Rooted in Community. Planning with Purpose. Sustaining What Matters.

Creating sustainable solutions that endure by bringing together people, place, and infrastructure.

LET'S TALK

  • Urban Semillas is a Los Angeles-based firm committed to community-led planning, sustainability, and resilient infrastructure. Our goal is to empower people at the grassroots-level and across sectors to participate in local and statewide issues that impact the communities they live in.

  • Miguel Luna is the CEO of Urban Semillas, a Los Angeles-based firm committed to community-led planning, sustainability, and resilient infrastructure. Originally from Colombia, Miguel grew up in a city shaped by its river, where he developed an early and lasting kinship with water. After immigrating to Los Angeles in the late 1970s, he found that same connection in the LA River, a relationship that continues to inform and inspire his work today.

  • For more than two decades, Miguel has led citywide and regional master planning initiatives that have expanded urban green space, strengthened water supply reliability, and improved water quality across underresourced communities. He has also advised on major public and private development and infrastructure projects, integrating technical expertise with deep community engagement to build public trust, support successful campaigns, and advance long-term sustainability and equitable access.

    He is sought after and respected locally, regionally, and statewide for his expertise in working with diverse communities on social justice issues and advocacy, and for his ability to utilize community reconnaissance to develop and implement effective outreach strategies, build successful campaigns, and create mechanisms for grassroots coalition and consensus building.

    Miguel also serves as Chief Administrative Officer of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, where he works with tribal leadership to oversee the administration and strategic direction of tribal departments.

  • Miguel is the Chairman of the Board of the Tiüvac’a’ai Tribal Conservation Corps and serves as Chair of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. His leadership extends to the boards of the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, Water Education for Latino Leaders, the Council for Watershed Health, the Upper LA River Watershed Area Steering Committee, the Upper LA River Tributaries Working Group, and the LA Development Fund.

OUR WORK

Below is a selection of projects that reflect our work in community engagement, planning, and infrastructure across diverse communities. From early visioning through implementation, our work integrates community voice with technical expertise to advance equitable outcomes, support strategic campaigns, strengthen public trust, and deliver solutions that endure.

  • HACLA 25-Year Vision Plan: Community Engagement Strategy

    CLIENT

    Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA)
    In partnership with The Robert Group

    PROJECT DESCRIPTION

    Urban Semillas supported the design and implementation of a comprehensive community engagement and public process strategy for the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles’ 25-Year Vision Plan.

    The Vision Plan provides a long-term framework to preserve, produce, and sustain quality affordable housing while fostering healthy, inclusive communities. Urban Semillas led the development of a strategic outreach blueprint that ensured meaningful participation from residents and stakeholders across Los Angeles.

    The effort included stakeholder identification and mapping, community workshops, survey design and data analysis, and facilitation of public meetings. Through this work, Urban Semillas helped elevate community voices, build trust, and inform a shared vision for equitable housing and neighborhood investment.

  • Lower Los Angeles River Master Plan: Southeast Cities Engagement

    CLIENT

    Los Angeles County Public Works
    Lead: Tetra Tech

    PROJECT DESCRIPTION

    Miguel Luna supported community engagement efforts for the Lower Los Angeles River Master Plan, developed pursuant to Assembly Bill 530 (Rendon), which established the Lower LA River Working Group (LLARWG) to guide the planning process.

    Working closely with the LLARWG Community Engagement Subcommittee, Miguel Luna helped shape and implement effective outreach strategies to ensure meaningful participation from residents in the Southeast Cities. The effort focused on building awareness, fostering trust, and elevating community priorities in the early stages of the master planning process.

    Miguel Luna led the coordination and implementation of the project’s community engagement kickoff events, creating accessible and inclusive opportunities for residents to inform the vision for the Lower Los Angeles River. His work reflects an ongoing commitment to advancing equitable engagement and long-term revitalization along the river corridor.

  • Southeast LA Arts Festival: Community & Cultural Activation

    CLIENT

    Office of California State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon

    PROJECT DESCRIPTION

    Miguel Luna collaborated with local and Sacramento-based staff from the Office of the California State Assembly Speaker to plan, coordinate, and deliver the inaugural Southeast LA Arts Festival in the City of South Gate.

    In addition to leading event planning and logistics, Miguel Luna played a key role in securing first-time permits for an in-river channel event, coordinating with Los Angeles County Public Works, the City of South Gate, and County Fire and law enforcement agencies.

    The festival brought together more than 130 local artisan vendors, public agencies, and nonprofit organizations focused on environmental issues, mobility, and community advocacy. With over 6,000 attendees, the event successfully activated public space, elevated local culture, and fostered community engagement in the Southeast Los Angeles region.

