Palisades Fire

January 8, 2026

Letter From Malibu: Sam Hall Kaplan on Chaos, Civic Dysfunction, and Looming Corruption

In this republished essay from Common Edge, critic and longtime Malibu resident Sam Hall Kaplan examines the troubling intersection of post-fire rebuilding, municipal dysfunction, and political influence now unfolding at Malibu City Hall. He warns that the city’s experience offers a cautionary tale for other climate-vulnerable communities across Los Angeles County—where delayed recovery, opaque governance, and misaligned incentives risk eroding public trust at precisely the moment effective civic leadership is most needed.

July 22, 2025

Rick Caruso: Accelerating LA’s Recovery & Restoring Trust

The Planning Report shares a candid and timely interview with Rick Caruso, who reflects on lessons from decades of community-centered development and elaborates on the work he’s undertaken to assist LA’s wildfire recovery.

July 10, 2025

LADBS GM Osama Younan on Palisades Fire Rebuild: Speed, Safety & Self-Certification

TPR spoke with City of Los Angeles’ Department of Building & Safety General Manager Osama Younan about the department’s critical role in both emergency response and the long-term rebuilding efforts in the Palisades.

July 10, 2025

Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Resilience & Fire Safe Recovery Recommendations

The Commission's primary recommendations are to establish a Resilient Rebuilding Authority with financing powers and tools to accelerate the pace and reduce the cost of rebuilding and to create Fire Control District with permanent funding for regional fire mitigation activities

July 10, 2025

Letter From Los Angeles: The Unsettling Silence of Construction Sites

In the aftermath of the LA Wildfires, Sam Hall Kaplan reports on the sudden halt in rebuilding activity across fire-impacted communities like Malibu and links the disruption to escalating immigration enforcement actions

April 22, 2025

Soboroff: Report of the LA Chief Recovery Officer 

Here, TPR shares those observations included in the Report of the Chief Recovery Officer from April 10, 2025.

April 22, 2025

Mayor Bass 2025 State of the City Speech Portends A Difficult Budget Season for LA

A split screen of optimism amidst sobering circumstances, Mayor Bass addresses the city's progress on public safety, homelessness, and Palisades recovery and the challenges ahead facing a constrained budget cycle, uncertain federal economic outlook, and the city's fast-approaching showcase on the world stage during the 2026 World Cup and LA28 Olympic Games.

April 9, 2025

USGBC-CA’s Ben Stapleton on Wildfire Recovery & Building Decarbonization

Ben Stapleton discusses USGBC-CA's priorities since expanding statewide last year including collaborative efforts on building performance, championing resilience in reconstruction efforts, and navigating key challenges in the building and construction industry exacerbated by recent federal uncertainties.

February 18, 2025

LA County Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Action & Fire Safe Recovery

TPR shares this fact sheet outlining the commission's responsibilities and membership.

February 18, 2025

'Not So Fast'—Jay Stark on the Sobering Reality of Disaster Recovery Timelines

Jay Stark draws from his experience as a fire-impacted resident of both Maui and Pacific Palisades to opine on the rhetoric surrounding post-fire rebuilding efforts.

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© 2026 The Planning Report | David Abel, Publisher, ABL, Inc.