People

John Bela

John Bela is a landscape architect, urban designer, and co-founder of the internationally acclaimed Rebar Group, creators of Park(ing) Day and pioneers of parklet design. With over a decade of experience leading multidisciplinary teams, John specializes in public realm strategy, public space design, and the creation of equitable, resilient neighborhoods. He collaborates with communities, municipalities, and private partners to transform underutilized spaces into vibrant places for the common good. Skilled in ethnographic research and spatial analysis, John integrates social science and data-driven strategies into his work, while excelling in public speaking, facilitation, and media engagement. Currently, John leads a consulting practice dedicated to people-centered projects, is the executive director of the Park(ing) Day Network, and is writing the Parklet Book on the history and evolution of flexible curb lanes and streets as public space.

Manuelita Antonio Rangel Sosa

Manuelita is a creative director, experience designer, and strategist with a keen focus on storytelling, community-building, and sustainable design. As the founder and creative director of SuperWorks, she has spent years shaping brand identities, immersive experiences, and digital ecosystems for clients ranging from startups to established organizations.

A futurist with a strong foundation in feminism and posthumanism, Manuelita is drawn to projects that explore innovation, social impact, and the evolving relationship between people, technology, and the environment. Her experience as an immigrant and a mother deeply informs her perspective on themes of belonging, adaptation, and community resilience—critical insights that have shaped both her professional work and her involvement in initiatives like Park(ing) Day.

Advisory Board

  • Zach Klein

    Zach Klein is an entrepreneur and designer best known as the co-founder of Vimeo. He also co-founded DIY.org, a learning platform for children, and authored the New York Times best selling book Cabin Porn. In 2020, he became CEO of Dwell where he developed the pre-fab ADU called the Dwell House, reflecting his passion for making housing more affordable. Zach and his family live in San Francisco, where they also care for a zero-water garden on the sidewalk outside their house.

  • Alison Sant

    Alison Sant is an author, urbanist, and teacher. She co-founded the Studio for Urban Projects, an interdisciplinary design collaborative that has worked for nearly 20 years at the intersection of architecture, urbanism, art, and social activism. The Studio focuses on public programming, urban prototyping, and civic dialog that aims to bring social justice and sustainability to the design of cities. In her role as partner, Alison has been a design captain for the Market Street Prototyping Festival, a designer-in-residence at the Exploratorium’s Bay Observatory, and a member of the Bionic team for the Bay Area Resilient By Design Challenge. In 2016, the Studio for Urban Projects was honored for contributing to its field by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts as a member of the YBCA100.

    Alison is the author of From the Ground Up: Local Efforts to Create Resilient Cities, named among the best books of 2022 by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and Planetizen. She is currently working on a new book entitled Streetlife (Island Press). Sant’s writing has been featured in U.S. News and World Report, Streetsblog, Earth Island Magazine, Next City, City Lab, Planetizen, and Fast Company. She has taught at the College of Environmental Design, the University of California Berkeley, the San Francisco Art Institute, and the California College of Art. Alison currently teaches at Harvard Extension School’s Sustainability and Environment Program.