Monique G. López

Monique G. López serves as Adjunct Faculty in the Urban Sustainability Department at Antioch University Los Angeles, leveraging over a decade of expertise as a social justice planner and policy advocate focused on mobility justice, economic equity, environmental justice, and inclusive public space access across Southern California. As founder of Pueblo—a participatory planning firm grounded in the principle that community residents are experts who should dictate their neighborhood's design—she champions resident-led community development through collaborative processes.

Her academic credentials include:

• Master of Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon (awarded Promising Scholar Award and Graduate Research Fellowship)
• Master of Arts in Political Science from California State University, Long Beach
• Bachelor of Arts in History/Political Science with Minor in Religion from Vanguard University (Phi Alpha Theta and Pi Sigma Alpha honor societies)

Research interests center on transportation justice, Latina/o urbanism, and participatory planning frameworks that challenge Western-dominant epistemologies in urban design. López employs critical race theory counter-narratives to elevate marginalized voices—particularly communities of color—in planning processes, advocating for culturally sustaining curricula that recognize racist ideologies and anti-immigrant sentiments as barriers to equitable public space. Her work emphasizes asset-oriented approaches that transform planning infrastructure through community expertise.

Recognized with the Promising Scholar Award and Graduate Research Fellowship during her graduate studies, she maintains American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification.

Through Pueblo, she leads interdisciplinary teams partnering with community-based organizations on high-impact projects including Metro's Blue Line First/Last Mile Report (pioneering Metro's first participatory planning process), Salem Civic Engagement Planning for Latino populations, and Woodburn downtown development studies examining Latino business contributions and placemaking in contested spaces. Current initiatives focus on intersectional implementation strategies that address historical and social contexts of communities.