Long Beach’s Community Development Department and Staff Earn Planning and Engineering Awards

• Extra Large
• Large
• Normal
• Small

PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach Community Development Department and members of its staff have recently won prestigious planning and engineering awards from local professional associations.

"Our Community Development Department plays an integral role in the livability, planning and enhancement of our great city. Their work touches the lives of our residents, business owners and community members through its many services, resources and opportunities," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "We are honored to receive these awards as they are emblematic of the exceptional and skilled work of our Community Development Department and its dedicated and talented staff. The City is proud of this recognition that has been justly earned."

The Department was recognized as the Planning Agency of the Year by the Los Angeles section of the American Planning Association (APA). The Department delivers a wide variety of programs and services related to planning, affordable housing, building and safety, code enforcement, neighborhood improvement, and historic preservation to help create and maintain more sustainable, equitable and livable neighborhoods. The work of the approximately 200-person Department is grounded in ensuring that residents have access to safe, quality, affordable housing in the majority-renter city of Long Beach, and in providing exceptional public service to all.

The City's recently adopted Victory Park Design Guidelines were also recognized with APA-LA's Urban Design Award. The award was accepted by Alex Muldrow, Project Planner for the multi-year effort that involved years of community input that led to an innovative plan to guide future park improvements towards creating an inviting public space that is attractive, sustainable and serves as a rich amenity for Downtown residents, workers and visitors. Victory Park is a linear park along the southern side of Ocean Boulevard spanning Downtown Long Beach to Alamitos Beach. Originally dedicated to the City in 1889, it's the oldest public park in town. While early versions of both parks included portions designed by legendary landscape architects like Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., segments of both Victory and Santa Cruz Parks have been developed on a block-by-block basis as adjacent developments have been constructed.

"These awards recognize the Department's efforts to facilitate equitable and sustainable communities in Long Beach, as well as recognize the dedicated staff working on these important initiatives," said Planning Bureau Manager Alison Spindler-Ruiz. "We are fortunate to have such talented and dedicated staff like Mr. Muldrow who are committed to delivering our many valuable planning services on behalf of the community."

In addition, Truong Huynh, a professional engineer who is currently serving as the Department's Acting Deputy Director, was honored as the Safer City Public Official of the Year for 2024 by the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California (SEAOSC).

Huynh's award, as described by SEAOSC, was for his leadership and dedication to: enhancing public safety through the promotion and implementation of earthquake-resistant building practices; creating safer communities by advocating for and supporting structural engineering initiatives, policies and regulations to reduce the risks associated with seismic activities; and, his contributions to improving the resilience of the build environment.

"It's an honor to receive this kind of professional award and it exemplifies the high level of professionalism that we practice every day across all our units at the Department," said Huynh. "Our goal is to help create and maintain a more safe, sustainable and livable Long Beach for those who live, work and visit here."

The Department has a total of four operational bureaus that in addition to Planning, includes Building and Safety, Code Enforcement and Housing and Neighborhood Services.

About the City of Long Beach
About the City of Long Beach Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. For more information about Community Development, visit longbeach.gov/lbcd and like Facebook and follow on X and Instagram.

For more news, pictures, videos and announcements of what's happening in Long Beach, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.