During the spring, UCLA officials and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia made a promise to open a dialogue and seek out new ways for the two entities to partner now and into the future.
Luskin School of Public Affairs Dean Gary Segura made the trip, and officials discussed subjects including housing, homelessness, tenants’ rights, multi-modality, the U.S. Census, and even how public policy and social welfare graduate students might be able to intern and work with the City of Long Beach.
As a way to keep the conversation going, Garcia agreed to a short correspondence regarding this new burgeoning partnership, issues affecting his city, and how to get others civically engaged.
The following is the transcript from the email interview.