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This piece is brought to you free of charge courtesy of the paying subscribers to California Planning & Development Report. To become a paying subscriber with access to all of our content, just click  here . These observations are based on over three decades of experience—both research and practice—after large disasters in the U.S. and numerous other countries. Olshansky and Johnson’s book After Great Disasters , is available for free download from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. The Palisades and Eaton Fires have decimated two large communities within the urban fabric of Greater Los Angeles, destroying, at last count,15,467 structures in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, and damaging 1,852. Both communities are active parts of the economic, cultural, and social life of the region, and they will rebuild, although it will take some time. Planners will play important roles in the upcoming reconstruction. Planners work for public agencies, including cities, the county, regional agencies, the state, federal government agencies, and utilities. They represent the needs of NGOs, and work for research and advocacy organizations. The numerous university planning programs in the area will contribute, and many planners will seek volunteer opportunities. We are writing this in the hope that planners in all these organizations will seek leading roles in catalyzing the work of the ecosystem of recovery actors, to maximize the opportunity for “building back better” while meeting the needs of all communities in a timely manner. Based on disaster reconstruction experiences elsewhere, some of the most important things that planners can do to support effective, equitable, and informed reconstruction are: Create networks and help support and organize the energy that is going to spring up from the neighborhoods; Organize, facilitate, support, and promote the work of NGOs; Support investments in information and communication hubs; Support neighborhood-based planning and organizing for recovery and reconstruction; Promote equitable policies and practices, and provide for the needs of those with fewer resources. Reconstruction: Urban Development in Compressed Time Reconstruction after disasters has all the features, and all the complexities, of urban planning and development in normal times, but with one key difference: the compression of planning and development activities in time and in a limited space. This time compression is the key to understanding disaster recovery, and it has numerous implications for practice. As planners, we know that communities are built by many different actors, public and private, operating at multiple scales, with resource constraints, governmental policies, and the concerns of interest groups affecting the outcomes and timelines of the process. In normal times, successful navigation of the development process must steer through a complex interplay of economic, social, environmental, political, and legal concerns. A large disaster changes none of this; it only compresses these activities in time. It is a mistake to envision disaster reconstruction as a top-down process, led by a czar who will someday be immortalized by a public monument. Rather, disaster recovery begins from the bottom up, just as all community development does--as residents seek housing, building owners seek resources for construction, and businesses look for ways to continue their work. It is a self-organizing system of a variety of recovery actors. Using Information in Reconstruction Planning The primary way in which time compression affects planning is by constraining the timely use of information. Imagine compressing a 3-year community planning process into three months. It’s possible but also likely to be challenging because of insufficient time to collect data, integrate it into planning, communicate among stakeholders, and digest it into policies. Information production and communication must substantially increase to accommodate the volume of activities during compressed time. Collection, digestion, and sharing of information empower the self-organizing system of builders. Some of the ways to do this include: Establish and support a variety of information nodes, such as data hubs and clearinghouses; Facilitate planning discussions at all scales; Pay for neighborhood-scale planning activities; Create councils of recovery stakeholders, who can advise planning processes and share information with their networks and encourage participation; Create networks that connect neighborhood-based planning and reconstruction activities; Create new bodies to better coordinate the activities of government agencies; Emphasize transparency of government actions, with frequent public announcements, disclosure of recovery and reconstruction progress. Building Back Better After disasters, there is always a tension between change and a return to normalcy. Everyone yearns for what existed the day before the disaster. But at the same time, people also see the opportunity to make improvements or add on a little something more: another room, an ADU, a fire break, a rec center in the community park, a roundabout, a bike lane, a new fire station. Planners see this tension between the status quo and change as a tradeoff of time and resources: between rebuilding as quickly as possible or slowing down to consider the potential for change and develop comprehensive plans for betterment. In practice, speed is difficult to resist, because many actors want to rebuild as quickly as possible. The key is to deliberate more efficiently within the constraints of compressed time: to plan and build at the same time . This can be done by:  (1) iterating by focusing on the easiest decisions first (especially where repairs are straightforward and change is not needed); (2) increasing planning capacity by adding personnel or technical assistance (to help multiple recovery actors), or (3) decentralizing and creating multiple paths for planning and decision-making (to connect neighborhood-based planning with multiple sources of assistance). NGOs and Government Another result of time compression is the emergence of non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, in disaster recovery. This should be expected and embraced. It happens because bureaucratic government agencies are inherently unsuited for the time-compressed post-disaster environment. When people say, “We were tired of waiting for government, so we decided to do it ourselves,” this is an indicator of a well-operating, self-organized recovery ecosystem. Although government is just one of the recovery actors, it is the one that is best equipped to provide resources to the recovery ecosystem, in the form of both funding and information. Fortunately, much of L.A.’s housing recovery from the fires will be enabled by private insurance funds, but expediting permits will only help those who have the funds to rebuild and are ready to go, Everyone else—renters, the uninsured and under-insured, small businesses—will need government interventions and financial support. Government also can make the system of actors smarter by broadening the information flows in every possible way, such as by creating data hubs and clearinghouses, promoting transparency, supporting forums for coordination, and partnering with NGOs. This is the Moment for Planners and Planning The long-term reconstruction process is when planners take center stage. Because this is the moment when things get done—money flows, and people are aware and engaged—planners need to act, or the opportunity will be lost. This is the time to accomplish long-term hazard mitigation, as well as countless other planning goals. Today’s decisions will shape the community for decades. This is the moment for planners and planning. Although the driving force of recovery is to quickly build back what was lost, it’s also an opportunity for considering the future and how to incorporate resilience and other community improvements into the rebuild. The last community land use plan in Pacific Palisades is dated 1996, and Altadena’s 1986 plan is currently being updated. These are the de facto recovery plans, and they are 30-40 years old. Yes, it’s awkward to undertake planning right now, but it’s also the only time in history when everyone is thinking about how their community is built and how it works. Groups are already starting to self-organize on email lists and chat groups in both Altadena and Pacific Palisades, and some of them are going to coalesce for various reasons (to advocate for their needs, to organize the process of construction, and to advocate for some improvements). Wholesale positive change never follows a big urban disaster, but reconstruction always involves small improvements in particular places, as well as improvements in infrastructure, building standards, and community involvement. To maximize these opportunities, the time to act is now.

