Joint AIA|LA UDC & APA LA Section Community Mixer

Joint LA AIA UDC & APA LA Section Community Mixer
Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Mrs. Fish, 448 S Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Schedule:

• 6:00 PM – Networking & Welcome
• 7:00 PM – Speaker Remarks
• 8:00 PM – Reception

Description:
The LA AIA Urban Design Committee (UDC), in collaboration with the APA Los Angeles Section, is proud to host the 2nd Annual Community Mixter at Mrs. Fish in Downtown Los Angeles. This year’s event will focus on mobility and community planning initiatives surrounding major events such as LA28. Short talks will be given by representatives from LA Metro and other community-based organizations.

Please note: This event does not seek sponsorship directly from LA28.

Background:
The Mixter aims to facilitate an exchange of ideas inspired by LA28’s “lasting legacy” initiative, as requested by the International Olympic Committee, which emphasizes identifying meaningful local investments beyond the Games. This aligns with the LA AIA UDC’s ongoing commitment to community planning for large-scale events shaping Los Angeles.

Building on discussions from LA AIA’s Ecompass 2023, this event continues the conversation on equitable, healthy, and inclusive outcomes that strengthen Los Angeles communities impacted by transformative urban events.

Discussion Topics:
Guests are encouraged to share brief insights on one or more of the following themes:

• Mobility for Large Events
• Local Initiatives
• International Transit-Oriented Communities
• Community Planning Concepts

This is an informal gathering—no PowerPoint or formal presentation is required.

Invited Guests Include:

• Livable Communities
• UCLA / International Fellow
• ACLA
• AIA|LA JEDI
• SCAG
• SoLa Impact

Parking & Transit:

AIA|LA encourages everyone to walk, bike, or ride METRO.

The AIA|LA Urban Design Committee Mission Statement

Does anyone care about urban space today? Whatever happened to visionary urban design? Where is the model for Los Angeles? Is there a model for Los Angeles? Isn’t it the architect’s job to design the city? Can we envision and support non-commercialized collective spaces? Can we be radically optimistic about the future without seeming naive? Doesn’t the term “Urban Design” sound banal, academic, and indeterminate? Why is that? Can we change that? Is there political viability for large-scale ambitious planning initiatives? How can infrastructural investment alter and improve the way the city functions? What is the new mayor going to do about homelessness, and how can we, as architects, help? Not to say anything about the policy, regulations, and red tape that govern land use, planning, and development, but if we had to say something about it, where would we even start? What about the history of redlining, discriminatory lending practices, and segregation that has produced our present urban patterns? Can architects help foster an agenda of spatial equity in the city? Can small-scale interventions be more effective than large-scale propositions in making a more liveable city? How can return on investment be measured, other than in dollars and cents? Mass Timber sounds great, but what’s the story behind the sustainability argument? How can we develop the city more sustainably? Remember all that fuss about the LA River? What’s going on there? Same question, but about the Olympics? How much impact can an individual building have on the life of a city? What are the best practices for designing housing today? How can architects best respond to the current State of Emergency? Can we, as a profession, be more proactive in proposing solutions that we want to see implemented?

The AIA|LA Urban Design Committee believes that we can, and should. Our mission is about asking questions, fostering discussions, proposing solutions, and illustrating visions for the future of Los Angeles.

AIA|LA Urban Design Committee Leadership:

Kelly Nicholas, AIA, LEED AP BD+C – Associate, ZGF ARCHITECTS & Chair, AIA|LA Urban Design Committee

Kelly is a licensed architect practicing at ZGF Architects in Downtown Los Angeles. A graduate of Rice University, she has over 15 years of experience in the design and construction industry, working on a variety of project types while practicing at firms in Singapore, Texas, New York, and California. Having spent most of her adult life living in downtowns of major cities, her passion for urban density, adaptive reuse, public transit, and walkability make her an enthusiastic advocate of the Urban Design Committee and its initiatives.

Jonathan Rieke, AIA – Project Leader, West of West & Past-Chair, AIA|LA Urban Design Committee

Jonathan is a Project Leader at West of West, with experience ranging from residential interiors to large-scale ground-up development projects. He is a registered architect in California, Michigan, and Ohio and has previously worked as a designer for several award-winning firms including The Los Angeles Design Group, Bjarke Ingels Group, and Morphosis Architects. Jonathan has held academic positions at the University of Southern California, The Ohio State University, and Kent State University where he was the Schidlowski Emerging Faculty Fellow. Jonathan received his Master of Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, where he was awarded the James Templeton Kelley Prize for best graduate thesis, and his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from The Ohio State University.

Darnell Parker II, Assoc. AIA – Founder & CEO, Global Youth Camp & Vice-Chair, AIA|LA Urban Design Committee

Darnell Parker II is an experienced Design Professional II, Senior Designer, and Job Captain with more than five years of professional work experience in architecture and two years of planning. He is most passionate about helping others, particularly black and brown youth around the globe. As the former, United States Returned Peace Corps Volunteer of the Republic of Moldova, AmeriCorps Vista Volunteer at Community Housing Partners (Christiansburg, Virginia), Lieutenant Governor at Badger Boys State (Ripon, Wisconsin), President of the NOMA Student Chapter at Virginia Tech, Chairman and Director of Membership of APA Los Angeles Section, and Co-Chair of Membership of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Los Angeles, he decided to start the Global Youth Camp AEP. Darnell holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s in Architecture as well as a Master’s in Urban Regional Planning obtained from an accredited college at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.