  • Intuit Dome (Clippers Arena): Community Engagement & Outreach Strategy

    CLIENT

    Murphy’s Bowl LLC

    PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

    Urban Semillas supported the development and implementation of a strategic community outreach, engagement, and education campaign in support of the proposed Clippers Arena (Intuit Dome) in the City of Inglewood.

    The effort focused on engaging key stakeholder groups, including Latino communities, seniors, and youth, through culturally responsive outreach and targeted communication strategies. Urban Semillas collaborated with the project team to develop outreach materials and led community events to inform residents about the project and its potential impacts.

    As part of the strategy, Urban Semillas identified and trained community leaders to serve as project ambassadors, facilitating peer-to-peer engagement and ensuring consistent, trusted messaging. The team also supported the collection and documentation of public input from Inglewood residents, helping to inform decision-makers and foster a constructive environment during the entitlement process and public hearings.

  • City of Inglewood Senior Community Center: Community Engagement & Public Relations

    CLIENT

    City of Inglewood

    PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

    Miguel Luna served as the lead public relations and community engagement representative for the development and construction of the City of Inglewood Senior Community Center.

    He developed and implemented outreach strategies, tools, and messaging to build community awareness and support for the project. His work included the preparation of engagement materials, identification and coordination of community workshop locations, and facilitation of public meetings.

    Through this effort, Miguel Luna helped ensure meaningful community participation and fostered broad-based support for a vital neighborhood resource serving Inglewood’s senior population.

  • Albion Park Master Plan: Community Engagement & Grant Strategy

    CLIENT

    City of Los Angeles

    PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

    Urban Semillas led the community engagement strategy in support of the Albion Park Master Plan and a competitive Proposition 84 grant application for the City of Los Angeles.

    Working in coordination with the Department of Recreation and Parks, City Council offices, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and the Bureau of Engineering, Urban Semillas designed and implemented a multi-phase outreach program to engage residents and stakeholders in shaping the vision for a new riverside park.

    The effort included a series of five community meetings to gather input on park design, amenities, and community priorities. Urban Semillas also developed project branding, messaging, digital outreach tools, and a dedicated project website to broaden participation and awareness.

    Community input was synthesized and translated into materials aligned with the grant’s scoring criteria, strengthening the City’s application. The project ultimately supported the acquisition and future development of the park site, including the integration of stormwater best management practices (BMPs).

  • MLK Wellness Campus (Charles R. Drew University): Community Outreach & Engagement

    CLIENT

    Charles R. Drew University / MLK Wellness Campus Project

    PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

    Urban Semillas led a comprehensive bilingual community outreach and engagement program to support the development of the CDU/MLK Wellness Campus, a 12.8-acre education, health, and wellness development in Willowbrook, Los Angeles.

    The outreach strategy was designed to engage residents, regional stakeholders, community-based organizations, and institutional partners through a mix of centralized and decentralized approaches. These included large community meetings, focus groups, one-on-one leadership briefings, tabling events, canvassing, digital outreach, and bilingual communications.

    Through this process, Urban Semillas gathered critical community input on key project elements, including affordable housing, open space, community programming, and health and wellness impacts. The effort helped ensure that the development reflected community priorities while supporting inclusive, informed decision-making.

  • Boyle Heights Metro Properties: Development Design Guidelines & Community Engagement

    CLIENT

    Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), East Los Angeles

    PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

    Miguel Luna led community outreach and engagement efforts for the development of design guidelines for two Metro-owned properties, Mariachi Plaza and Fickett, in Boyle Heights.

    He developed and implemented a comprehensive engagement strategy to ensure meaningful participation from residents, local businesses, community-based organizations, and advocacy groups. The effort included door-to-door outreach, targeted engagement with key stakeholder groups, and coordination with neighborhood leaders and nonprofits.

    Miguel Luna also organized and facilitated focus groups to gather detailed community input, supported site selection and logistics for public meetings, and led on-the-ground coordination to ensure accessible and effective engagement. The process helped inform development guidelines that reflect community priorities and support culturally responsive, place-based development in Boyle Heights.

  • SoFi Stadium (City of Champions Revitalization Initiative): Community Engagement & Outreach

    CLIENT

    Wilson Meany

    PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

    Urban Semillas, as part of the project outreach team, supported community engagement efforts for the development of SoFi Stadium and the broader City of Champions Revitalization Initiative in the City of Inglewood.

    The project included major public infrastructure improvements, such as traffic system modernization, street upgrades, and the creation of new public parks. Urban Semillas helped design and implement a strategic outreach program to engage residents in project-adjacent neighborhoods and across the city, as well as local businesses and community leaders.

    The team developed outreach materials, secured and coordinated community meeting locations, and facilitated decentralized engagement efforts to ensure broad and inclusive participation. This work contributed to building community awareness and support, helping to create a positive environment that led to unanimous approval by the Inglewood City Council.

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