Moises Gonzales

Full time 2007-2008

Photo by Doug Cogger

Moises Gonzales is a planner who works in Sandoval County just to the north of Albuquerque, New Mexico.  He grew up in La Merced to Canon De Carnue, one of the many land grant communities (ejidos) of New Mexico.  Moises spent the early part of his career dealing with rural issues and the preservation of cultural amenities and traditions in his and similar small settlements with strong ethnic connections to the earliest history of the state.  More recently, he has been focusing on urban planning issues, out of the conviction that if the city of Albuquerque becomes a more vibrant and exciting place, fewer people will want to flee to the sprawling suburbs.  Governor Bill Richardson has appointed him to the “Our Futures, Our Communities” Task Force on Smart Growth. His work at the county has focused on new zoning and planning regimens that will encourage increased density within the city of Albuquerque and more concentration of development around transit nodes.  As a fellow, Moises will study patterns of urban development around the world, with a concentration on methods others have used to protect fragile natural landscapes and limit sprawl.