AIA|LA ADVOCACY REPORT
February 4, 2025
Leadership from AIA California Strategizes Wildfire Disaster Response at CalTech on January 30th.

WILDFIRE DISASTER RESPONSE:  LEVERAGING THE LEADERSHIP & EXPERTISE OF THE ARCHITECT

AIA|LA Wildfire Disaster Response Task Force – Meeting #2

If you’re available, please join the Task Forces’ next meeting, which will be on Wednesday, February 5 (4pm).  This will be a virtual meeting on zoom.

RSVP HERE.

This meeting will serve as a listening session and as a forum to help build consensus, map out priorities, and assign roles and deliverables.  A detailed agenda will be shared in advance with all attendees.
To view the discussion from Task Force’s first meeting, please CLICK HERE.

 

AIA California: Leveraging the Leadership of the Architecture Profession

On Thursday, January 30th, AIA California convened a working group of architects and chapter staff representing the leadership of the Los Angeles, Pasadena & Foothill, San Fernando Valley, and Southbay/ Long Beach chapters of the AIA.  The meeting served as an opportunity to identify ways for the AIA in CALIFORNIA to work together in response to the horrific disasters that impacted the Los Angeles region.

With the common goal to serve and unite the network of architects and design professionals in the creation of a more just, equitable, and resilient future never has this been more important than it is right now. How we organize our response in a focused and meaningful way, mobilizing members and the communities will be important to the relevancy and value they ascribe to the AIA in the future.

AIA|LA will help take the lead on two specific tasks:

  1.  Coordinated Advocacy Efforts to advance policy, processes, and regulations that will help advance rebuilding and economic recovery.  We’ll be focused on recommendations to help streamline the permitting process, as well as, opportunities to advance more innovative and resilient building materials and building systems (e.g., steel pin and tube foundation systems, etc.)
  2.  Professional Development programs and seminars to help educate the design community about best practices in resilient design.

Next steps and advocacy priorities identified:

1. Advocacy: develop a unified policy playbook with real-world applications to guide local advocacy efforts.

2. Education: of architects, clients, and policymakers about both the current and future state

3. Communication: create a unified message from the architectural profession about issues impacting recovery and rebuilding.

4. Coordinated Resources: establish a central hub for education, resources, and volunteer coordination to streamline and avoid

AIA LA Education session about recovery/rebuilding efforts

  • Policy changes
  • Process and timeline
  • Our positions about each issue (THIS WE BELIEVE)

AIA|LA & ACLA 2×8 exhibition/competition

  • Student design competition to focus on resiliency/rebuilding

To review the comprehensive plan of what all of the AIA chapters in Southern California are working on, please CLICK HERE.

AIA in California Disaster Assistance Plan
AIA California Presentation – January 30, 2025

 

 

 

 

 


ADVOCATING FOR A “PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION” PROGRAM FOR LOS ANGELES

On January 13, 2025, Mayor Karen Bass issued an Emergency Executive Order NO. 1 (Return and Rebuild) to help expedite the rebuilding process.  Item #10 on the executive order was an instruction to LADBS to report back within 15 days on what permit review(s) could potentially be undertaken as a self-certification procedure by a licensed project architect, for Eligible Projects that are limited to the reconstruction of single-family residential structures.

AIA|LA has been advocating for a ‘self-certification’ program for the past 5+ years, especially to help the City of LA quicken its ability to facilitate tenant improvements and office-to-housing conversions, etc.  The tragic disaster has catalyzed our efforts and we now have an opportunity to further examine how such a program will benefit LA’s recovery and resilience.

In response to the Mayor’s Executive Order, Dana Sayles, AICP and her team at Three6ixty shared a letter with ideas for Additional Emergency Measures to Facilitate Relief from Wildfire Destruction.

We encourage you to review those additional ideas and share your feedback to see if more architects and designers agree with these additional measures.

On January 15th, Councilmembers Nithya Raman and Bob Blumenfield introduced a motion “to instruct the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety and Los Angeles City Planning Department, with the assistance of any other relevant departments, to report back within 30 days with options for a Citywide self-certification program to directly or indirectly expedite permits for residential, commercial, and mixed-use development.” The report should study existing programs, including the City and County of San Diego, the City of Bellflower, and the City of New York, among others.

On January 28th, we shared our support for the motion at the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM AIA CALIFORNIA.

CLICK HERE to read about AIA|LA’s proposal to self-certify the ‘restamping process’ during the plan check process.

 

CALL TO ACTION!

