Steve Lustro - From Urban Planner to City Council: How Local Government Really Works

Send us a text

Here’s a conversation with a lifelong civic servant whose roots run from Monterey Park to Pomona and the San Gabriel Valley. With decades in urban planning and community development, he brings a ground-level view of how cities actually work—housing, zoning, economic development, schools, and the partnerships that make neighborhoods thrive. He currently serves on the Pomona City Council and has spent years volunteering on youth, planning, and education boards that shape real outcomes for families.

We trace his path from Cal Poly Pomona’s urban and regional planning program to roles in Claremont and Montclair, including Director of Community Development. Along the way, he bridged policy and practice: general plans, code enforcement, downtown revitalization, and the day-to-day tradeoffs between growth, character, and affordability. His private-sector experience adds a practical lens on budgets, operations, and service that complements public service.

Community impact sits at the heart of his story. From the Pomona Planning Commission and the Pomona Unified School District Board to Habitat for Humanity’s design and construction work, he has focused on long-term value—safer streets, stronger schools, and projects that pencil out for residents and businesses. We talk about aligning city hall, neighborhoods, and nonprofits so progress sticks beyond any single term.

If you care about how local government shapes quality of life—housing supply, small business corridors, parks, transportation, and civic engagement—this episode is a field guide. Keywords: Pomona City Council, Monterey Park, San Gabriel Valley, Cal Poly Pomona, urban planning, community development, affordable housing, code enforcement, economic development, downtown revitalization, Habitat for Humanity, local government leadership.

__________

Music Credits

Intro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

Stinger
Scarlet Fire (Sting), Otis McDonald, YouTube Audio Library

Outro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG

__________________

My SGV Podcast:

Website: www.mysgv.net
Newsletter: Beyond the Mic
Patreon: MySGV Podcast
[e-mail]