drive! He’s spent the past years being a civic leader at a local level and is the current chair of the planning commission at the city of Pomona. @aiurareJennifer Lopez (They/Them/Ella), known as JLo, is a passionate advocate for equitable urban development and community empowerment. Finishing their Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning at Cal Poly Pomona, JLo’s journey began after completing their undergraduate studies at Sonoma State in Women’s and Gender Studies with minors in Queer Studies y Chicano Studies. Aiming to address the pressing issues of displacement of their community and advocate for marginalized groups Their leadership stems from being a sister of Sigma Pi Alpha Sorority co-chair representative for the Graduate caucus@ Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social (MALCS) & The National Association for Chicana Chicano Studies(NACCS)This summer Jennifer will be continuing their professional development this summer through the Equity Policy Fellowship California Housing Partnership.@SweetnLowJlo | Linkedin:linkedin.com/in/jennifer-lopez-201265223 ---------------------------------------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. Want to recommend our next great guests and stay updated on the latest episodes? We want to hear from you! Follow, rate, and subscribe! Your support and feedback helps us continue to amplify insightful and inspiring stories from our wonderfully culturally and professionally diverse community.This episode was conceived, written, edited and produced byStefanie Esteban (She/They) Connect:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/plandulcepodcast/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/LatinosandPlanning/Youtube:Subscribe to Plan Dulce on Youtube LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4294535/X/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/latinosplanapa?lang=en
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Work with Joy: Norma Sánchez in leading with punk resistance, care and cultural joy for queer communities in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles.
Jun 2, 202500:42:46Tap to summarizeStefanie Esteban (She/They) chats with Norma Sánchez (They/Them/Elle) about their relationship-building powers to connect the LGBTQ+ community with educational programs and social services in the Boyle Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles. Norma Sánchez’s Bio:Norma Sánchez (They/Them/Elle) is a nonbinary queer punk community advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles. Norma has worked with the community for approximately 12 years and counting. Their educational background is in Education, Communication Studies and the LGBTQ+ community. Currently they work as a Program Coordinator at Mi Centro, the Latine Community Site of the Los Angeles LGBT Center based in Boyle Heights. Their work is rooted in care, punk resistance, cultural joy and has deep ties to the community especially in a neighborhood they long call home. Learn more about Mi Centro:Websitehttps://lalgbtcenter.org/about/locations/mi-centro/ Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/micentro2/ ---------------------------------------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. Want to recommend our next great guests and stay updated on the latest episodes? We want to hear from you! Follow, rate, and subscribe! Your support and feedback helps us continue to amplify insightful and inspiring stories from our wonderfully culturally and professionally diverse community.This episode was conceived, written, edited and produced byStefanie Esteban (She/They) Connect:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/plandulcepodcast/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/LatinosandPlanning/Youtube:Subscribe to Plan Dulce on Youtube LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4294535/X/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/latinosplanapa?lang=en—----
Transcribe →Dr. Christine Marin on labor organizing, supporting the next generation and having "ganas!"
Feb 25, 202501:01:17Tap to summarizeSpecial episode! Live recording at the 2024 Latinos and Planning LUGARES Conference. Keyanna Ortiz-Cedeño and Matt Gomez chat with Dr. Christine Marin, Professor Emeritus and Archivist-Historian at Arizona State University, about growing up in a copper mining town and the influence this had on her relationship with labor and union organizing. Dr. Marin speaks about the importance of supporting students, Chicana/o studies and the waves of other Chicana/o/Latino/a/x professors, archivists, librarians who are helping share and preserve our history. She highlights the importance of never giving up on your dream, no matter how long it takes -- "you have to be persistent," she says. Dr. Christine Marin is Professor Emeritus and Archivist-Historian at Arizona State University. Dr. Marin is the founder of the prestigious archival repository, the Chicano/a Research Collection and Archives at the Hayden Library in Tempe, Arizona. As Adjunct Faculty Associate in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, she taught courses on the history of Mexican Americans for the former History Department and the School of Transborder Studies, and the history of Mexican American women and Latinas for the Women and Gender Studies Department. The National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies awarded Dr. Marin its Community Award “in recognition of her commitment to the Latino community as an archivist and historian in the field of Chicano and Chicana Studies.” Arizona Humanities awarded her the Juliana Yoder Friend of the Humanities Award, 2021 “in recognition of her research, writing and scholarship for her work that supports and promotes the Humanities.” Her most recent publication is “Amazing Grace Keeps the Platters Spinning. A Photo Essay on Radio and Television Trailblazer Graciela Gil Olivarez.” IN: Feminist Media Histories. (2021) Vol. 7:4. Pp. 107-135. Profiles: Christine Marin | ASU Search Dr. Christine Marin Staff Award Christine Marin, PhD | Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Dr. Christine Marín: Archivist/Historian | Arizona Memory Project ASU Organizations and People: ASU Hispanic Research Center Hispanic Research Center ASU Provost Dr. Nancy Gonzales ASU Chicano Research Archives https://lib.asu.edu/collections/chicano Nancy Godoy -Director of Community-Driven Archives ASU School of Transborder Studies https://sts.asu.edu/ AZ Central Article: "How a kid from an Arizona mining town went on to create a historic Latino archive at ASU"Plan Dulce is a podcast by the Latinos and Planning Division of the American Planning Association. Want to recommend our next great guests and stay updated on the latest episodes? We want to hear from you! Follow, rate, and subscribe! Your support and feedback helps us continue to amplify insightful and inspiring stories from our wonderfully culturally and professionally diverse community.Follow Latinos and Planning on Social Media: Facebook Youtube
