Why LA Is Struggling To Rebuild 6 Months After Wildfires

Why LA Is Struggling To Rebuild 6 Months After Wildfires

Author: Strong Towns August 6, 2025 Duration: 43:08
In January 2025, wildfires swept across Los Angeles with record-breaking destruction. To encourage swift rebuilding, Governor Newsom suspended environmental regulations. But six months later, only a fraction of homeowners have even received permits, let alone started the rebuilding process. Chuck is joined by Edward Erfurt, Strong Towns’ chief technical advisor, to talk about why, as well as the deeper challenges of rebuilding in fire-prone areas. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “Why it’s taking LA so long to rebuild” by Umair Irfan, Vox (July 2025). Want to bring the conversation to your community? Book Chuck or Edward as a speaker. Abby Newsham (X/Twitter). Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.   This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.

Each week, Upzoned takes a single, pressing story from the world of urban development, municipal policy, and community economics and holds it up to the light. Hosts Abby Kinney and Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns, sometimes joined by a guest, don't just skim the headlines. They dig into the nuances of a specific zoning decision, a new infrastructure project, or a shifting demographic trend, asking what it reveals about how we actually build our cities, towns, and neighborhoods. The conversation is grounded in the practical, bottom-up philosophy of the Strong Towns movement, making complex topics accessible and immediately relevant. This isn't a broad news recap; it's a focused, thoughtful dissection for anyone curious about why their community looks and functions the way it does. You'll hear informed debate, critical analysis, and a persistent questioning of conventional wisdom, all aimed at understanding how we can create places that are financially resilient and genuinely enriching for the people who live in them. Tune in for a deeper, more substantive take on the stories that shape our shared spaces.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Upzoned
Podcast Episodes
What Happens When Malls Start Charging for Parking? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:00
What happens when something people have always treated as free suddenly gets a price tag? A USA Today article, “Shopping Malls Are Charging for Prime Parking. It’s Not Going Well,” looks at what happens when a long-stand…
This Tiny Backyard Home Cost $600,000 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:19
A Los Angeles couple set out to build a 400-square-foot backyard home for about $300,000, only to watch the final cost climb to $600,000 in a project recently profiled by Lisa Boone in the Los Angeles Times. Norm Van Eed…
When Did Letting Kids Play Outside Become a Crime? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:34
A six-year-old rides his scooter to a playground a quarter mile from home. Two days later, Child Protective Services is at his family’s door. His case is one of several in a recent New York Times article asking whether l…
L.A.’s 8-Mile Bike Path Is Now a $1 Billion Project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:09
An eight-mile gap keeps Los Angeles from having a continuous river bike route through the heart of the city. Voters approved hundreds of millions of dollars to help close it, but years of planning have pushed the project…
The Water Crisis That Left a Small Town Abandoned [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:23
Hartman, Colorado, reached a point where it could no longer function as a town. Its water system was unsafe, every member of the town board had resigned, and no one remained with the authority to hold an election or sign…
What If NIMBYs Were Paid to Say Yes? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:15
What if the easiest way to overcome opposition to new housing was simply to pay people to accept it? A recent article in The Atlantic argues that after state laws, packed public meetings, and economic appeals have failed…
When Boomers Don’t Downsize, What’s Left for Everyone Else? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:48
What happens when one generation holds much of the country’s housing wealth and has little reason to give it up? Chuck Marohn talks with Strong Towns board chair Andrew Burleson and historic property renovator Richard Ru…
The Retirement Plan Trapped Inside the Housing Crisis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:56
Americans have been told that buying a home is one of the safest ways to secure their future. But when retirement depends on home values continuing to climb, affordability begins to look like a threat. Carlee Alm-LaBar i…
Chicago’s $1.2 Billion Parking Meter Problem [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:33
In 2009, Chicago traded 75 years of parking meter revenue for a $1.2 billion payment that helped fill an immediate budget hole. Norm Van Eeden Petersman is joined by Tony Jordan, executive director of the Parking Reform…
Can Rebuilding Make a Town Weaker? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:43
Five years after wildfire destroyed most of Lytton, British Columbia, rebuilding remains slow despite more than $140 million in committed public funding. Norm Van Eeden Petersman talks with Michel Durand-Wood, author of…