L.A. COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH - Policies for Livable, Active Communities and Environments

PLACE Program Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention
LA County Department of Public Health
695 S. Vermont Avenue, South Tower, 14th Floor,
Los Angeles, CA 90005

PLACE stands for Policies for Livable Active Communities and Environments

The Policies for Livable Active Communities and Environments (PLACE) Program was launched in 2006 as part of an effort to bring funding allocated for chronic disease and injury prevention in greater alignment with the death and disability caused by chronic disease and injury.

The PLACE Program fosters policy change that supports healthy, safe, and active environments for all Los Angeles County residents. We recognize that the design and structure of our cities, communities, neighborhoods, work sites, schools, and streets can impact how much physical activity we get, what we eat, the safety of our streets, and the quality of the air we breathe. How we choose to design or improve various aspects of our environment plays an important role in preventing injury and many chronic conditions - such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and asthma - whose risk factors include physical inactivity, poor nutrition and exposure to air pollution. As more Angelinos face the threat and reality of developing these chronic conditions, the PLACE Program supports the development of healthier communities by fostering policy change that improves the places where people live, work and play.

Meet Our Team

Jean Armbruster, MA
Director
jarmbruster@ph.lacounty.gov

Jean Armbruster, MA, is the Director of the PLACE Program (Policies from Livable, Active Communities and Environments) at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The program’s mission is to foster policy change that supports the development of safe, healthy, active environments for all Los Angeles County residents. PLACE makes grants and provides technical assistance to cities and communities to promote the development of policies such as bicycle and pedestrian master plans, complete streets, and safe routes to schools plans. Ms. Armbruster received her undergraduate degree from Colorado College and her Master of Arts from California State University, Long Beach. She loves hiking and walking her dog in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Alexis Lantz, MA
Policy Analyst
alantz@ph.lacounty.gov

Alexis Lantz, MA, is a policy analyst with the PLACE Program at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Previously, she was the Planning & Policy Director at the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC). During her tenure at LACBC she conducted the first ever citywide bicycle and pedestrian count for the City of Los Angeles and had a hand in shaping policies in the city and county of Los Angeles to increase funding and infrastructure for bicycling as well as the amount and diversity of people bicycling for everyday transportation. She also worked to expand countywide advocacy capacity for bikeways and complete streets through LACBC's Regional Partnership program. Alexis holds an M.A. in Urban Planning from UCLA. While at UCLA, she initiated a student-led course on bicycle and pedestrian planning that continues today and authored the report “Cycling in Los Angeles” as a Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative fellow.

Chanda Singh, MA
Policy Analyst
csingh@ph.lacounty.gov

Chanda Singh, MA, is a policy analyst with the PLACE Program at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Chanda received her Master’s degree in Urban Planning from UCLA, and her Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Applied Mathematics from the UC Berkeley. Prior to joining PLACE, she worked as an active transportation planner, helping to create safe routes to school, bicycle, pedestrian, parking, and transit plans. Chanda enjoys bringing stakeholders together to support more active, vibrant, healthy, and economically independent communities. She is an avid community gardener and loves exploring on foot and by bicycle.

Miguel Ramos, BA
Outreach Coordinator
miramos@ph.lacounty.gov

Miguel Ramos, BA is an Outreach Coordinator with the PLACE Program (Policies from Livable, Active Communities and Environments) at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Miguel holds his BA in Sociology with a focus on Equity and Diversity from California State University Los Angeles and currently is working towards completing his Masters in Urban and Regional Planning with a focus on Community Development. Prior to working with PLACE, he has worked as a Bicycle Safety Coordinator for Multicultural communities for Mobility (MCM). During his time with MCM he has facilitated various community led projects, coordinated with community groups to provide resources in forms of materials and education, and has advocated for policy recommendations for equitable & sustainable development throughout Los Angeles County. In his spare time Miguel participates in community efforts that empower Low Income communities to take ownership of safe, healthy, clean and sustainable-oriented linkages.

Justin Justin Robertson, AICP, ENV SP
Senior Planner - Project Manager
JuRobertson@ph.lacounty.gov

Justin Robertson is the Senior Planner and project manager for Step by Step Los Angeles County: Pedestrian Plans for Unincorporated Communities (http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/place/stepbystep/lacounty.htm), which identifies barriers to walking and proposes solutions for unincorporated Los Angeles County. Justin previously worked as the project manager for the Glendale Citywide Pedestrian Plan (www.BeStreetSmartGlendale.com) and the South Glendale Community Plan EIR (www.glendaleca.gov/SGCP). Prior to earning his Master of Urban and Regional Planning at UCLA, Justin was a Community Organizer with Project TRUST at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and a Communications Deputy for Los Angeles City Councilmember Tom LaBonge. Justin is a resident of Altadena, an unincorporated community.

PLACE Website