Our Services & Experiences Our Vision, Mission, Philosophy & Core Values GSA MOBIS Contract Strategic Planning Program Management Facilitation Consulting Projects Planning/Citizen Participation Grant Planning & Writing University Teaching & Lecturing Web Page Design & Development International Consulting Rural Development Economic Development Social Impact Assessment Prior Planning & Management Publications & Professional Reports Honors & Professional Awards Other Links Contact Us at: jem(AT)jemtz.com Note: The "(AT)" in the above addresses must be replaced manually by the "@" symbol before sending the e-mail. This is done in order to prevent spammers from "harvesting" our e-mail addresses.

The shaded sidewalks in Santa Fe, New Mexico are a welcomed relief from the desert sun.   Narrow streets, slow vehicular traffic, properly marked pedestrian crosswalks and signalized intersections make Santa Fe, New Mexico's downtown streets a pedestrian haven. Pedestrians do not have to look for a "push button" to activate the street lights because the pedestrian has priority in this town.   In Little Italy, part of Manhattan, New York City, families walk down the middle of the street on Sunday afternoon during the summer when the street is closed to vehicular traffic.   In Little Italy, part of Manhattan, New York City, families can dine on the open sidewalks on Sunday afternoon during the summer when the street is closed to vehicular traffic.

This site was developed and is maintaned by José E. Martínez

This site is viewed best with Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Updated on: May 18, 2008

Planning / Citizen Participation

Contract: Booz Allen Hamilton, San Antonio, Tx., July 2006 and ongoing.

Project: Support of the Air Force Real Property Agency's (AFRPA) public involvement efforts at the former Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

Function Performed: Planner / Facilitation —Facilitate the former Kelly Air Force Base's Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) during the Air Force Real Property Agency's environmental remediation activities at the former base.

Contract: Citizens Development Corps (CDC), Washington, D.C. October 2005 to November 2005.

Project: Assisted USAID in redesign of its Lebanon strategic program for 2007–2010 [2005 — 5 weeks in-country].

Function Performed: Planner / Facilitation — Conducted an extensive needs assessment of rural communities' needs throughout Lebanon. Interviewed numerous national government, local government elected officials, and non-profit executive directors to understand the type of services being delivered to rural Lebanese communities by the Lebanese national government, rural municipal governments, and international donor funded non-profit organizations (NGOs). Facilitated community development focus groups throughout the country consisting of Lebanese nationals with the assistance of an Arabic speaker. Drafted a set of recommendations to improve the delivery of services to rural communities by USAID funded NGOs.

Contract: Citizens Development Corps (CDC), Washington, D.C. November 2004 and again in December 2005

Project [2005]: Developed a municipal assessment of needs the local government of San Miguel Ixtahuacán, Guatemala.

Function Performed [2005]: Municipal Planner — Performed a needs assessment of the internal operations of the municipality's staff and its relationship with the City Council. Made recommendations to improve both operations and the relationship between the staff and the City Council.

Project [2005]: Developed a municipal budget planning process for the local government of San Miguel Ixtahuacán, Guatemala.

Function Performed [2005]: Municipal Planner — Evaluated the national government's municipal budget reporting requirements, and proposed a municipal budget planning process to the Mayor, Vice-Mayor, Planning Office and Treasury. Facilitated a Council-municipal staff budget planning process that led to the development of the annual budget. Explained the benefit of a structured and adhered to municipal planning process to enhance municipal operations and planning.

Contract: Randolph AFB, San Antonio, Texas September 2004 to February 2005

Project: Development of a master plan for an 140-acre outdoor recreation area on the north shore of Canyon Lake.

Function Performed: Project Management / Facilitation / Park Planning Consulting — Prime consultant with the Department of Defense. Developed the work program and budget, and negotiated contract. Hire an architectural firm, Architecture Plus, to provide architectural skills. Created and facilitated a users focus group to obtain input into the park's desired improvements. Supervised the development of the master plan document.

Contract: ROMA Design Group, San Francisco, Ca. September 2003 to September 2004

Project: Development of a master plan for an 11-acre, inner-city area bounded by a Hispanic residential area.

Function Performed: Planner/ Civic Engagement/Facilitation/Communications — Perform urban planning tasks. Design and manage the civic engagement process. Review and comment on the planning documents.

Contract: HDR, Inc. Austin, Texas December 2004 to present.

Project: Development of a preferred route alignment for the extension of the Pfluger Bridge to the north of West Cesar Chavez Blvd.

Function Performed: Planner/ Civic Engagement/Facilitation/ Web page design and management — Perform urban planning tasks. Design and manage the civic engagement process and the project's website. Review and comment on the planning documents.

Contract: Urban Design Group, Austin, Texas, December 2004 to present

Project: Development of a master plan for an section of E. 7th St. in East Austin.

Function Performed: Planner/ Civic Engagement/Facilitation/Communications - Perform urban planning tasks. Design and manage the civic engagement process. Draft the project's newsletter in both English and Spanish. Review and comment on the planning documents.

Contract: Wilbur Smith Associates, Austin, December 2002 to December 2003

Project: Develop the City of San Marcos comprehensive transportation plan.

Function Performed:Planner/ Civic Engagement/Facilitation/Communications/Web Page Design & Management - Participate in the development of the transportation plan elements. Review and comment on the planning documents. Design and manage the civic engagement process including participation in all public forums. Design and management of the project’s web site.

Contract: Bill Lieberman, Transit Planner, San Diego, Ca., August 2001 to December 2003

Project: A study to select the alignment, vehicle choice, station location and station design for a light rail transit system for Austin.

Function Performed: Planner - Perform research on transit systems in the nation, and present the findings to stakeholders in public forums. Participate in light rail station design charrettes. Review and comment on the planning documents.

Contract: Black & Vernooy Architects, Austin, November 2000 to August 2001

Project: Downtown Great Streets Master Plan that will develop an urban design taxonomy of how downtown Austin streets will be enhanced.

Function Performed - Planning/Community Planning/Webmaster - Responsible for planning and developing and managing the public involvement function of the planning study. Work with stakeholder groups, surrounding area businesses and the downtown business community to ensure maximum participation by the citizens of Austin. Develop and maintain the project's web site (http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/greatstreets).

Contract: ROMA Design Group, San Francisco, Ca. September 2000 to July 2001

Project: Seaholm District Master Plan

Function Performed - Planning/Community Planning: Responsible for planning,developing and managing the public involvement function of the planning study. Work with stakeholder groups, surrounding area businesses and the downtown business community to ensure maximum participation by the citizens of Austin.

Contract: ICF Consulting, San Francisco, Ca. July 2000 to June 2001

Project: Economic Development Opportunities for the Austin Region's Minority Community - Development of a strategy to create new linkages between communities an citizens who have previously been unable to participate in the growing new high technology economy in the region.

Function Performed - Planning/Community Planning: Conduct research on other regions in the nation pursuing similar efforts. Coordinate input from the high technology community, and facilitate focus groups between high technology firms' representatives and those from the workforce development industry in the region.

Contract: Wilbur Smith Associates, Houston, Texas, February 2000 to July 2001

Project: Develop an Access and Mobility Plan for downtown Austin to improve transportation access to and from downtown Austin and within downtown.

Function Performed - Planning/Community Planning: Responsible for conducting research and developing and managing the public involvement function of the planning study. Work with stakeholder groups, surrounding area businesses and the downtown business community to ensure maximum participation by the citizens of Austin.

Contract: Wilbur Smith Associates, Houston, Texas, November 1999 to May 2001

Project: Develop a Comprehensive Parking Study and Management Plan for downtown Austin, a preliminary assessment of parking needs for the E. 11^th/12^th St. area in East Austin, and the South Congress Avenue in South Austin.

Function Performed - Planning/Community Planning: Responsible for conducting research and developing and managing the public involvement function of the planning study. Work with stakeholder groups, surrounding area businesses and the downtown business community to ensure maximum participation by the citizens of Austin.

