Nearing the 20th anniversary of the last large earthquake to strike the L.A. region, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a year-long effort to identify ways to protect the city's vulnerable buildings and critical infrastructure from the next rumbler.
Recent reporting in the Los Angeles Times seems to have awoken the city to its unpreparedness for the next big quake, and L.A. leaders are now taking steps to tackle earthquake safety.
"Marking the 20th anniversary of the destructive Northridge earthquake, [Mayor Eric] Garcetti said Los Angeles would for the first time partner with the U.S. Geological Survey to better protect private buildings as well as telecommunications and water supplies during a major temblor," report Rong-Gong Lin II, Rosanna Xia and Doug Smith. "The move comes as the City Council is considering several seismic safety initiatives, including creating inventories of potentially dangerous concrete and wooden apartment buildings."
"Taken together, they mark the most significant effort to improve earthquake safety in Los Angeles in a generation," they add.
"Earthquake preparedness is kind of like a balloon. If you don't continually put air into it, it will deflate," Garcetti said. "Too many in our city have stopped thinking about how we can best prepare."
FULL STORY: L.A. Mayor Garcetti to push for greater earthquake safety
Los Angeles Resiliency Strategy Looks Beyond 'The Big One'
Renewable energy, sea-level rise, and, of course, seismic safety are all part of the plan.
Bay Area Not Prepared for Next Big One
As the death toll from Mexico's 7.1 magnitude earthquake on Sept. 19 climbs above 300, the San Francisco Chronicle investigates how well prepared the Bay Area is for an earthquake of comparable magnitude. Not very well.
Los Angeles Releases Large-Scale Earthquake Preparedness Plan
Los Angeles has been hard at work, under the leadership of Dr. Lucy Jones, to prepare for the ever-present threat of earthquakes. The Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti released the plan, called "Resilience by Design," earlier this week.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.
Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.
LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions