A prominent academic and real estate industry expert has developed a far-reaching plan to accelerate the recovery of Los Angeles County communities. January wildfire.
The authors identified barriers to recovery and proposed solutions such as accelerating the building approval process; addressing labor and supply chain issues; and stabilizing the property insurance market in California.
“We want to make sure we move as soon as possible to get people back home,” Lew Horne, chairman of the report said.
Page 172 Project Recovery Report Written by the Los Angeles chapter of the Urban Land Institute (Real Estate Nonprofit Education and Research Institute) at the USC and UCLA.
This is by far the deepest look, as displaced people weigh their options in order to return to the Pacific Palisade, Altadna, Malibu and other affected communities, so what steps can be taken to speed up the revival.
The Urban Land Institute says more than 100 experts in land use, urban planning and economic development have provided technical analysis and advice to help those engaged in reconstruction make decisions and collaborate.
The report also draws on the institute’s experience of providing advice in Colorado and in the affected communities in New York and New Jersey following the 2021 Marshall Fire and Hurricane Sandy.
“Project Recovery” is an independent report related to research by Mayor Karen Bass’ Wildfire Chief Recovery Officer Steve Soboroff.
Soboroff said the institute’s report has been submitted to city and county staff and is a “blueprint to recover from a lot of people knowing about various issues.” “This is the most distant thing.”
A construction worker began the reconstruction process on March 18, 2025 at a house destroyed in the Palisades fire in the Pacific Palisades.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
He said many of its recommendations synchronized with Soboroff’s “90-day report” observations and recommendations will be made in the second week of April.
Some key recovery steps have been taken: The city has approved Three homes were allowed to be rebuilt in Pacific Palisades. As of last week, 72 owners have submitted redevelopment applications to the city. Another No. 98 submitted to Los Angeles County for reconstruction in the non-individual area.
In the new report, a team of experts working with the Urban Land Institute identified major obstacles to recovery from a wide range of wildfires and proposed strategic solutions, including:
Standardized debris removal scheme
The report said that consultants and contractors, both by the Army Corps of Engineers and private parties, should follow the same agreement to remove debris. For example, the team found that some requirements for the South Coast Air Quality Management Area rules related to the removal of asbestos removal were provided to contractors involved in the Army Corps of Engineers, but did not extend to privately-participated contractors.
Soil sampling results should be reviewed for each property to ensure they meet accepted standards and a certificate of completion shall be issued by a state or local environmental agency to record the building permit documents that have met the standards and connect them to each property as a permanent record.
Simplify approval
The report acknowledges a licensed self-certification program explored by Los Angeles officials. Qualified projects will include single-family residences, attached residential units, apartments and small commercial projects. Licensed architects, engineers and design professionals can “self-certify” building plans and specifications to meet objective building regulations requirements.
The licensing self-certification used by the Project License Coordinator should have digital applications to merge all departments of the on-site licensing center for review, licensing and signatures.
“We think you can take a one-year rights plan and knock it down for 30 days,” Horn said.
Sequential reviews of multiple departments (such as buildings and fires) should also be cancelled and replaced with plans that can consolidate all reviews by a single project permit coordinator.
Solve labor and supply chain issues
A site reconstruction logistics center should be created for each wildfire area, which is able to process 350 licenses per month within 30 days of application.
The centers will provide logistics planning and management simultaneous construction activities with a wildfire area of 1,000 to 2,000 residences and 30,000 to 40,000 workers per wildfire. Logistics experts will speak to workers on parking, housing and services; building delivery; towing routes; installments of materials; and working hours. The centers will also provide offices for inspectors and inspection program services.
The restoration of infrastructure and utility services should be coordinated with residential buildings to accelerate new home construction.
Stabilize California’s property insurance market
The report’s authors say the insurance challenges faced by many homeowners suffering catastrophic losses underscore the need to address the long-standing problems in the state that threaten California’s future prosperity.
“These wildfires are a very thick frosting coat Insurance Crisis Cake,” said Stuart Gabriel, director of the real estate center at UCLA Ziman, “It must be addressed substantively. ”
Among these recommendations: insurers are required to consider household hardening, defenseful spaces and mitigation measures when setting tax rates or updating policies; provide homeowners with guidance on how to prepare their properties for the best price; and provide a public-private reinsurance program to encourage insurers to re-enter high-risk areas.
In addition, insurers are required to consider forest management under their coverage and to enhance federal, state and local funding for forest and jungle management strategies such as controlled burns and reduced fuel load.
These community reconstruction authorities will act as general managers, with the authority to plan and implement reconstruction and recovery efforts. They will oversee from the Independent Governance Committee, but maintain the autonomy and authority of operations.
The CRA’s mission will include establishing a financial aid fund to help owners bridge the funding gap and establishing a privately operated center under a roof to coordinate planning, licensing and inspections.
The report further recommends the creation of a coalition of builders that can provide turnkey reconstruction solutions for owners who are unwilling to do their own rebuilding.
Richard Green, director of the USC Lusk Real Estate Center, said a key part of the reconstruction process will interact with people in the affected communities to “find out what they want and expect.” “Because while I agree that we need to bring economies of scale into reconstruction, if they feel they are being imposed on them, they won’t go anywhere. Their emotions are so primitive right now.”