Contract: Hargreaves Associates, San Francisco, Ca. August 1999 to February 2000

Project: Develop a park master plan for the undeveloped 363-acre site to become the Colorado River Park in Austin. This park will form the eastern anchor of Austin's Town Lake park system and establish a continuous greenbelt in the heart of the city.

Function Performed - Planning/Community Planning: Responsible for developing and managing the public involvement function of the master planning process. Work with stakeholder group including minority neighborhoods, park users and technical public agency personnel to ensure maximum participation by the citizens of Austin. Conduct development and population research.

Contract: EDAW, Inc., Denver, Co. February 1999 to July 1999

Project: Development of a Master Plan for the Town Lake Park in downtown Austin.

Function Performed - Community Planning: Responsible for developing and managing the public involvement function of the master planning process. Work with stakeholder groups, surrounding area businesses and the downtown business community to ensure maximum participation by the citizens of Austin.

Contract: Wilbur Smith Associates, Houston, Texas, April 2001 to July 2001

Project: Development of the Lance Armstrong Bikeway through the center of Austin.

Function Performed - Community Planning: Responsible for developing and managing the public involvement function of the master planning process. Work with stakeholder groups, surrounding area businesses and the downtown business community to ensure maximum participation by the citizens of Austin.

Contract : ROMA Design Group, San Francisco , Ca, August 1997-March 1999; October 1999-August 2000

Project: Robert Mueller Municipal Airport Reuse and Redevelopment Master Plan — Develop an interim reuse and permanent land use master plan for a tract of land currently housing the City of Austin ’s owned municipal airport. Our consulting team’s philosophy was one of informing and involving the community thoroughly and throughout the process. We created a focus group of representatives of surrounding neighborhoods to offer their experience with the site and their perspective on our recommended design solutions. We were involved with other stakeholder groups to ensure that we would find the common ground for best results.

Function Performed: Local Project Manager of the consulting team of ten firms that included planners, architects, engineers, urban designer, economists, attorneys, and public relations professionals. Coordinated the flow of information to and from the prime consultant and others in our consulting team, other consulting teams, the City of Austin , the media, and neighborhood associations surrounding the project site. Supervised the civic engagement process and personally facilitated public meetings. Performed research on land use, zoning, assessed values and ownership of surrounding properties, sustainability issues.

Contract: Alan Y. Taniguchi Architect & Associates, Austin, Tx September 1996 to January 1997

Project: Preparation of a master plan for a portion of East Austin.

Function Performed : Performed research on land use, zoning, environmental issues, municipal infrastructure and municipal services, private agencies’ delivery of services, educational institutions serving the area, and demographics.

Contract: Texas Leadership Institute, Austin , Tx 1997 - present

Project: Instructor in a program dedicated to the education of small communities on governance, planning, community involvement, diversity, and sustainable growth management policies. Make presentations on leadership development, strategic planning principles, comprehensive planning, community economic development, downtown redevelopment initiatives, community involvement, tourism and marketing to small community elected and appointed officials and citizen advocates of rural areas of the state.

Function Performed: Instructor of community economic development initiatives

Contract: Texas State University, San Marcos, Tx January 1998 – December 1999

Project : Instructor/Lecturer of undergraduate planning classes in the University’s Geography and Planning Program.

Teach community development planning and the history and practice of planning in the United States as an Adjunct Lecturer in the University’s Geography and Planning Program. Focus on city and regional planning and needs assessments of rural communities leading to the performance of strategic and comprehensive plans. In the first phase of a strategic planning process, my classes identify a community’s strengths and weaknesses, and guide it in managing potential threats and taking advantages of identified opportunities. I involve my classes in looking at economic, human resource, and natural aspects of the community. We research: demographics, employment, basic labor costs, third-party payments (federal income payments), housing stock and occupancy, availability of energy and their costs, taxation, state and local economic development incentives, availability of telecommunications and their costs, crime rate, local education system, highway and rail accessibility and human resource services provided by the State and local public and private non-profit agencies. In some cases, the opportunities are not obvious to the client.

top of page