The UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs takes pride in helping to improve society through undergraduate and graduate education in the fields of public policy, social welfare and urban planning. We hope that our research can also light the way toward policy action that produces real solutions for California.
To further this effort, the School will present its second annual UCLA Luskin Briefing at UC Student and Policy Center in Sacramento the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
The gathering will feature two panel discussions coordinated by esteemed UCLA Luskin faculty members and their affiliated research centers in collaboration with elected officials, government agencies and other policy experts:
Register Here
How Can California Maximize Investment Benefits for Heat-Resilient Communities?
Presented by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
California is making significant investments and targeted interventions to build resilience to extreme heat, particularly for its most vulnerable communities. In support, the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation conducts research to inform state policies and investments that address extreme heat. LCI researchers and other expert panelists will shed light on why state legislators should care about extreme heat mitigation and management, what the state is doing, and how upcoming investments and additional policies could benefit Californians in direst need of intervention in settings such as schools, homes and public spaces.
Panelists
- Moderator: Alissa Ko, Health Net
- Faculty Presenter: V. Kelly Turner, UCLA Luskin
- Legislator: State Sen. Caroline Menjivar
- Agency Representative: Braden Kay, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
- Community Representative: Christian Rodriguez Ceja, Kounkuey Design Initiative
Can California Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled? Should It?
Presented by the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies
California has declared that it wants to reduce the total number of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) across the state. In this session, presenters will discuss strategies and best practices for achieving this complex goal. VMT is accompanied by undeniable costs but also by real benefits — and the benefits may be largest, paradoxically, in places where driving is most common. Thus, the broader goal of making VMT less necessary involves both reducing the amount of space given over to automobiles while also recognizing that, for the immediate future, some increases in driving will be socially desirable.
Panelists
- Moderator: Catharine Baker, UC Student and Policy Center
- Faculty Presenters: Adam Millard-Ball and Michael Manville, UCLA Luskin
- Legislator: State Sen. Catherine Blakespear
- Agency Representative: Chanell Fletcher, California Air Resources Board
