Stephen Patchan joins Riverside city planning staff
Riverside has hired Stephen Patchan, an award-winning urban planner with nearly 20 years of experience, as the city’s deputy director of community and economic development.
Patchan will work with fellow Deputy Director Chris Christopoulos.
Patchan has worked in the public and private sector overseeing community and transportation planning projects throughout the state, and at the Southern California Association of Governments, where he developed the community engagement program Go Human, according to a city statement.
“We are thrilled to strengthen our efforts and build capacity with the addition of Stephen Patchan,” Director of Community and Economic Development Jennifer Lilly said in a statement last week. “His diverse experience will be an asset to the department and organization.”
Patchan has worked on the city of Los Banos’ Downtown Master Plan, which outlined transportation and utility upgrades to improve access to commercial and retail locations, and secured tens of millions of dollars in grants.
He also worked at the Tulare County Resource Management Agency; Environmental Planning and Design LLC in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the Pittsburgh Department of City Planning; and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.
“I’m excited to join the Community and Economic Development team,” Patchan said. “I look forward to supporting the city’s leadership to implement innovative projects, such as the Economic Development Strategic Plan, which will retain, attract and bolster targeted business sectors like green technology and sustainability, arts and tourism, health care, aerospace and general technology. I look forward to helping the city capitalize on future opportunities and ensuring it maintains an exceptional quality of life.”
Patchan is originally from the Pittsburgh area, where he received a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and French and a master’s degree in regional planning and geography from Pennsylvania Western University.