Wildfire planning often focuses on individual buildings, but little guidance exists for effective citywide evacuation planning.

Increasingly powerful fires are devastating communities around the world, with tens of thousands of people already affected this year. “And yet, when it comes to things like planning evacuations, best practices don’t really exist—there’s no book to consult, no checklist to follow,” writes Caroline Mimbs Nyce in The Atlantic.
“The reason for this is that wildfire-evacuation research is still in its infancy,” Mimbs Nice explains. Although robust fire codes for buildings do exist, the same can’t be said for whole communities. Meanwhile, the unpredictable nature of fire makes it difficult to model predicted outcomes and establish protocols.
Mimbs Nyce outlines the challenges faced by authorities and residents during a fire: notification, time to meet with loved ones and get essentials, and transit time out of an affected area, which can be affected by road design, exit routes, and traffic. In addition to evacuation preparations, a town can also designate a highly protected gathering place as a refuge for people unable to flee.
Ali Mosleh, director of the B. John Garrick Institute for the Risk Sciences at UCLA, emphasizes the importance of developing standards catered to the needs of different types of communities. “They might need different numbers of evacuation routes, and different sorts of community-warning systems. Existing tools and simulations, like the one run on Camp Fire data, can help guide policy makers.”
FULL STORY: The World Needs to Start Planning for the Fire Age

Amtrak Ramping Up Infrastructure Projects
Thanks to federal funding from the 2021 infrastructure act, the agency plans to triple its investment in infrastructure improvements and new routes in the next two years.

Ending Downtown San Francisco’s ‘Doom Loop’
A new public space project offers an ambitious vision—so why is the city implementing it at such a small scale?

Proposal Would Transform L.A.’s ‘Freeway to Nowhere’ Into Park, Housing
A never-completed freeway segment could see new life as a mixed-use development with housing, commercial space, and one of the county’s largest parks.

California Legislative Package Seeks to Address Homelessness and Mental Health
The state is investing $22 billion in supportive housing, mental health services, shelter beds, and housing units for its most vulnerable residents.

Advancing Shade Equity in LA’s Koreatown
Koreatown is one of Los Angeles's densest and most park-poor communities. A privately funded tree planting initiative will bring some much needed greenery and shade to the area.

Federal Government Announces National Climate Resilience Framework
The document is designed to guide federal investment into community-driven solutions tailored to local conditions and needs.
Alta Planning + Design
Alta Planning + Design
City of Kyle
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Washington University
Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility
City of Helena
Lassen County Planning and Building Services
City of San Carlos
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.