Transcribe →Ayllu and Ayni: Kat Sibel’s interconnected world of creation on beauty and service through collective, balance and coexistence values in public health and environmental science
Feb 15, 202501:08:51Tap to summarizeKeyanna Ortiz-Cedeño chats with Kat Sibel on Indigenous People’s Day about her life’s journey of twists and turns reflecting on her Peruvian ancestral roots and how Andean and Quechua knowledge and values informed her work and research looking at both sides of public health and environmental science. Kat Sibel (she/her/ella) is a passionate, bi-cultural Community Climate Resiliency Coordinator for the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene. As a researcher, she embraces her indigenous identity in applying a decolonial lens to climate justice topics, such as extreme heat and flooding, and its impact on community health. As an action-oriented urban planner, she develops meaningful strategic partnerships via 'embedded planning' for climate health-focused capacity building. By centering community concerns from faith leaders, residents, community health workers, and emergency managers, she is able to advocate and collaborate with policy makers, urban designers, data analysts and community engagement leaders on climate risk tools and resources. Learning the traditions of her Andean (Quechua) heritage through meditation, language and culture throughout her life has kept her grounded through the challenges that arise as an environmental justice practitioner, leader, urban planner, and global citizen.Learn more about Kat’s work:LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherin-sibel/ NYC’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Website: https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/index.page Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nychealthy/---------------------------------------Plan Dulce is a podcast by the Latinos and Planning Division of the American Planning Association. Want to recommend our next great guests and stay updated on the latest episodes? We want to hear from you! Follow, rate, and subscribe! Your support and feedback helps us continue to amplify insightful and inspiring stories from our wonderfully culturally and professionally diverse community.This episode was produced byKeyanna Ortiz-Cedeño, Host, Producer, Writer, Editor Vidal F. Márquez, Audio Engineer, EditorFollow Latinos and Planning on Social Media: Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/LatinosandPlanning/Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@laplatinosandplanningdivis2944LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4294535/X/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/latinosplanapa?lang=en
Transcribe →Children's Boards and Play as Tools for Transforming Museums and Cultural Institutions with Jose Antonio Gordillo Martorell
Feb 7, 202501:07:16Tap to summarizeKeyanna Ortiz-Cedeño speaks with Jose Antonio Gordillo Martorell- tuning in from Sweden, about democratizing decision making for museums and other cultural institutions to elevate children's pespectives. Dive in and learn how re-priotitizing play, "dancing with the system" and expanding our idea of public participation to include children of all backgrounds can introduce groundbreaking new ideas into our cultural institutions and placemaking initiatives. Mr. Jose Antonio Gordillo Martorell, Ph.D. is the Founder and CEO of Cultural Inquiry, a micellium company located in Switzerland that operates internationally. He is a professional with 26 years of experience in education, collective creativity, content co-creation, change-driven strategy, participation and community weaving with a passion for the democratization of minoritized and unrepresented cultural voices in the cultural arena. He founded Children’s Boards in different Museums of the world like the City of Arts and Sciences, Norrbottens Museums, HOTA-House of the Arts, and more recently Historisches Museum Saar, Museo of Solutions in Mumbai, Museum of Communication Bern, or Swiss National Museum-Château des Prangins. Learn more about Jose’s work and connect: LinkedIn (personal) https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-antonio-gordillo-martorell-28ab0727/ Company LinkedIn Profile https://ch.linkedin.com/company/cultural-inquiry Company Website https://www.cultural-inquiry.com/ Publication in MuseumNExt about the Children’s Board Methodology https://www.museumnext.com/article/giving-youth-a-voice-in-your-museum-setting-up-a-childrens-board/ Phonetic Planet Interview https://phoneticplanet.org/jose-antonio-gordillo-martorell Articles in Medium https://medium.com/@joseantoniogordillo Publications https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Zg7OQOXro-zJlGmtv1lWXYtKn4h0AD1nSrFLNXjYhEs/edit Read Jose's article in Europeana about Diversity and Inclusion https://pro.europeana.eu/post/everything-starts-with-a-question-diversity-and-inclusion-in-a-global-world Learn more about Jose's expertise as a Systems Thinking Changer https://collaboratiohelvetica.ch/catalysts/jose-antonio-gordillo-martorell --------------------------------------- Plan Dulce is a podcast by the Latinos and Planning Division of the American Planning Association. Want to recommend our next great guests and stay updated on the latest episodes? We want to hear from you! Follow, rate, and subscribe! Your support and feedback helps us continue to amplify insightful and inspiring stories from our wonderfully culturally and professionally diverse community. Follow Latinos and Planning on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LatinosandPlanning/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@laplatinosandplanningdivis2944 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4294535/ X/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/latinosplanapa?lang=en
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