The item will be discussed by the full City Council on February 5th.  To review the agenda for the February 5th City Council Meeting, please CLICK HERE.

If you’d like to share a letter of support to advance a ‘professional certification’ program, then please share public comment by clicking on this link.  You will want to reference Agenda Item #34 (Council File 25-0043) and enter your name, email address, and support letter.  You will also be asked to verify your pending comment with an email confirmation before it’s posted publically.

Please copy us on your letter of support, as well.

IN COLLABORATION WITH INDUSTRY PARTNERS

In the meanwhile, AIA Los Angeles has also joined a working group along with representatives from ULI-LA, the UCLA Ziman Center, and The USC Lusk Center for Real Estate.  We met on Friday, January 31st and will be meeting twice weekly between now and February 12th to develop a set of recommendations on what an effective ‘professional certification’ program will look like and to share that recommendation with the City of LA Chief Recovery Officer Steve Soboroff, and with County of Los Angeles Supervisor Kathyrn Barger.

As those recommendations evolve, we will keep you posted.

Rebuilding Motion from Supervisor Harvarth and Supervisor Barger.

PERMIT STREAMLINING – a Comprehensive Resource from AIA National

Support for Expedited Permitting Mechanisms for Wildfire Recovery in Los Angeles

On behalf of  AIA Los Angeles and our 4500+ members and AIA California, representing over 11,000 licensed architects throughout the state, we express our strong support for the goals of the motion introduced by Councilmembers Raman and Blumenfield (Council File 25-0043). This motion, which seeks to explore options for a Citywide self-certification program, aligns with AIA California’s commitment to facilitating rapid, safe, and cost-effective rebuilding efforts for the communities impacted by the recent wildfires.

We understand the urgency of this situation and the critical need to support homeowners and businesses in their recovery. A well-structured Professional Certification program can streamline the permitting process without compromising public health, safety, and welfare.

AIA California believes that architects, with their extensive education, licensure, and adherence to professional standards of care, are uniquely qualified to self-certify the conformance of their designs to applicable building codes and regulations. This approach can:

Expedite Permitting: Reduce the burden on City staff, allowing them to focus on more complex projects.

Enhance Public Safety: Ensure that projects are designed and built to the highest standards by licensed professionals.

Improve Efficiency: Streamline the process for both homeowners and architects.

We are prepared to work closely with the City of Los Angeles, LADBS, City Planning, and other relevant stakeholders to develop a robust and effective Professional Certification program that meets the specific needs of wildfire recovery.

We urge the City of Los Angeles, as well as, The County of Los Angeles to seriously consider this approach as part of its overall strategy to support the swift and equitable recovery of the affected communities.

 

PERMIT STREAMLINING & IMPROVING DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

On Monday, January 27th, Councilmember Nithya Raman organized a roundtable discussion & presentation to learn more about best practices emerging from the City of San Diego, which includes innovative approaches to spur housing production.    Elyse Lowe – Director, Department of Development Services (DDS) led the discussion, along with her colleagues from DDS, about their new permit streamlining program, in which at least 50% of building permits are issued the same day, as well as their successful Complete Communities Housing Solutions Program and other housing incentive strategies.

To note, it can easily be argued that an underlying reason for San Diego’s success is that development services are organized within one holistic department, rather than spread throughout a dozen or more departments such as the case in the City of Los Angeles.

Participants in the discussion included leadership from numerous city departments involved in development services along with representatives from the private sector with experience navigating the permitting process.

Much of the City of LA’s effort to improve development services is focused on fully realizing the full functionality of the BUILD LA portal.  Eventually, we will want Build LA to be as comprehensive as the County’s EPIC-LA online portal and hopefully, we’ll get there soon.

One idea that we may also want to prioritize is to create a template set of ’typical’ permits (along with a complete checklist) that are most often required for some of the more traditional project typologies. Sure, it will never be 100% complete, but I do think it will be incredibly useful and will empower project applicants with greater awareness of all of the moving parts.

Just off the top of my head, some of those “more traditional project typologies” may include:

1. Multifamily residential (urban infill)
2. Adaptive Reuse and/or remodeling of an existing building.
3. Tenant Improvement work (BTW, we’re hoping to advance an initiative that would empower T/I projects to be self-certified by architect/ engineer)
4. Single-family, duplex, tri-plex, ADU, and other low-rise urban infill.

