Fire Hazard
80% of California homes built between 2020-2022 are in high fire risk areas
In 2020, California wildfires destroyed nearly a fifth of homes they came in contact with.
2025 Brought Seismic Changes to California Housing Laws
New state laws and policies created in reaction to devastating wildfires could spell massive changes for Southern California’s housing landscape.
San Diego County Picks Housing Over Wildfire Safety
The county’s planning commission approved a 453-unit housing development that neighbors worry could become a trap for residents during a fire evacuation.
Resilient Communities, Healthy Ecosystems: A Balanced Approach to Wildfires
Effective wildfire mitigation in California requires a holistic approach that goes beyond large-scale vegetation removal, emphasizing home hardening, defensible space, strategic planning, and reducing human-caused ignitions.
New York Launches Nation’s First Micromobility Trade-In Program
The program addresses safety concerns about e-bikes and e-scooters by letting residents trade in non-UL compliant devices.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Housing and Fire Safety in California
A proposed development near the site of the devastating Camp Fire highlights the growing tension between building badly needed housing and protecting communities from heightened wildfire risk.
One-Fifth of California AirBnb Rentals in Fire Risk Areas
An analysis of Airbnb properties across the state shows that despite the high fire risk in many parts of the state, the company and hosts frequently don’t provide adequate warning and evacuation instructions to guests.
The Ongoing Debate Over California's Eucalyptus Trees
The eucalyptus is an exotic species in California, and studies suggest it has contributed to an increase in wildfire hazards. But defenders of the trees say the eucalyptus is just an ecological scapegoat.
Wildfires Threaten Over a Million California Structures in High-Risk Areas
With limited action at the state level, communities in vulnerable areas have launched their own local preparedness programs and plans.
Wildfire Risks Make Southern California Development a Gamble
The Tejon Ranch development would bring thousands of homes to a highly fire-prone area in L.A. County.
Wine Country Wildfires Put Spotlight on Transmission Lines
No cause has yet been attributed to California's deadliest wildfires, but the connections to fallen power lines and exploding transformers, maintained by PG&E, have been exposed in a series of reports by the Bay Area News Group.
Wildfire Destroys Santa Rosa Neighborhood Outside of Fire Hazard Zone
The Wine Country wildfires destroyed Coffey Park, a subdivision within the urban boundaries of the Bay Area's fifth largest city, and outside of the state's severe fire hazard zones. But the cause wasn't a mystery to wildland fire scientists.
Cap-and-Trade Bill Boosts California's Struggling Biomass Facilities
California's new rigorous renewable portfolio standard of 50 percent by 2030 will support a renewable energy source that serves the dual purpose of reducing forest fire hazards.
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
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
