The UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate, the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate and the nonprofit Urban Land Institute Los Angeles today released a comprehensive plan aimed at helping to guide Los Angeles–area rebuilding efforts in the wake of January's wildfires.
The in-depth Project Recovery report, which incorporates the recommendations and technical analyses of some 100 prominent experts — a number of which hail from UCLA — in land use, urban planning and economic development, covers a broad array of topics, from debris removal and labor and supply chain issues to advice on fast-tracking rebuilding, property insurance, mortgage forbearance, funding for infrastructure restoration and the creation of community rebuilding authorities to help coordinate recovery efforts.
The report's recommendations aim to help local, state and federal agencies accelerate the process of recovery for thousands of affected individuals and families from Pacific Palisades and Altadena, as well as other affected areas, and to help communities build greater resilience to wildfires and other natural disasters in the long-term. The report is currently circulating among many public officials locally and at the state level.
"One of the most crucial aspects of this work is its intended ongoing relevance to the way we build durable communities," said Stuart Gabriel, director of the Ziman Center and a leader of the Project Recover advisory committee. "This is not the first and certainly will not be the last time climate-related disasters impact our communities.
"With this framework, Los Angeles can set a new standard for how cities can respond to these events in the future."
The report calls for an integrated approach to hazard mitigation that supports long-term climate adaptation and outlines key strategies and best practices, including the incorporation of wildfire-resilient vegetation and land-use management practices tailored to the local environment. The recommendations for recovery and resilience planning also include the prioritization of community engagement and a clear understanding of the emotional stress caused by the disaster.
Read the full Project Recovery report here.