I’m sure there are other ’traditional’ project types, but having a template set of typical permits required for each would be most helpful. And eventually, all of those permits could be packaged together for a streamlined, comprehensive sign-off. For instance, imagine the “MULTI-FAMILY PERMIT”, which costs $XYZZ.00 and bundles everything the City requires (or needs to know) into one integrated intake document, e.g., the construction documents!


Friends Of Residential Treasures: Los Angeles

On January 25th, Greg Kochanowski, AIA co-chair of the AIA|LA Wildfire Disaster Response Task Force participated in a discussion organized by FORT-LA called  The Heart of LA: Memory, Resilience and the Road to Recovery.

To view the discussion on Vimeo, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

FORT-LA is also organizing a design competition “to reimagine one of Los Angeles’ architectural treasures lost to the devastating 2025 LA Fires”.  According to the call for entries, ‘this contest offers participants the opportunity to craft designs that serve as a love letter to heal the heart of LA—honoring historical legacies, fostering community integration, and promoting sustainable futures”.  MORE INFO HERE.

WILDFIRE RESPONSE RESOURCES & READING LIST

Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program

Communities at risk from wildfires can now apply for funding | US Forest Service
Notices of funding opportunities are available on Grants.gov. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time on February 28, 2025. Applicants are strongly encouraged to develop proposals in consultation with state or Forest Service regional cooperative fire contacts listed in the Notices of Funding Opportunity.

Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program | US Forest Service

Funding – Wildfire Risk to Communities

National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy

Our Network – Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network

Partnerships & Community Engagement

Strategy & Priority Setting

Best management practices for creating a community wildfire protection plan | US Forest Service Research and Development

Homepage – Wildfire Risk to Communities

Reduce Risk – Wildfire Risk to Communities

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AIA|LA Wildfire Response 2025: Sign Up to Volunteer

AIA|LA Los Angeles Wildfire Disaster Response Task Force (Recording on Youtube) = January 15, 2025

Agenda for AIA|LA Wildfire Disaster Response Ad Hoc Task Force Meeting

AIA California DISASTER RESPONSE TOOLKIT

Pacific Palisade Community Council

Palisades Fire Information/Updates

PPCC January 23, 2025 Meeting Recording

Fire Safety and Health Information (LA County)

Hazardous Debris Removal

All Releases and Fact Sheets FEMA shares on this disaster can be found here

LA County Debris Removal

Medication Assistance

Here’s all the actions Governor Newsom has taken in response to the Los Angeles fires

LA County Emergency Resources for Workers and Businesses

Mayor Bass Appoints Steve Soboroff As Chief Recovery Officer to Kickoff the City’s Massive Rebuild Effort

Los Angeles Wildfires: Safety & Support Guide for Angelenos

Recovery Efforts: Briefing on Governor Newsom’s Recent Executive Order N-4-25

Padilla Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Wildfire Resilience and Recovery

Mayor Bass Issues Sweeping Executive Order to Clear Way for Angelenos to Rebuild Their Homes Fast

Eaton & Palisades Fire Response

Moving from “Reaction and Relief” to “Recovery and Resilience”

In the rush to rebuild, one topic is taboo: What should be built differently — or not at all?

Wealth will dictate LA fire recovery unless California learns from mistakes of past disasters

Opinion: Before rebuilding, we should recognize the fires’ tragedies and opportunities

Disasters Are Exactly the Time for Urban Planning

After The Fires

Building Code is the New Zoning Reform

Why California keeps putting homes where fires burn

‘Passive House’ Survives Fire in California: How It Avoided Total Destruction, According to Architect

How Los Angeles Dreams Became Kindling

Editorial: After the fires, must we get rid of our flammable eucalyptus and palm trees? Maybe not

‘We surpassed human limits to stop this’: LA megafires show our approach to fire needs to change

“Los Angeles Against the Mountains—I.”

DESIGN FOR LA

Petition for Immediate Action to Address Firestorm Catastrophes in Los Angeles County


Adaptive Reuse & AB 529 Working Group

On October 21, 2024, HCD released a request for information (RFI) that encouraged all interested parties to provide feedback and help identify challenges and opportunities that help support the creation and promotion of adaptive reuse residential projects.
Below are several links to responses from AIA California submitted to HCD.
We encourage all stakeholders to review the RFI responses and direct further comments to AB529Workgroup@hcd.ca.gov.
Posted Public RFI Responses = American Institute of Architects California (AIA)

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Will Wright, Hon. AIA|LA
Director, Government & Public Affairs
t: 213.639.0764
e: will@aialosangeles.org
www.aialosangeles.org