Ventura’s permanent closure of Main Street in the downtown area does not violate the state Streets & Highways Code, a Superior Court judge has ruled. More specifically, the court ruled that allowing emergency vehicles and delivery trucks to use Main Street while closing it to through traffic does not mean the closure is “partial” under state law. Ventura’s historic downtown includes many restaurants and other businesses along Main Street, which is not heavily used for through traffic. In 2021, the city issued the first of a series of temporary closures of Main Street primarily to allow restaurants to expand outdoor eating into the public right-of-way, as occurred in many cities during COVID. After several more temporary closures, the City Council voted to close a portion of Main Street permanently in 2024. Though the closure was popular with most businesses and patrons, a group of downtown property owners sued to block the permanent closure, saying the city’s action constituted a partial closing under the Streets & Highways Code. The property owners also said the city violated the Pedestrian Mall Act of 1960, which creates a specific process for closing streets to create a pedestrian mall, and – in an argument similar from the so-called Marilyn ruling in Palm Springs – argued that the serial temporary closures were a violation of the Streets & Highways Code. (The “Marilyn ruling” had to do with serial temporary closures to accommodate a statue of Marilyn Monroe on a street outside the Palm Springs art museum. CP&DR ’s previous coverage of that case can be found here .) Main Street Ventura during the temporary closure Among other things, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Matthew Guasco found that Ventura did not abuse its discretion under the streets and highways code. “The Administrative Record contains abundant evidence,” Guasco wrote, “that (a) a majority of residents including Main Street business owners, favored keeping the Main Street closure permanent; (b) re-routing vehicular traffic around the closure site did not have significant negative traffic impacts; and (c) the section of Main Street was closed for three years without negatively affecting vehicular access to Downtown Ventura. Additionally, the Administrative Record contains abundant evidence that the closure improved the revenue of businesses on Main Street by encouraging pedestrian access. Although the same data revealed dissatisfaction on the part of some business owners with the Main Street closure, the overwhelming majority of downtown business owners and residents supported the closure becoming permanent.” The property owners also argued that permitting emergency, maintenance, and delivery vehicles, as well as cross-traffic on certain streets, constituted travel under the Streets & Highways Code. “Not so,” wrote Guasco. “The affected sections of Main Street are closed to all through traffic. The exceptions implemented by the City do not permit through traffic. Instead, they are strictly limited to vehicular access for emergency vehicles, such as ambulances fire trucks and police. These are essential to protect lives and property; they are not local travel.” The property owners also argued that the city violated the Pedestrian Mall Act, also contained in the Streets & Highways Code, by not following the process required by that law to create a pedestrian mall. But Guasco said the Pedestrian Mall Act is an alternative method for closing streets and the city did not have to follow it. Finally, Guasco did acknowledge that the city violated the Streets & Highways Code by implementing serial temporary closures for three years, similar to the Marilyn situation, but that this violation was mooted by the permanent closure. The Case: Open Main Street v. City of San Buenaventura , Ventura County Superior Court No. 2024CUWM021824 The Lawyers: For Open Main Street: Darin Marx, Lowthrop Richards, Dmarx@lrmmt.com For City of San Buenaventura: Peter Howell, Rutan & Tucker, PHowell@rutan.com

This article is brought to you courtesy of the paying subscribers to California Planning & Development Report . You can subscribe to CP&DR by clicking here . You can sign up for CP&DR 's free weekly newsletter here . California Representatives Promote Disaster-Response Bills in Congress Members of Congress proposed a number of new measures focusing on forest management, disaster preparedness and streamlining government processes in the midst of the Los Angeles wildfires. The aims to expedite forest management efforts by reducing regulatory hurdles and using scientific methods to prevent wildfires; it is coauthored by Rep. Scott Peters (D-San Diego). A coalition of environmmental groups has said the bill “would harm forests, communities, the climate, water, and biodiversity." Two additional bills introduced included speeding up federal firefighter hiring (sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall)), increasing FEMA funding to better prepare for future disasters (Sponsored by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin)), and a bill limiting the powers of California's Coastal Commission, citing its alledged delay of fire-management measures in the Coastal Zone. That bill is sponsored by Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin), whose district northeast of Sacramento does not touch the coast. While President Biden has promised federal disaster aid, the future of funding is uncertain due to ongoing political debates over the debt ceiling and indications from President Trump about withholding aid. Caltrans Updates California State Rail Plan Released earlier this month, the California State Rail Plan aims to build a zero-emissions rail network connecting the entire state. The plan includes the California High-Speed Rail project, planning to link major cities like San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco through 200-mph trains. The plan outlines immediate and long-term strategies to enhance transit, including efforts to increase rail usage from 2% to over 20% of all travel, helping to reduce congestion and improve air quality. It will require an investment of more than $300 billion over 25 years, with expected returns of $540 billion and the creation of 900,000 jobs. Key components of the plan include high-speed rail connecting Los Angeles to Las Vegas, upgraded transit in San Diego and the addition of new connections, like a cross-border trolley linking San Diego and Tijuana. Los Angeles Adopts Measures to Hasten Wildfire Recovery The Los Angeles City Council adopted several measures to support recovery efforts after devastating wildfires, including plans to speed up access to federal funds and protect against price gouging and evictions. One proposal aims to create a bond measure for 2026 to raise funds for repairing and building new fire stations, addressing the aging infrastructure of the fire department. The council also focused on helping fire victims, such as by reuniting displaced people with their pets and implementing safeguards for tenants facing hardship. Another proposal seeks an independent report on the city's fire response and transparency from the L.A. Fire Department and Department of Water and Power. As officials work on long-term recovery strategies, there is a push to rethink city priorities, especially regarding public safety and infrastructure, to prevent future catastrophes. Homelessness Increases Nationwide, Led by California The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released its 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, reporting record-high numbers of homelessness, with California and New York reporting the highest number of people experiencing homelessness and the highest rates of homelessness nationwide. A total of 771,480 people nationwide experienced at least temporary homelessness in 2024, up over 110,000 from 2023. California reported 187,084 estimated people experiencing homelessness, 66% of whom do not receive shelter from the state. The state reported an increase of 5,685 people experiencing homelessness in 2024. During the coldest time of 2024, 74% of people experiencing homelessness were unsheltered by the state. Of the homelessness in California, 25,639 were people in families with children. CP&DR Coverage: Fulton and Stephens on Los Angeles Wildfires There's no question that after this experience, fire departments in Los Angeles and around the West will have to rethink their whole strategy and apparatus for fighting fires. Nobody was ready - and perhaps nobody could have been ready - for set of fires of this scale. Clearly, a whole revision of fighting wild fires in dense urban areas is going to come about. And it's also likely that the state fire code will tighten up even more, requiring homeowners to create more defensible space around their houses. But it's not likely that any development patterns will change in response. —Bill Fulton Palisades village consisted of more than just a main thoroughfare. It branched off into side-streets filled with shops, cafes, and small offices that, for lack of a better word, are a lot cuter than California's typical commercial strips are. The result was a matrix of a half-dozen blocks that felt like a real town. It flouted Los Angeles' unwritten rule of urban design: the more impressive the natural setting, the more heinous the built environment must be. With the loss of one of its most pleasant communities, Los Angeles is, perhaps, one self-inflicted misstep away from a downward spiral, if we're not already there. We must accept that the envy of the world is not a permanent condition. — Josh Stephens Quick Hits & Updates Los Angeles Mayor Bass named Steve Soboroff — former police commission president and real estate developer — as chief recovery officer for the Los Angeles wildfire rebuilding effort. Soboroff led the development of Playa Vista, one of the city's largest-ever mixed-use developments, in the 2000s. He will coordinate efforts between the mayors office and city departments “for rebuilding and expediting the safe return of residents, workers, businesses, schools, nonprofits, libraries and parks." The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is extending multiple program deadlines and re-opening certain funding opportunities to assist fire-impacted communities in their recovery efforts. These changes include extended application deadlines for federal and state programs, such as HOME, Emergency Solutions Grants and Homekey+, as well as additional time for reporting and funding disbursement requests for affected areas in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The California Coastal Commission rejected Santa Barbara County's proposal to update its local coastal plan, including removing subjective language and implementing objective design standards for housing projects. The commission called for revisions to ensure the plan aligns with the Coastal Act by adding more objective development standards and clarifying that such standards should apply to housing projects, like the Miramar Hotel expansion, in the coastal zone. Senate Bill 71, introduced this week by Sen. Scott Wiener, aims to make the CEQA exemption for public transportation and active transportation projects permanent, expanding it to include bus shelters, lighting, ferry terminals and infrastructure maintenance. The bill builds on the success of SB 288, which has streamlined nearly 100 transit projects in California, improving public transportation speed and reliability, reducing costs and helping to meet the state's climate goals by addressing bureaucratic delays. After over five years of construction, the 9.1-mile extension of the A Line from Azusa to Pomona was officially handed over to L.A. Metro January 3, and is expected to open to passengers in the summer. The $1.5 billion project, which includes new stations and infrastructure, aims to serve both Los Angeles and Inland Empire residents, providing a significant alternative to driving, especially for commuters traveling between Pomona, Pasadena and Los Angeles, with future expansions extending the line into San Bernardino County by 2030. Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved the $1 billion redevelopment plan for 25-acre Television City, aiming to modernize it with 980,000 square feet of office, production, 15-story tower and a retail space. The developer has also committed $6.4 million toward community projects, including park upgrades Newly inaugurated San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie appointed former Twitter CFO Ned Segal as his chief of housing and economic development to help revitalize San Francisco's downtown and accelerate housing construction. Segal, a longtime friend of Lurie, will oversee key city departments in the hopes of fostering economic growth, coordinating efforts to make the city more responsive to citizens and businesses. The Vallejo City Council approved a profit-sharing agreement with Blue Rock Springs LLC for the redevelopment of the Blue Rock Springs golf courses, guaranteeing the city a minimum of $10.5 million in compensation, with potential additional funds based on the project's appraisal and the sale of residential lots. While the deal has raised some concerns about whether the compensation is sufficient, the city will receive a share of profits from the sale of completed homes and the development will be restricted to certain areas due to environmental concerns. A recent analysis out of UC Berkeley's Terner Center analyzes recent California reforms increasing the pressure on cities to produce more below-market-rate (BMR) housing, with inclusionary zoning (IZ) emerging as a potential strategy. The analysis concluded IZ can lead to trade-offs, including reduced overall housing production and higher rents. While programs like Los Angeles' Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) can incentivize more affordable housing, the analysis highlights that increasing IZ requirements beyond a certain point can reduce both market-rate and BMR production, suggesting that policymakers should focus on other tools, such as public subsidies, to improve affordability.

This blog is brought to you free of charge courtesy of the paying subscribers to California Planning & Development Report. To become a paying subscriber with access to all of our content, just click here . The mascot of Pacific Palisades High School is the Dolphin, which, unlike most mascots, is nonfictional. Pods of bottlenose frequently accompany morning swims, games of beach volleyball, and sunset strolls just down the hill from campus. That's how idyllic this place is. Or was. An estimated 30 percent of Palisades High’s buildings are now ash. Thousands of homes and businesses were far less lucky. Though the Palisades feels like a world apart from Los Angeles, it is—unbeknownst to some residents—not its own city but rather a neighborhood unto Los Angeles. It's suburb an , but it's not a suburb. Over 100 years ago, it was founded by Methodists looking for a pleasant escape far from the urban core. It was meant to be a happy (and, incidentally, alcohol-free) community. Its primary social club was named, cheerily, the Uplifters. Even over the span of four generations, that intentional spirit of neighborliness persisted. The Palisades was a place where people enjoyed living -- even, and especially, in contrast to other wealthy Los Angeles communities that trade on seclusion. The Palisades did not lack for flaws. To state the obvious, it was expensive, and it was not remotely as diverse as the city it inhabits. But it was a fundamentally decent place. I know firsthand: I lived there for a few years when I was in elementary school, and I have hung out there regularly ever since. Today, I live in Brentwood, just east of the Palisades. From the top floor of my building, I watched flames gnaw away at the hills to the west, not knowing which of my friends’ homes had been consumed. I’ve been on evacuation watch for days. I use the past tense deliberately. As everyone now knows, the Palisades is, essentially, no more. (Altadena, an unincorporated community at the foot of the perennially flammable San Gabriel Mountains, was similarly beloved by its residents and similarly devastated by a separate fire. I've never been there, and I'm sad. I'll never get to go to Fox's bar or the Bunny Museum.) Last Tuesday, the Palisades Fire erupted as quickly as the planning process is slow, progressing from spark to cataclysm in less time than it takes to read the introduction to an environmental impact report. As developer and former L.A. Police Commission Steve Soboroff told the Los Angeles Times, the Santa Ana winds were so fierce and chaotic, “this isn’t just a fire.... this is like a thousand fires." Within 24 hours, the Palisades fell victim to the same combination of human-made and natural forces that devastated Paradise, Santa Rosa, the Berkeley Hills, Redding, and too many other California communities, both urban and rural. Much of the national discussion has focused on preparedness (including sniping about fire hydrants and ugly talk about the L.A. Fire Department’s hiring policies by people who wouldn't know California from Mars). I don't know if any preparation could have prevented the ravagement brought by winds over 80 miles per hour and brush unquenched for eight months. Anyone casting blame this soon, and anyone placing blame on individual officials, do not understand governance. The hot-take cynics are part of the problem, not the solution. My heart aches for everyone who has lost their homes and for everyone who have lost their neighborhoods. What to do? Assumption 1: Urbanists, environmentalists, and financiers can argue forever about whether the Palisades ought to be rebuilt. None of that matters. It will be. Hopefully many residents will return so they can stitch their social fabric back together. Assumption 2: Rebuilding will take longer than anyone wants it to. Assumption 3: The displacement will reverberate throughout Los Angeles. Assumption 4: The materials, technologies, building techniques, and other strategies of 2025 are more fire-resistant than those of any previous era—certainly more than those of the post-World War II era when most of the Palisades was built. A favorite argument of opponents to housing development is that "more units won't reduce prices." By that logic, fewer units shouldn't raise prices. We're about to find out the hard way whether that's true. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's not. I, for one, am grateful that developers have built as many "luxury" units as they have. Displaced Palisadeans are going to snap them up. Once those units run out, they're going to dip into the mid-market. At every turn, we're going to get the vacancy chain in reverse: residents aren't going to trade up and make lower-cost units available for lower-income residents; instead, they're going to trade down and bid up rents. We don't have a housing crisis, or an affordability crisis, a vacancy crisis, or a wildfire crisis. We have an everything crisis. The adequacy of a city's housing supply cannot depend on which way the wind blows. A resilient city is one that has more than the bare minimum for the people who live there and not--as is the case in Los Angeles--a shortage such that invisible under-housed residents are forced to live with entire families in one bedroom and turn dining rooms into dormitories. It's one in which housing is plentiful enough to be affordable and, in times of crisis, plentiful enough to withstand a demand shock such as the one about to emanate outward from the 90272 zip code. So, keep those "luxury" buildings coming. While we're at it, let's build some non-luxury buildings too. Los Angeles just adopted a new zoning code, designed in part to accommodate its 456,000-unit regional housing needs allocation—the magical RHNA number. Critics have rightfully called out the new zoning code, known as the Citywide Housing Incentive Program , for steering dense housing away from single-family neighborhoods. It’s not ideal, but it’s on the books. Fortunately, laws like SB 9 require the city to approve duplexes and lot splits. Gov. Gavin Newsom had pledged to “cut red tape,” and the city will have to expedite all of this. (With what personnel? Well, for starters, plenty of entertainment-industry folks are now under-employed. Maybe they can be trained in the art of permitting.) What about the precious public process? What about property values? What about the sacred rights of single-family homeowners? What about aldermanic privilege that makes it all but impossible to consider the greater good? What about CEQA? These are just some of the questions that opponents of development often ask—and are sure to ask in this case. Well, $250 billion in property damage, health impacts, and economic losses says enough is enough. Before that first spark landed on Tuesday morning, Los Angeles was already facing an imposing set of stressors: the decline of the entertainment industry; the election of a locally unpopular president (who defeated an L.A. resident); the exodus of priced-out residents; a counterproductive transfer tax ; a housing shortage and homelessness crisis; haphazard planning for the world's biggest international event three years hence; and, eight months without rain. Los Angeles has been stagnating, ceding talent, energy, and global prominence drop-by-drop to every place from Las Vegas to Austin to Miami. We are one self-inflicted misstep away from a downward spiral, if we're not already there. We must accept that the envy of the world is not a permanent condition. Beyond that, there's an even more important element to urban resiliency: people. A strong city does not require everyone to agree all the time. But, it does require unity, mutual respect, basic understanding, and a sense of common purpose -- especially when crises arise. Los Angeles generally lacks this quality. It's hard to love your neighbor when you're bitter about how much you're paying in rent, or when you're sitting behind him at a stoplight. We need to get over that. It's time to get over our fear of density. Whatever the new zoning says, we all know that zoning is no match for popular sentiment. So long as Angelenos oppose density, the density we do get will be, very often, unattractive, out-of-scale, misplaced, and overpriced. The destruction of one neighborhood is a call to improve all neighborhoods in this city. This effort requires teamwork: to lobby public officials; to encourage developers; to care for the afflicted; to welcome new residents; to accept that the status quo is expensive, dull, and deadly. This city needs to stop burning and then stop fiddling. It needs to build. What about the Palisades itself? As provocative as Mike Davis may have been about the fact that Los Angeles persists only by the mercy of mother nature, I will not make the " case for letting Malibu burn ," or, as the case may be, the Palisades. If the Palisades is to be rebuilt, it can be rebuilt better. The Palisades’ primary sin was its exclusivity. That's relatively easy to solve for, and it can be a model for the rest of the city. Palisades village consisted of more than just a main thoroughfare. It branched off into side-streets filled with shops, cafes, and small offices that, for lack of a better word, are a lot cuter than California's typical commercial strips are. The result was a matrix of a half-dozen blocks that felt like a real town. It flouted Los Angeles' unwritten rule of urban design: the more impressive the natural setting, the more heinous the built environment must be. In building back the Palisades, we can add 2-3 stories of apartment units to all of those commercial buildings. If European cities are any guide, it can come back even livelier and more uplifting than it once was. Meanwhile, residents who rebuild their homes have the exciting new option of building duplexes and/or ADUs with no questions asked. It can achieve elegant density. (It's worth noting that many homes in the Palisades were under-occupied , with, for instance, empty-nesters staying put in houses where rugrats once scurried and teens once sulked. Those neighborhoods can easily absorb sublettors and mothers-in-law.) It's been said that the Palisades Fire is our "Hurricane Katrina." The analogy is apt. But Los Angeles is the opposite of New Orleans. New Orleans was never famous for its landscape, unless you count suboceanic flatness as a natural wonder. It's famous for its architecture, streetscape, culture, and civic spirit. Those are all things that Los Angeles needs, now more than ever. The best way for the city a whole to recover from this tragedy is to learn from the Palisades. We can't all frolic with dolphins. But, a pleasant urban streetscape needs not, and should not, belong only to celebrities and wealthy folks on the urban fringe. What about other cities in California? Far be it for me to compare Los Angeles to any other place. But every jurisdiction in this state faces its own potential catastrophes. And, unless there's a little Atlantis at the bottom of Lake Tahoe, literally every city faces fire risk. To my fellow Californians: don't imagine that this "could" happen in your cities; imagine that it has already happened. Imagine the devastation. Imagine the displacement. Imagine the costs, financial and human. Then work backwards and think about everything you and your offices possibly could have done to prevent it, mitigate its damages, and create places that will be worth rebuilding if the worst comes to pass.

This article is brought to you courtesy of the paying subscribers to California Planning & Development Report . You can subscribe to CP&DR by clicking here . You can sign up for CP&DR 's free weekly newsletter here . Newsom Suspends Some Permitting Processes for Wildfire Rebuilding Governor Newsom signed an executive order to expedite the rebuilding process for communities impacted by recent wildfires in Southern California. The order suspends certain permitting and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act to speed up the reconstruction of homes and businesses. Additionally, state agencies have been directed to identify other building code provisions that could be safely streamlined to reduce costs and accelerate recovery. The order also extends protections against price gouging for construction materials and services in Los Angeles County until January 2026. Finally, Newsom committed to collaborating with the Legislature to find further ways to enhance wildfire resilience and expedite the rebuilding process. (See related CP&DR coverage .) Los Angeles Plans for 100,000 New Homes and Jobs Downtown The Los Angeles City Council adopted the Downtown Community Plan Update (DTLA 2040), a comprehensive effort to guide development and address key issues like the housing crisis and racial segregation. The plan focuses on creating 100,000 new homes and 100,000 jobs by 2040, leveraging Downtown's transit-rich areas to support sustainable growth and equitable development. It introduces a new zoning code designed to modernize building design and usage regulations, making it more flexible and responsive to the city's diverse communities. The plan garnered strong support from community groups, including those advocating for affordable housing in areas like Skid Row and Chinatown, and it emphasizes the importance of preserving historic resources while fostering economic growth. DTLA 2040 is the first community plan in Los Angeles to implement the city's recently updated zoning code, which will eventually be applied citywide to promote inclusivity and combat the housing and climate crises. Sacramento County Adopts Climate Action Plan The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved the Community Development Department's Planning and Environmental Review Division's revised 2024 Draft Communitywide Climate Action Plan (CAP). The CAP outlines strategies for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapting to climate change, aiming to meet California's 2030 and 2045 GHG reduction goals. It also aligns with the Sacramento County General Plan and integrates environmental, economic and community priorities. The Final CAP, along with the Final Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR), will be presented to the Board of Supervisors, with a hearing tentatively scheduled for November 6, 2024. Interested individuals can subscribe for updates on the hearing date and additional developments regarding the plan. Berkeley Experiments with "Amnesty" for Unpermitted ADUs Berkeley has launched a four-year pilot program aimed at legalizing unpermitted accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which homeowners often avoid renting due to concerns about liability and city penalties. The program offers a pathway for homeowners to have their ADUs inspected and legalized without facing fines, providing a certificate of occupancy or a simpler certificate of compliance. The program is designed to address the city's housing crisis by allowing these affordable units, often created from basements or garages, to be legalized while ensuring safety and code compliance. It is part of a broader effort in California to increase the number of ADUs, which are seen as a cost-effective solution to the housing shortage. With thousands of unpermitted units in Berkeley alone, this initiative could add significant affordable housing while avoiding the high costs of new construction. CP&DR Coverage: A Denser L.A. (Sort Of) In a departure from the actions other major cities in California, the Los Angeles City Council voted on December 10 to approve a citywide upzoning designed to meet L.A.'s housing targets - but didn't touch single-family zoning. L.A. has been at the forefront of the state's more toward allowing more housing in recent years, especially in the construction of accessory dwelling units. Vince Bertoni, the city's planning director, recently said Los Angeles has accounted for 80% of recent housing construction in Los Angeles County. The Citywide Housing Incentive Program, or CHIP, includes a “mixed-income incentive program,” which encourages mixed-income but “low scale/low rise” housing designed to create a transition along major corridors between high-rises and single-family neighborhoods, as well a 100% density bonus for restricted affordable housing in certain locations. Quick Hits and Updates The California State Auditor has removed the high-risk designation from Blythe, El Cerrito, Lynwood and San Gabriel after these cities addressed key deficiencies in their financial conditions and management practices. However, the cities of Lindsay, Montebellocha and West Covina retain their high-risk status due to ongoing concerns about their financial stability and management, with the State Auditor continuing to monitor their progress. San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie appointed Alicia John-Baptiste, former head of the urban policy think tank SPUR, as his policy chief, overseeing infrastructure, climate and transportation. John-Baptiste, who brings extensive experience from her leadership roles at SPUR and the SFMTA, will manage several key city agencies, including the SF Municipal Transportation Agency and Public Works, as part of Lurie's plan to restructure the mayor's office for greater accountability and efficiency. (See related CP&DR coverage .) A legal battle between the California Coastal Commission and homeowners in Half Moon Bay could set a precedent for coastal property protections across the state, particularly regarding seawalls. The case centers on whether homes built after 1977 are eligible for seawalls, with environmental groups supporting the commission's interpretation, which could limit seawall construction, while property rights advocates argue for broader eligibility to protect homes from erosion. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed an amicus brief supporting a proposed affordable housing project in Goleta, Santa Barbara County, after the city unlawfully rejected the application. The project would add 56 homes, including 13 affordable units for lower-income households, in a city facing a severe housing shortage. Bonta argues Goleta's refusal to process the application violated the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (Senate Bill 330) and the Housing Accountability Act (HAA), both of which are designed to streamline housing development and limit local resistance. San Joaquin County will purchase the Oakmoore Golf Course property in Stockton for $9.6 million, considering it for use as a site for safe camping for the unhoused, along with potential future public works facilities. While some community members express concerns about increased crime or vandalism, supervisors believe the land could provide a controlled space for homeless individuals with necessary services. The Biden administration has renewed waivers allowing California to enforce stricter emissions rules for lawn mowers, leaf blowers, refrigerated trucks and off-road vehicles, providing protection for the state's climate policies ahead of a potential shift under a Trump administration. These approvals are part of efforts to safeguard California's progressive regulations, with additional waivers still pending for rules on zero-emission trucks, ferries, tugboats and cars. For the fifth consecutive year in 2024, California ranked last in the nation for net U-Haul move-ins, reflecting ongoing domestic out-migration amid high living costs, particularly in the Bay Area. In contrast, states like South Carolina, Texas and Florida saw significant population growth, with California's overall population growth driven by international immigration and natural increase rather than domestic migration. Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) has filed a lawsuit against the Port of Oakland, claiming that the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed terminal redevelopment at Oakland Airport fails to adequately address the potential harm to the predominantly Black and Latino East Oakland community, particularly in terms of air quality, noise pollution and traffic. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to halt the project, highlighting concerns over increased nitrogen oxide emissions, health risks from noise pollution and the lack of sufficient environmental analysis. A study by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation favors the San Vicente-Fairfax K Line extension, which would provide significant economic benefits, create over 123,000 jobs and generate $22.5 billion during construction, with completion expected in the 2040s. This route, which would connect to the Hollywood/Highland Station, is supported by local officials though concerns remain about the impacts on businesses during construction and the need for interim transportation solutions. San Francisco voters recently passed Proposition K, which permanently closes the Upper Great Highway to cars and converts it into a full-time park, sparking a divisive debate between urbanists seeking more green spaces and residents worried about increased traffic in their neighborhoods. The controversy has led to a recall effort against Supervisor Joel Engardio, who supported the measure. San Francisco's population declined by 0.13% between July 2023 and July 2024, continuing a trend of population loss since the pandemic, with a net loss of 5,336 residents due to domestic outmigration. While California overall saw population growth, particularly from international migration, San Francisco's shrinking population is contributing to challenges such as a reduced tax base, lower housing demand and a slower downtown recovery. A recent report by StreetLight Data reveals that vehicle use and traffic congestion in many of the largest U.S. metros have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, indicating that efforts to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) are falling short. While VMT nationwide has increased by 12% since 2019, San Francisco has successfully reduced VMT per capita by 13%, possibly due to a shift toward remote work and effective state policies aimed at promoting more sustainable transportation options. The report highlights the importance of evaluating development projects based on their potential impact on VMT and emphasizes the need for improved infrastructure to encourage alternatives to car travel, particularly for short trips.

So here we are again: Fighting horrific wildfires around Los Angeles, which have destroyed Pacific Palisades and much of Altadena. It’s the worst urban wildfire in California history, the latest in a recent series of terrible fires. And it once again raises the question of whether we could have – or perhaps still could – plan our communities differently to minimize the risk.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed creating a separate Cabinet-level agency for housing.

This article is brought to you courtesy of the paying subscribers to California Planning & Development Report . You can subscribe to CP&DR by clicking here . You can sign up for CP&DR 's free weekly newsletter here . Biden to Designate 820,000 Acres for New National Monuments in California President Joe Biden is set to designate two new national monuments in California: the Chuckwalla National Monument south of Joshua Tree National Park and the Sáttítla National Monument nearby the Oregon border. The Chuckwalla monument will protect over 620,000 acres of desert habitat crucial for wildlife and indigenous cultural sites, while the Sáttítla monument spans 200,000 acres of woodland and meadows important to the Pit River and Modoc tribes, preserving additional important wildlife and ecosystems. These designations, part of Biden's efforts to preserve public lands, were influenced by significant support from tribal leaders and environmental groups, despite opposition from some local officials. The Chuckwalla monument's boundaries were adjusted to accommodate solar development interests, a concession aimed at balancing conservation with energy goals. State Rolls Out Reforms to Property Insurance Regulations Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara introduced a new regulation aimed at addressing the home insurance crisis by allowing insurers to charge higher premiums to cover the costs of reinsurance as part of a broader set of reforms. The regulation is designed to make the state's insurance market more appealing to insurers, many retreating due to wildfire losses. For the first time, insurers will be able to include reinsurance costs in their premiums, a practice common in other states but new to California. To ensure consumer protection, the regulation will cap these costs at an industry standard, while also requiring insurers to increase their coverage in wildfire-prone areas by 5% every two years. The regulation also enables ensurers to use predictive "catastrophe models" to identify high-risk areas. The move has been welcomed by industry groups, though critics argue it could lead to significant rate hikes and lacks safeguards to ensure insurers will actually write more policies in fire-prone areas. The regulation must still pass a review before it can become law and some insurers, like State Farm, have already ceased issuing new policies in California. (See related CP&DR coverage .) San Francisco Gets High Marks for Urban Mobility Resilience San Francisco ranks first in the 2024 Urban Mobility Readiness Index, evaluating cities' preparedness for future mobility challenges. The city excels in adopting technologies like autonomous vehicles (AVs) and robo-taxis, while investing in infrastructure, such as EV charging and public transit access, to reduce carbon emissions and improve traffic flow. Despite these advancements, San Francisco still faces challenges in expanding public transit and cycling infrastructure to match other leading cities. The index emphasizes the importance of consistent investment in both traditional mobility systems and new technologies to ensure resilience and sustainability. San Francisco's efforts highlight the need for a balanced approach to urban mobility, combining innovation with improvements to existing services to meet evolving transportation demands. California Organization Receives National Award for GHG Reduction The Southern California Clean Cities Coalition received two top awards at the national 2024 Clean Cities and Communities Training Workshop, recognizing its achievements in reducing gasoline gallon equivalents (GGEs) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These awards were based on data from the coalition's 2023 Clean Cities Annual Report, which is submitted annually to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The coalition reported a 129% increase in GGEs reduced and an 814% increase in GHGs reduced compared to 2022. The analysis of these metrics is conducted by the DOE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to track the progress of coalitions nationwide. The Southern California coalition's success highlights the role of regional collaboration, with substantial contributions from local fleet operators, including the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Foothill Transit. Moving forward, the coalition aims to increase participation from regional stakeholders, which will help further demonstrate the region's impact on promoting alternative fuels and cleaner vehicles. CP&DR Coverage: Faith-Based Organizations Approach Housing Development Cautiously Senate Bill 4, the Affordable Housing on Faith and Higher Education Lands Act, signed in 2023, provides CEQA streamlining for 100% affordable projects built on properties owned by faith-based organizations and nonprofit colleges, making projects subject to ministerial approval so long as they conform to local design standards. But, only a few of those acres have been redeveloped so far. Uptake has been slow so far, though. Whereas colleges are accustomed to developing student housing and completing other capital projects, housing development is not typically on religious organizations' agendas. Jurisdictions where SB 4 may hold the most promise are suburban cities that have traditionally been cool to new housing. In those cases, anti-housing city councils would not legally be able to deny a conforming project. Quick Hits & Updates The Berkeley City Council approved zoning changes to support research and development by allowing biosafety level 2 labs in mixed-use light industrial zones while prohibiting higher-risk level 3 and 4 labs throughout the city. The changes, aimed at fostering innovation, include a reduction in parking requirements and easier approval processes for smaller R&D labs near UC Berkeley and other key areas. The decision is part of a broader effort to grow the city's innovation sector, which includes biotech, climate technology and sound equipment manufacturing, as well as to provide financial incentives like tax exemptions for small R&D businesses. The Berkeley City Council approved zoning changes to support research and development by allowing biosafety level 2 labs in mixed-use light industrial zones while prohibiting higher-risk level 3 and 4 labs throughout the city. The changes, aimed at fostering innovation, include a reduction in parking requirements and easier approval processes for smaller R&D labs near UC Berkeley and other key areas. The decision is part of a broader effort to grow the city's innovation sector, which includes biotech, climate technology and sound equipment manufacturing, as well as to provide financial incentives like tax exemptions for small R&D businesses. San Francisco's transportation director, Jeffrey Tumlin, is resigning after five years at the helm of the Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), where he led the agency through a fiscal crisis exacerbated by declining revenues from parking and transit due to the pandemic. Tumlin's tenure saw improvements in Muni service, but the agency faces a looming $300 million deficit starting in 2026, with potential cuts to services, including the historic cable cars, which Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie has vowed to preserve. (See related CP&DR coverage .) The redevelopment of the Rancho San Pedro housing complex near the Port of Los Angeles has been recommended by the Los Angeles City Planning Commission, with plans to transform nearly 20 acres into the One San Pedro project, which will provide up to 1,553 new homes, including 1,090 affordable units. The project, slated to take 14 to 20 years, will also feature commercial spaces, public parks and a replacement housing building for existing residents during the redevelopment process. A new development proposal for a controversial parcel in San Francisco to replace the Sloat Garden Center, has been submitted by San Francisco Development Corp. and Housing America Partners for a 22-story, 446-unit mixed-income complex with a mix of market-rate and affordable senior rental apartments for 2700 Sloat Blvd. Despite being a scaled-back version of a previously proposed 50-story tower, the plan still faces potential opposition from local residents and officials, with concerns about the building's height and its impact on the Sunset District. After years of requests from local residents, an agreement has been reached to create the Modoc Multi-use Path, a new one-mile trail connecting Goleta and Santa Barbara. The County of Santa Barbara, La Cumbre Mutual Water Company and the Trust Land of Santa Barbara County have partnered to develop this ADA-compliant bike and pedestrian pathway. San Diego is moving forward with a law aimed at preserving low-income housing by requiring owners of subsidized apartment buildings to notify the city if they plan to sell. The law, which received unanimous approval from a city committee, would give city-approved developers the right to make a first offer on these properties and potentially outbid other buyers. The goal is to prevent the demolition of rent-restricted apartments in favor of market-rate housing, especially as rent restrictions expire. San Diego County's Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) has recommended directing more development to Oceanside, citing its capacity for growth and transportation infrastructure. However, local officials argue that Oceanside is already overdeveloped and that the recommendation disregards the city's existing growth plans and residents' opposition to further development in certain areas. The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy's report Preserving Affordable Homeownership highlights the growing partnerships between community land and trusts (CLTs) and municipal governments to address the housing affordability crisis. These partnerships allow individuals to purchase homes on leased land from CLTs, keeping homes affordable over time by limiting resale prices, and the report provides recommendations to strengthen such collaborations for long-term housing affordability. The San Luis Obispo Local Agency Formation Commission approved the annexation of a 1,370-unit housing project in Nipomo, despite opposition from the Nipomo Action Committee (NAC), which raised concerns about environmental impacts and infrastructure challenges. The project, which includes affordable housing, retail space, a Cuesta College campus and recreational facilities, has faced legal challenges, including a lawsuit from the NAC. Caltrain's newly electrictrified train service attracted over 753,000 passengers in its first month, a 54% increase compared to October 2023, marking its highest ridership since the pandemic. The switch to electric trains has boosted ridership significantly, with weekday and weekend numbers both surpassing pre-COVID levels—weekend ridership increased by 38% and weekend Saturdays and Sundays saw jumps of 169% and 142%, respectively.

Seawall Case

Driven in part by the ongoing controversy over the Southeast Development Area, the City of Fresno and Fresno County have agreed to a wide-ranging agreement to share property taxes in the SEDA and other areas located in the city’s sphere of influence.

CP&DR Vol. 39 No. 12 December 2024 Report

2024 might have seemed like a quiet year for  CP&DR news. On the one hand, there was no single mega-story that defined the year or attracted a inordinate number of readers.