Urban Planning

Join the UCI Labor Center and the School of Humanities' departments of English and Film and Media Studies for a conversation with Professor Miranda Banks of Loyola Marymount University and Associate Professor Kate Fortmueller of Georgia State University. They are the co-authors of Boom to Bust: How Streaming Broke Hollywood Workers (UC Press, 2026), which chronicles the transformation of Hollywood under streaming, the erosion of established employment structures, and what their research reveals about the workers behind the entertainment industry. 

Next, Jillian Arnold of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) joins entertainment workers and representatives from the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and other industry unions to discuss AI, technological change, collective bargaining, and who will have power in shaping the future of entertainment work. 

Reception with light refreshments to follow, but space is limited. Reserve your spot today by clicking on the link or scanning the QR code on the flier.

Questions? Contact laborcenter@uci.edu.

Join researchers and authors for a workshop researching labor, entertainment, media, technology and related fields. Students will discuss research methods, emerging questions, and conducting meaningful research on a changing industry.

Don Wagner of the Orange County Board of Supervisors' 3rd District, invites all to a Wildfire Preparedness Townhall with representatives from the Orange County Fire Authority, the Orange County Sheriff's Department Emergency Management Division, Southern California Edison and UC Irvine - including Associate Professor Nicola Ulibarri of the Department of Urban Planning & Public Policy.

The 18th annual OC Water Summit, Flow Forward: Securing Water Supply Through Innovation, will explore the critical challenges, investments, technologies, and workforce strategies needed to strengthen water reliability and long-term regional resilience. Through engaging panel discussions and expert presentations, attendees will gain valuable perspectives on water supply, policy, infrastructure investment, workforce development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies shaping the industry.

Presented by the Metropolitan Water District of Orange County and Orange County Water District, the event includes these featured discussions:

Recalibrating the River: The Colorado River at a Crossroads
A timely look at the changing realities of the Colorado River and what they mean for the future of water supply.

This panel brings together leading scholars to examine housing from policy, planning, and community perspectives. Discussion will explore housing affordability, land use and zoning, and the structural and social dynamics shaping housing access across California. Panelists will also consider how research can inform more equitable and effective housing policies at local and state levels.

The School of Social Ecology's Social Impact Hub and Career Services & Field Study present a Policy Careers Panel and lunch with panelists:

The Water UCI Speaking of Water Series presents a talk by Nataly Escobedo Garcia, policy manager of water/climate programs with the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability and a UC Irvine alumna ('24, PhD social ecology).

David Feldman, Water UCI's director, is the moderator.

Many Californians, particularly low-income communities and communities of color, face persistent and overlapping barriers to equitable water access. These challenges extend beyond simple availability and include limited political representation, unaffordable water rates, aging or inadequate infrastructure, and exclusion from decision-making processes that shape water governance.

Such inequities are often intensified in unincorporated areas and regions affected by chronic groundwater overdraft, where regulatory gaps and fragmented oversight can leave residents without reliable access to water. In regions like the San Joaquin Valley, these systemic issues are further compounded by agricultural demands, climate pressures, and long-standing patterns of environmental injustice. Residents in these communities are more likely to experience unsafe drinking water, including contamination from nitrates and other pollutants, while also facing higher relative costs for basic water services.

This free talk will explore the structural and policy-driven obstacles that limit access to clean, safe, and affordable water in the San Joaquin Valley. 

Department of Urban Planning & Public Policy Professor Doug Houston and postdoctoral scholar Vivianna Goh are among the speakers at this UC Irvine Climate Collaboration Annual Symposium session, which brings together researchers, public health experts and community partners to explore how small-scale green spaces can deliver meaningful climate, health, and social benefits in urban environments.

The UC Irvine Labor Center's Labor Research Talks series continues for the 2026 Spring Quarter with Alfonso Hedge.

The doctoral candidate at USC Annenberg School of Communications works on new technological development and creative labor industries, specifically entertainment unions. He will be sharing his expertise on the tensions within the division of labor between specialized technical workers and artificial intelligence (AI).

Make sure to RSVP via the link or the QR code on the flier in case of program changes and to obtain advance readings.

Thea Riofrancos of the Department of Political Science at Providence College is the final speaker in the 2026 Climate Justice Lecture Series presented by the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology and its Climate & Urban Sustainability Program and Alec Glasser Center for the Power of Music & Social Change.

The associate professor, who is also a strategic co-director of the Climate and Community Institute, focuses her research on resource extraction, climate change, the energy transition, the global lithium sector, green technologies, social movements, and the Latin American left.