R. (Nic) Nicolas Brown, AICP is the founder of Seat at the Table (SATT). (Click to see Resume 2019)
Introduction to Land Use
Immediately after graduating from high school, Mr. Brown began working for the State of California at Mount San Jacinto State Park Wilderness Area. He patrolled and explored the wilderness high country during the winter and summer seasons while ensuring those who ventured into the wild were safe.
Mt. San Jacinto just established a use permit policy limiting the number of backpackers and day hikers in order to enhance their wilderness experience and to protect natural resources. This land use management tool interested Mr. Brown and led him to double major in Environmental Planning and Economics at U.C. Santa Cruz with a focus on land use management. His research paper on Wilderness Users’ Perceptions and Wilderness Management was published by the State of California during his second year at the university.
While Mr. Brown was in his second year of undergraduate school, Santa Cruz County voters passed Measure J to limit population growth. The topic of growth management became Mr. Brown’s undergraduate senior thesis and led him to be employed with Santa Cruz County Planning Department that implemented Measure J.
Land Use and Los Angeles
After working several years as a land use planner with Santa Cruz County, Mr. Brown attended U.C. Davis Law School and U.C.L.A. graduate program in Architecture and Urban Planning to broaden his knowledge and experiences of law and urban planning for a more diverse population.
While interning with the City of Los Angeles Planning Department, he learned about the City’s answer to managing population growth and development – The Centers Concept. His fascination with the differences between Northern California’s and Southern California’s growth management policies led to his decision to work in LA’s planning department.
He was hired in 1985 and during his tenure with the City, he focused his practical experience on the discretionary entitlement process and “tirade of land value”. The tirade is where land use planners increase or decrease land value through policies and permits, real estate appraisers estimate value, and realtors sold value. The concepts and tools used in these professions enhanced his understanding of regulating land use and how to manage growth and development.
Besides using these concepts and tools, he used technology to create efficient and effective methods to be productive. This included bringing his Compact Plus PC computer to work because the Planning Department’s IBM System/360 was too limited for his needs. Having a personal computer at his desk gave him unlimited access and expanded his capabilities by enabling him to use spreadsheet and database applications rather than being limited to text processing on the System/360. Bob Sutton, manager of Zoning/Plan Consistency Program, was so impressed with what could be done when planners had access to technology, that he said “one day soon, I will put a PC on every planners’ desk.” He was not only successful in that, but he also established GIS as a tool for planners in the City of Los Angeles.
Establishing a Framework for SATT
Mr. Brown continued to explore technologies, analytical concepts, and communication methodologies. He was the first planner to use PowerPoint in making presentations to City Planning Commission which is now required for all presentations. In the final years of his career with the Department of Planning, he experimented with Prezi for presentations to Area Planning Commissions. He created a method allowing Commissioners to scan a QR Code to access information on upcoming public hearings. His use of new technologies to increase productivity and nurture communication continues with SATT’s Informational Posting (Click to see InfoPost).
During his tenure with the City, he conducted nearly 3,000 public hearings making land use decisions on behalf of the City. After he received training in conflict resolution from the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, he discovered how to reach sustainable mutually agreed upon solutions. By allowing dialog and sharing of ideas during a public hearing, he found individuals gained greater trust for each other and became more conscious of others’ positions.
He learned that the standard public hearing format was an excellent democratic procedure for governing behavior and controlling a meeting. However, using conflict resolution tools allowed participates to negotiate solutions. Public hearings became transformative events because participants felt their needs were met and they understood how decisions were rendered.
With SATT, Mr. Brown uses his knowledge, skills, abilities, and political contacts so you will have a “Seat At The Table” with government and your community.
