Jonathan Nettler has lived and practiced in Boston, Washington D.C., San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles on a range of project types for major public, institutional, and private developer clients including: large scale planning and urban design, waterfront and brownfield redevelopment, transit-oriented development, urban infill, campus planning, historic preservation, zoning, and design guidelines.
Jonathan is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and serves on the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles section of the American Planning Association (APA) as the Vice Director for Professional Development. He is also active in local volunteer organizations. Jonathan's interests include public participation in the planning and design process, the intersection between transportation, public health and land use, and the ways in which new ideas and best practices get developed, discussed, and dispersed.
Jonathan previously served as Managing Editor of Planetizen and Project Manager/Project Planner for Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn (EE&K) Architects. He received a Master of Arts degree in Architecture from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Boston University.
Should Universities Help Pay for City Services?
The University of Massachusetts at Lowell has spent $600 million on construction projects over the past six years alone. But as the university grows, local leaders are asking for payments in lieu of taxes to offset the demand on municipal services.

Do Psychological Barriers Doom L.A.'s Transit Transition?
Creating a culture of transit in Los Angeles will require more than just expanding the area's train and bus infrastructure. New riders will have to overcome the psychological barriers that prevent many people from ditching their cars.
Miami Becomes Safe Harbor for Cash and Celebrity Architecture
Rowan Moore looks at the multiple layers that are conspiring to make a maturing Miami the "new Most Exciting City in America". Diverse cultural offerings and branded architecture are attracting international investors.
Big City School Systems Team Up for Eco-Friendly Food
An innovative alliance of urban school districts is working to lower the cost of eco-friendly supplies and source more sustainable food. Their efforts could provide a template for other schools and large institutions.
Techniques for Bridging the Activist-Developer Divide
A frank discussion about growth and development at a recent Vancouver forum revealed the extensive common ground shared developers and neighborhood activists, and promising techniques for bridging their traditional divide.