While catastrophic, the California fires will not have nearly the destructive impact as the other firestorm still in progress: the subprime meltdown.
"In all 1800 homes were destroyed in California as of Friday. A half a million acres had been consumed. Those responsible for containing the damage blamed the weather in the short term and climate change in the longer term as well as earlier fire-fighting techniques. This disaster is expected to cost $1 billion dollars.
Yet, [the] pervasive subprime mortgage fraud...threatens to lead to far more homes lost, not 1800, but an estimated two and a half million. (The LA Times says foreclosures in California are at a record high. The third quarter's total surpasses 24,000, which is a record.) More homes are at risk in the fires that have yet to be contained.
Its hard to predict how many of these people will get sick or die because of psychological disorientation and homelessness. Many of them are poor, while those scarred by the fire lived largely in affluent communities.
Senator Chris Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee characterized the subprime crisis as a "50 State Katrina."
...So by all means let's be supportive towards the fire victims who have lost their homes in California's "natural" disaster -- and those that may in fires that may soon have Texas burning -- but we should so so without forgetting the millions of Americans who will soon lose their homes and their economic stability in Wall Street's man-made storm."
Read the full story: The Twin Disasters: California Burning and Wall Street Churning
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
US buildings threatened, destroyed by fires set to triple by 2060
Researchers found a high fire risk for socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods in the American West.
LA residents may be allowed to paint their own crosswalks
Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky put out a motion instructing the Los Angeles Department of Public Transportation to study the feasibility of allowing volunteers to paint crosswalks.
Dallas moves to overhaul its zoning code
The city's zoning reform will allow more multi-family and mixed-use developments.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority