Plan Dulce Podcast

Latinos and Planning Division of the American Planning Association

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.

  1. 6D AGO

    Community makes Change: Art and History at the intersection of printmaking, installation, and sculpture with Álvaro D. Márquez

    Plan Dulce Host Bryan Lima (he/him) is joined by Álvaro D. Márquez (they/them/theirs), an artist, researcher, and philanthropy professional in Los Angeles County. They discuss Álvaro’s personal life experiences in education, art making, research and inquiry into history and cartography and how it all informs their practice creating visual art through printmaking, fiber-art, installation and sculpture. Bio and Links: Álvaro D. Márquez (they/them/theirs) is an artist, researcher, and philanthropy professional. They grew up in the working-class immigrant community of East Salinas, CA and reside in Los Angeles County. Descendant of three generations of migrant field workers, they hold a BA in U.S. history from Brown University, an MA in American Studies and Ethnicity from the University of Southern California, and an MFA in Printmaking from CSU Long Beach. They are also currently pursuing a PhD in Cultural Studies from Claremont Graduate University.  Their work explores displacement as a key modality in the development of Western, settler-colonial expansion, encompassing issues around Indigenous dispossession, homelessness, segregation, and gentrification. At the root of their interdisciplinary practice is an examination of the privatization of land as a commodity, and the long-lasting effects of settler colonialism on the built and natural environment. Their work is situated in the intersection of printmaking, installation, and sculpture. They have exhibited their work across the US, Mexico, and Germany, and their work has been collected by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College, and the U.S. Library of congress. They currently work as Senior Officer for Communications and Arts at the California Community Foundation, and have previously taught as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Southern California Roski School of Art and Design, CSU Long Beach School of Art, and CSU Los Angeles Department of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies. Learn more about: https://www.alvarodmarquez.com/  https://www.instagram.com/alvarodmarquez/   https://www.aminextla.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 Vidal F. Márquez (he/him) and co-produced and hosted by Bryan Lima (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 —----

    43 min

  2. 12/09/2025

    Mapping and GIS: Christian Llamas’ storytelling tools for unraveling data for new connections

    Plan Dulce Host Stefanie Esteban (she/they) is joined by Christian Llamas (he/him), an emerging planning professional in Los Angeles. They discuss his experiences with design and technical skills coming out of school and jumping right into planning careers in the private and public sector.  Bio and Links: A recent graduate with a Bachelor of Science in the field of Urban Studies and Planning with a minor in  Spatial Studies (GIS), Christian Llamas' primary interest is in transportation systems, climate resiliency, and urban  design. Christian wants to use his passion for environmentalism and urbanism in a consulting career with the  intent of improving the vibrancy, mobility, and prosperity in cities globally. Knowledgeable in  architecture and design programs such as AutoCAD, Rhino 3D, and the Adobe Creative Suite after several architecture courses.  Learn more about Christian: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/christian-llamas-8aa3861b0  -------------------------------------- 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 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

    21 min
  3. Plan Dulce Live at LUGARES 2025 with Cristina Garcia

    11/27/2025

    Plan Dulce Live at LUGARES 2025 with Cristina Garcia

    Plan 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 —----

    55 min

  4. 10/14/2025

    From South Florida to Oakland, Navigating Streets, Navigating the Career Hunt: Andre Soucy on Transportation Equity

    How 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 —----

    1h 1m

  5. 08/14/2025

    ‘We Help Each Other’, Casita Ownership Opportunities with Noerena Limón

    Plan 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

    57 min
  6. Aging with Dignity: Queer Elders and Community Care

    07/01/2025

    Aging with Dignity: Queer Elders and Community Care

    Pride 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 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 —----

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

    06/17/2025

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

    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) -------------------------------------- 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 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 —----

    45 min
  8. Emerging Queer Latinx Planners – Spotlight

    06/10/2025

    Emerging Queer Latinx Planners – Spotlight

    Stefanie 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.  @aiurare Jennifer 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 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

    48 min
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Latinos and Planning Division of the American Planning Association
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Latinos and Planning Division of the American Planning Association
  • Show Website
    Plan Dulce Podcast