At the heart of downtown Los Angeles stands El Pueblo de Los Ángeles, the birthplace of the city and a living remnant of the city’s layered past. As Interim General Manager of El Pueblo, urban planning alumni Edgar Garcia (MAUP ’ 06) oversees 22 acres of museums, historic buildings, legacy businesses, and sacred public spaces, including La Placita or commonly known as Olvera Street. His work at El Pueblo is about preserving Los Angeles’ most treasured historic spaces for future generations. For him, this isn’t just a job; it’s a calling deeply rooted in his heritage, and he credits the training he received at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs with preparing him for this monumental role. 

Garcia grew up in Lincoln Heights, one of Los Angeles’ oldest neighborhoods. As a first-generation Mexican American, he heard stories about his family’s roots in Jalisco and Zacatecas, two states in Mexico celebrated for their rich history and cultural significance. “As a Mexican American born and raised in L.A., I wanted to know what my heritage was,” Garcia recalls. “I went to the L.A. Central Library and found an architectural guide about Los Angeles. Reading about Lincoln Heights got me interested in L.A. architecture which then led me to learning about the history of L.A.” 

It was that curiosity combined with his passion for community that eventually led him to UCLA Luskin, where he immersed himself in urban planning with a focus on preservation. Today, as a director of a historic district, his responsibilities are as multifaceted as the history of the site itself. He’s a landlord to business owners on Olvera Street, a museum director overseeing seven cultural institutions, and a steward of current and future public art, such as the controversial “America Tropical” mural from 1932 by Mexican artist David A. Siqueiros and the future memorial to the 1871 Chinese Massacre. 

Looking back at his time at UCLA, Garcia credits Luskin’s interdisciplinary approach as the foundation for his planning career. “At Luskin, I met transportation advocates, housing experts, people working across every aspect of planning. I was the only preservation guy, but I got out of my comfort zone learning alongside people who came into planning from so many different backgrounds and perspectives.” 

The interdisciplinary skillset I acquired through my Luskin years really set me up for success.

The value of Luskin’s academic diversity has proved instrumental in his professional life. Working with L.A. Department of Urban Planning staff, California Department of Transportation representatives, Metro planners, engineers, elected officials, and policymakers required Garcia to speak multiple “planning languages.” His Luskin coursework also taught him how to bridge disciplines and perspectives, a skill that has shaped his leadership today. 

“The interdisciplinary skillset I acquired through my Luskin years really set me up for success,” Garcia says. “That approach is the only way to do this work and be successful.”

Garcia’s role also placed him at the center of a defining moment in our city’s history. He stood alongside Mayor Karen Bass during an executive directive signing at El Pueblo on July 11, a site chosen because of its painful past and its role as a beacon of hope for immigrant communities. 

In his introductory speech he spoke about how in the 1930s, La Placita was the site of forced repatriations, where Mexicans and Mexican Americans, some U.S. citizens, were rounded up and deported. However, decades later, in the 1980s, the La Placita Church became the first Catholic church in the city to declare public sanctuary, offering refuge to Central American migrants and sparking the sanctuary movement. 

“To have the mayor sign support for immigrants at the Pico House was profound,” Garcia reflects. “It proves that history is meaningful, and it resonates with what’s happening now. We survived that period with dignity and hopefully that history inspires people today.” 

For Garcia, moments like these reaffirm the importance of his work at El Pueblo, not just in preserving historic buildings but keeping the stories of Los Angeles alive for generations to come. 

  

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