How to conceive of rebuilding places amid sudden change in a region known for its “ecology of fear?” As the city embarks on the arduous task of rebuilding, the question arises: how do we reconcile the imperatives of safety and sustainability with the deeply ingrained human desire for continuity, for a sense of rootedness in the familiar?
In an essay anticipating the rebuilding of Los Angeles, Chuck Wolfe evokes a range of regulatory approaches, the writing of the late Mike Davis, and the realities of political expediency to explore what place restoration will mean.
After referencing the importance of memories, histories, and community, he concludes:
Los Angeles's challenge is efficiently rebuilding homes and infrastructure while acknowledging how actual rebuilding transcends the physical. It's about encouraging the intangible, honoring memories, and cultivating a sense of belonging.
Paradise is fragile, says climate change and its progeny of storms, melts, heat, and drought. In this case, it's a matter of purposely reflecting on how resilience and beauty coexist amid political compromises and Davis’s ecology of fear.
FULL STORY: 'Place Shock' in Los Angeles
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From Crisis to Opportunity in Ukraine
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Don't Cement Our Future: Rethinking LA’s Landscape After Fire (and Floods)
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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Albuquerque’s Microtransit: A Planner’s Answer to Food Access Gaps
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This City Will Pay You to Meet Your Neighbors
A North Kansas City grant program offers up to $400 for residents to throw neighborhood block parties.
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.
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