John Bela

John Bela is an accomplished urban designer and educator with extensive experience in shaping sustainable communities. As a partner at Urban Field Studio since May 2023, John collaborates on holistic urban design initiatives that prioritize human-scale spaces. John founded Bela Urbanism + Design in 2021, focusing on urban strategy and public realm design. As a visiting lecturer at UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design since 2013, John influences future generations in landscape architecture. Co-founding Park(ing) Day, an innovative public event advocating for greener urban spaces, demonstrates John's commitment to participatory design. John's previous roles include principal at Rebar Art and Design Studio and partner at Gehl, where significant projects spanned from Canada to Latin America. John holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, and education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.