Everyday Urbanism in L.A.’s Koreatown
In this “Where Are They Now?” episode, we catch up with alum Junyoung Myung (MHC ’15), who followed yet another of many career paths in heritage conservation: research and teaching. His exciting work blends architecture, design, heritage conservation, and technology—from teaching undergrad architects about adaptive reuse, to training AI to identify architectural styles, and much more. He’s also finishing his doctoral dissertation, which explores how generations of Korean immigrants and Korean Americans created a unique ethnic urban landscape in Los Angeles. It builds on his master’s thesis, Values-Based Approach to Heritage Conservation: Identifying Cultural Heritage in Los Angeles Koreatown.
Jun talks with co-host Trudi Sandmeier about working with residents to identify overlooked places of memory and meaning, using digital technology to advance the field, and inspiring the next generation of architects to embrace heritage conservation.
“Koreatown” sign posted at the intersections of Vermont and Olympic, and Western and Olympic in Los Angeles with Mayor Tom Bradley, 1982. Photo from seoulofla.com. 
Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Family House on the USC campus, 2024. Photo by Cindy Olnick. 
The Young Korean Academy (Hung Sa Dan) at its 34th meeting in 1947. Photo from the USC Digital Library. 
USC’s Communicating for the Built Environment class visits the Young Korean Academy (Hung Sa Dan) in 2024. Photo by Dilan Askew. 
Korean American Federation of Los Angeles building and mural, 1994. Photo from the USC Digital Library. 
Every day life in Koreatown, 1986. Photo by Steven Gold from the Shades of L.A. Collection, Los Angeles Public Library. 
Escala, a Korean-Colombian fusion restaurant in Chapman Plaza in Koreatown, 2021. Photo by Junyoung Myung. 
Seoul Sausage, Korean BBQ Restaurant near Los Angeles Koreatown, 2021. Photo by Junyoung Myung. 
Sample AI identification of “style” based on image analysis. Image by J. Myung.
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Featuring
Junyoung Myung is an Instructor of Interior Architecture and Design in the Department of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University. He has previously taught architectural design studios and architectural history and theory at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Ball State University. His research and teaching interests lie in diaspora studies with a focus on Korean immigrants and Korean Americans, UNESCO World Heritage, adaptive reuse, affordable housing design, and the integration of digital technologies such as AI and parametric design into architectural practice and pedagogy.
Learn More
Thesis: Values-Based Approach to Heritage Conservation:
Identifying Cultural Heritage in Los Angeles Koreatown by Junyoung Myung
Article: House style recognition using deep convolutional neural network (Automation in construction, 2020-10, Vol.118, p.103307, Article 103307)
Hung Sa Dahn (Young Korean Academy)
Your Hosts
Co-host Trudi Sandmeier is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Director of Graduate Programs in Heritage Conservation, and Professor of Practice at the USC School of Architecture. Her work centers on the conservation of the recent past and the impact of under-recognized communities on the historic built environment. Read more in her USC faculty bio.
Co-host Cindy Olnick serves as both Associate Director of Heritage Conservation at USC and a communications consultant for heritage conservation, historic preservation, and the built environment. Read more in her USC faculty bio.
Podcast producer Willa Seidenberg taught audio journalism and podcasting at USC’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, while pursuing a USC Master of Heritage Conservation degree. She retired from teaching and earned her degree in 2023.
A 20-year broadcast journalist and an inaugural fellow with USC’s Center for Excellence in Teaching, Willa founded Annenberg Radio News, the university’s radio news operation; and Intersections South LA, a reporting lab and community website for South Los Angeles.
With photographer William Short, Willa is the author of two oral history/photo projects: A Matter of Conscience: GI Resistance During the Vietnam War and Memories of the American War: Stories From Viet Nam.
