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| Resilience Strategy (Los Angeles) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Los Angeles Resilience Strategy |
| Caption | Downtown Los Angeles |
| Jurisdiction | City of Los Angeles |
| Launched | 2015 |
| Coordinates | 34.0522°N 118.2437°W |
Resilience Strategy (Los Angeles) The Los Angeles Resilience Strategy is a municipal plan aimed at strengthening Los Angeles against shocks and stresses such as earthquakes, wildfires, droughts, floods, heat waves and economic disruption. It integrates planning across agencies including the Mayor of Los Angeles's office, Los Angeles City Council, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Los Angeles Fire Department, and Los Angeles Police Department with input from civic groups, business coalitions and academic institutions such as University of California, Los Angeles, University of Southern California, and California Institute of Technology.
The strategy emerged after high-profile events including the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the 2017 Thomas Fire, and the 2012–2017 California drought, aligning with statewide efforts like Governor initiatives and federal frameworks such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency guidance on community resilience. Objectives reference international models including the 100 Resilient Cities initiative and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and seek to protect critical infrastructure such as the Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles International Airport, and the Los Angeles Aqueduct. Goals emphasize seismic retrofits, water security tied to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, urban heat mitigation in neighborhoods including South Los Angeles, and economic stability for sectors like the Hollywood entertainment industry and the Los Angeles garment district.
Implementation is coordinated through municipal bodies such as the Mayor of Los Angeles's resilience office, the Los Angeles City Council committees, the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department, and partnerships with regional authorities like the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and agencies including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Los Angeles County). Technical guidance is provided by academic partners including UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, USC Price School of Public Policy, and Caltech Seismological Laboratory, while nonprofit stakeholders such as the Galanter Foundation and community organizations across neighborhoods from Echo Park to Watts participate in community resilience councils. Interagency coordination leverages memoranda of understanding with entities like the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and the United States Army Corps of Engineers for infrastructure projects.
Programs include seismic retrofit mandates for unreinforced masonry inspired by post‑Northridge earthquake reforms, vegetation management partnerships with the United States Forest Service to reduce wildfire risk near the Santa Monica Mountains, and urban greening projects in collaboration with the Los Angeles Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land. Water resilience initiatives tie to the Los Angeles Aqueduct system, recycled water projects with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and groundwater recharge efforts in the San Fernando Valley. Transportation resilience includes redundancy planning for U.S. Route 101 (California), the Los Angeles Metro rail network, and resilience upgrades at the Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles International Airport. Economic resilience programs target small businesses through partnerships with the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, LA County Economic Development Corporation, and philanthropic funders including the Gates Foundation-style donors and local funds.
Risk assessments draw on models from the United States Geological Survey for seismic hazard mapping, climate projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and hydrology studies involving the Los Angeles River and San Gabriel Mountains. Scenario planning includes earthquake scenarios informed by the Hayward Fault and San Andreas Fault studies, drought scenarios linked to statewide water policy, and heat island analyses for central districts like Downtown Los Angeles. Plans integrate social vulnerability indices using data from the United States Census Bureau and health metrics from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to prioritize neighborhoods including South Los Angeles and Boyle Heights for resilience investments.
Funding sources encompass municipal bonds approved by the Los Angeles City Council, state grants from entities such as the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, federal funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, and private philanthropy from organizations like the Weingart Foundation. Public–private partnerships involve firms in the Silicon Beach technology corridor, utility investments from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and collaborative ventures with regional bodies such as the Southern California Association of Governments. International cooperation has been sought through networks including C40 Cities and legacy relationships with 100 Resilient Cities partners.
Monitoring uses metrics aligned with international standards from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and reporting mechanisms similar to those used by C40 Cities. Evaluations rely on academic studies from institutions including UCLA, USC, and Caltech to assess outcomes such as reduced recovery time after events, improved water storage in facilities tied to the Los Angeles Aqueduct, and enhanced emergency response by the Los Angeles Fire Department. Outcome examples include retrofits of public housing in collaboration with the Los Angeles Housing Department and resilience training programs coordinated with the Los Angeles Unified School District and community colleges like Los Angeles City College.
Critiques have focused on uneven distribution of investments across neighborhoods, tensions with landlords in enforcing seismic retrofits affecting districts like the Skid Row area, and conflicts between development interests in Downtown Los Angeles and preservationists including the Los Angeles Conservancy. Challenges include securing sustained funding amid competing priorities set by the Los Angeles City Council and state policy shifts from administrations such as the California Governor's office, addressing complex governance involving entities like the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and adapting plans to evolving science from the United States Geological Survey and NASA climate projections.