Latest news with #LARises
Forbes
03-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
California Taps AI To Fast-Track Wildfire Recovery Permits
Archistar AI Fast-tracked online building permit assessment tool, image courtesy office of ... More California Governor Gavin Newsom In a move to expedite recovery from devastating wildfires, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the deployment of a cutting-edge AI tool designed to streamline the building permit approval process. The initiative aims to accelerate reconstruction efforts in Los Angeles County, where over 16,000 structures were destroyed by the recent Eaton and Palisades wildfires. Developed by Australian tech firm Archistar, the AI software employs machine learning and computer vision to automatically assess building plans for compliance with local zoning and safety codes. This technology enables homeowners and developers to pre-validate their designs, significantly reducing the time-consuming back-and-forth typically associated with permit approvals. "The current pace of issuing permits locally is not meeting the magnitude of the challenge we face," Governor Newsom stated. "To help boost local progress, California is partnering with the tech sector and community leaders to give local governments more tools to rebuild faster and more effectively." The AI tool is being provided free of charge to Los Angeles City and County through a collaboration between the state and philanthropic organizations, including LA Rises and Steadfast LA, with contributions from Autodesk and Amazon. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed strong support for the initiative, highlighting its potential to expedite the city's recovery. "Getting residents home quickly and safely is my top priority," she said. "With the announcement of this AI solution, we're infusing new technologies into City Hall processes to ensure nothing stands in the way of families getting home." Los Angeles County has also committed to utilizing the software, with the Board of Supervisors passing a resolution to establish a unified permitting authority for the Altadena One-Stop Recovery Center. Supervisor Kathryn Barger noted, "This AI tool has the potential to save homeowners valuable time by helping them submit code-compliant plans from the start." The introduction of AI into the permitting process comes at a critical time. According to reports, nearly four months after the wildfires, residents have begun the arduous process of rebuilding, with only a few permits approved due to the traditionally slow and intricate permitting process. The deployment of Archistar's AI tool in Los Angeles is part of a broader trend of integrating technology into disaster recovery efforts. The software is already in use in over 25 municipalities across the United States, Canada, and Australia, including cities like Vancouver, Austin, Houston, and Seattle. In addition to California's innovative use of AI for streamlining building permit approvals post-wildfire, several other cities and regions worldwide are making use of AI to enhance their permitting processes. Austin, Texas, has adopted AI-driven building permit software to expedite the permitting process for single-family homes. The software y interprets zoning codes and implements regulations accordingly during reviews of residential projects. Similarly, the City of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada, is utilizing AI to reduce building permit approval times. The Honolulu, Hawaii city's Department of Planning and Permitting has likewise cut the time to complete residential permits by 70% through the use of AI, demonstrating the technology's potential to enhance governmental efficiency. Experts suggest that such technological innovations could serve as a model for future disaster responses, potentially reducing the time and cost associated with rebuilding efforts. David Waite, a partner at Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP, who chaired the permitting reform workstream at this year's Luskin Summit, highlighted the benefits of expedited permitting, citing Santa Rosa's recovery after the 2017 Tubbs Fire, where the Coffee Park neighborhood was 85% rebuilt within three years partly due to streamlined processes. As California continues to grapple with the aftermath of its most destructive wildfires, the integration of AI into the rebuilding process represents a significant step toward resilience and efficiency. By leveraging technology and fostering public-private partnerships, the state aims to not only rebuild but also set a precedent for innovative disaster recovery strategies nationwide.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Eaton Fire: Some Altadena residents say they feel ignored by the county
LOS ANGELES - Many residents impacted by the Eaton Fire say they are feeling ignored as 'wealthier neighborhoods' are getting all the attention. Some Altadena residents told FOX 11 that the Eaton Fire is being overshadowed by the Palisades. They point out that the Eaton Fire claimed more lives and homes, but the county response is not getting the same scrutiny that the City of LA's response has. And they believe that needs to change. "It looks like a war zone. I've been out there, block after block, it looks like a bomb hit it," said Paula Boyd who lost her fourplex in the fire. She attended a recentLA County Board of Supervisors meeting with suggestions and questions. "Why they didn't have water in the fire hydrants? Why there weren't firemen in the area? The firemen did a great job, and I understand they are stretched thin," Boyd said. RELATED:Eaton Fire cause: New video appears to show origin of deadly blaze, attorneys say She didn't get her questions answered, but the Board of Supervisors did approve a proposal to create a Fire Recovery Fund to provide direct cash aid to wildfire victims, with an initial bankroll of $32.2 million. The fund will provide "direct cash aid to homeowners, renters, business owners, workers, and other community members impacted by the fire events," according to the motion by Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Kathryn Barger. "The fund will provide immediate, temporary assistance to impacted residents until longer term state and federal recovery resources become available." RELATED: 'Selma' actor Henry G. Sanders hoping to rebuild after losing home in Eaton Fire "Altadena's future must be shaped by those who call it home, not by external parties who do not understand its history, its heart, or the incredible, unique character of this community," Barger said during the meeting. Gov. Gavin Newsomis also pledging his support. RELATED:Dodgers, sports executives donating up to $100M for Newsom's 'LA Rises' initiative "The city has a more traditional function, the county more broadly defined, and that's exactly where we want to come in and help sort of smooth over that because many different cities within that county have been impacted. And then how that county overlay works in a way where we can leverage our support," Newsom said Tuesday during a press conference announcing the initiative LA Rises. Boyd just hopes county leaders will find emergency housing for Altadena's displaced seniors… saying they're being priced out of the community they built. "We cannot have 90-year-olds and 80-year-olds who are homeless," she added. Many residents in the area FOX 11 spoke to say they did not receive an alert to evacuate, even those who lost their homes. And they're wondering why that was. The county Board of Supervisors does have a proposal to commission an after-action report to answer those questions. But they postponed the vote on that until next month.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Newsom's LA Rises Initiative Not Just About Rebuilding Los Angeles, But City's Rebirth & Path Forward For 'The Next 50 Or 100 Years'
'This is the most important city and essential city anywhere in the world,' said California Governor Gavin Newsom emphatically at a press conference today to discuss his L.A. Rises initiative, which he officially announced earlier in the day. L.A. Rises aims to help the city as it recovers from the recent fires that destroyed thousands of structures. That effort will be led by high-profile sports and entertainment leaders, including Magic Johnson, Casey Wasserman and Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter. Its mandate is to create 'a unified recovery initiative that brings together private sector leaders to support rebuilding efforts led by the city of Los Angeles.' More from Deadline Gavin Newsom Taps Magic Johnson, Casey Wasserman & Mark Walter To Lead $100M LA Rises Initiative To Rebuild City After Fires Michael Ovitz Says Having Tech And Entertainment Execs 'Intertwined With Policymakers Can Only Lead To Positive Things For The Country' Tiger Woods Says "The Riv Is Just Not Ready" After Genesis Invitational Lands In San Diego In Palisades Fire Aftermath Wasserman emphasized that the project is not just about rebuilding but also 'the rebirth' of L.A. 'This is about what L.A. is going to be like for the next 50 or 100 years,' he said from the podium. Key to that will be a public-private partnership that will include a lot of private capital. To seed the effort, the Mark Walter Family Foundation and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation have provided an initial commitment of up to $100 million. Newsom reported that more is coming in. 'We've received tens of millions of additional donations,' the governor said. He also promised the announcement of 'additional philanthropic resources.' Among the likely investors will be Johnson. The former Lakers great and business mogul said his attention will be on helping victims of the Eaton Fire. 'My focus will be on Altadena because those people may be left behind, and we want to make sure that doesn't happen,' said Johnson of the area, which includes one of the first middle-class African American neighborhoods in L.A. Addressing fears of speculators praying on fire victims, he added, 'We don't want somebody to just come in and take their land. We want to make sure they have all the information. Once you have the right information you can make a really good decision.' Johnson sees himself as a key conduit for that information. 'I've invested in that community. I know that community. I speak their language. I will be able to communicate that message.' A UCLA study released today indicated that Black residents of Altadena were disproportionately impacted by the Eaton Fire's devastation, both in the concentration of households within the burn area and the percentage of homes that were destroyed or sustained major damage. Wasserman is, of course, already involved in recovery efforts through his work as a Motion Picture Television Fund board member. He's also the Chairperson and President of LA28 effort around the upcoming L.A. Olympics and sees that as a chance to 'lean into' the ironic opportunities afforded by tragedy of the fires. 'L.A. is in the tourism business and we are the home of big events,' said Wasserman. 'The Olympics in L.A. will be the largest peacetime gathering in the history of the world.' That event, he said, is an opportunity to supercharge the rebuilding effort and build back better. 'This is something we have to grow our way out of,' he said. The 2028 event also offers an aggressive timeline for efforts at recovery and rebirth. Newsom, whose own political career has had its ups and downs, said he's familiar with such transformations. 'I come from a city whose flag has a phoenix on it,' the former San Francisco Mayor said in reference to that city's recovery from the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fires. 'We can't lose hope.' The governor stressed that civic philanthropy was just 'one leg of the stool.' He said reimagining how various strata of government work together — or don't — will also be key. 'The whole idea of this is this is a completely revitalized region in mindset, not just infrastructure. That [we address] the relationship between the city and the county and the state and the federal government. That we address some of these longstanding simmering issues around jurisdiction, [the] inability to work together across differences. To address streamlining. To get serious about housing. To address some of these traditional barriers.' One of the most contentious relationships in recent weeks has been that between the state and federal governments, with President Trump recently saying Los Angeles would only get federal fire aid if it met certain criteria, including adopting voter ID requirements. But on a visit to the region Friday that saw Newsom greet him on the tarmac, Trump told a gathering of local L.A. elected officials, 'I'm going to give you everything you want.' Asked today about suggested requirements for federal aid and whether such aid would be forthcoming, the Newsom responded, 'I continue to have all the confidence in the world. This comes from a little bit of experience working with President Trump during Covid. We had a partner. Not a sparring partner, [but] a working partner in President Trump during those years. That's why it was important to make that case anew to the president. I was with him just a few days ago. Followed up. And have been in contact with the White House following up further.' On the subject of today's announced federal funding freeze (which a federal judge blocked this afternoon), Newsom was optimistic. 'To the extent, situationally, there's some issues today…to me, all those issues get worked out and we'll work through them as it relates to our recovery,' he said. Among Trump's chief concerns last week was that the process of clearing home sites would drag on in bureaucratic red tape. Trump pressed embattled L.A. Mayor Karen Bass — whose name went unmentioned at today's press conference — to speed up the process for allowing residents to return to their homes, as well as to address complaints that some were told it would take 18 months to start the process of rebuilding. Trump said that he would ensure that any federal permits were expedited. Newsom took up that banner today saying the process can't be done the way it has been done. 'We're not going to double down on stupid,' he said, before indicating that it had taken repeated attempts with the notoriously strict California Coastal Commission before it got the message that things were going to be different. 'I didn't think they got the message or memo, so they got a second executive order.' The governor also said he engaged with the president on related issues, specifically permitting and debris removal. 'His support in getting FEMA in this 30 day Hazmat removal is going to be critical,' observed Newsom. 'He has more power and authority over the Army Corps than anybody, which will be critical to moving mountains to get this debris removed. We want to make sure we're all along — federal, state and local — to drive to accountability…and not have to wait 18 months.' Newsom said he was cognizant of the lessons learned in the Maui fires. 'This is logistically challenging,' he noted, 'but it's nothing compared to the challenge in Maui…where they had to take all the debris off the island.' As of Tuesday, 6,837 structures had been destroyed by the Palisades Fire, and another 1,017 damaged. The Eaton Fire has destroyed 9,418 structures and damaged another 1,073. Newsom said California unfortunately has learned its own lessons related to fire destruction on that scale. He cited the 18,000 structures damaged in the Camp Fire. 'There's some history here, sadly, and what I mean is there's some experience here, as well,' said Newsom, before asserting that rebuilding can't be done the way it has been done. 'We're not going to say, 'You can't rebuild your home.' But if you do rebuild you home, you have to rebuild in the right way,' said the governor, noting that city needs to be 'resourceful' when it comes to costs, pricing and architecture and building a sustainable path forward. 'We can come back more climate resilient. [We] can come back stronger.' To that end, Newsom reported, 'I've had two or three of the most famous architects in the world say 'Plug me in. How do I get engaged?'' But before that can get started, the rubble must be gone. The debris removal process is currently in Phase 1, which is the elimination of hazardous materials from properties by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ensure the debris areas are safe as residents begin to access their properties. Phase 2 is when the Army Corps of Engineers moves in and physically removes the debris from properties. Owners must opt in to that free removal program. Residents can also opt out of the program and hire their own contractors to conduct the work. Right of Entry forms became available today, allowing residents to opt in or out of the clearance program. 'The debris removal, Phase 1, we want to be done in the next 30 days,' said Newsom. He also stressed that Phase 2 should be able to happen concurrently: 'All this happens stacked on top of each other.' It is unclear exactly how that will work. State and local officials are also working on issues that may arise in the construction phase, while some federal efforts may be complicating those efforts. Federal ICE agents arrested 188 people last week for alleged illegal re-entry into the us and evading immigration enforcement. Such efforts are expected to hit the construction industry hard, as undocumented workers are its backbone. 'By some estimates, 40% of the construction industry in CA are immigrants,' observed Newsom. To fill the gap, he said, 'We are already working with our labor agency and our community colleges. Even looking at the out of state workforce.' You can watch today's full press conference below. City News Service contributed to this report. 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Voice of America
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Voice of America
New private sector initiative to help victims of the California fires
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday launched LA Rises, a private sector initiative aimed at raising money to help residents of Southern California rebuild their lives in the wake of the recent, devastating fires. Rebuilding will be expensive, with some estimates reaching as high as $40 billion. The fires, which began three weeks ago, killed 28 people, burned through more than 4,000 square meters and destroyed more than 16,000 buildings, according to Cal Fire. Newsom recruited basketball legend Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, Dodgers baseball team Chairman Mark Walter and Casey Wasserman, president and chairperson of LA28, to help recruit other philanthropists for the initiative. 'With Mark, Earvin and Casey's proven leadership and deep commitment to Los Angeles, we'll tap into the enormous creativity, experience, and resources of the private sector, alongside local, state, and federal efforts, to deliver a recovery that benefits all Angelenos,' the governor said in a statement Tuesday 'It's time for those with means to come forward and make a positive impact to build back better,' Walter said. The initiative already has a pledge of up to $100 million from Walter, his family's foundation and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. 'We can't lose hope,' Newsom said while urging victims of the fires to seek support from the new philanthropic effort, known as LA Rises. 'It is possible that we can come back more climate resilient, come back stronger.' Three of the biggest fires that hit the region are almost fully contained, according to Cal Fire. The Eaton fire is 99% contained, followed by the Hughes fire at 98% containment. And the Palisades fire is 95% contained.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gavin Newsom Creates $100 Million Initiative to Rebuild LA: Magic Johnson, Dodgers Chair Sign On
Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday a new private sector initiative to help rebuild Los Angeles following the Los Angeles wildfires. Titled LA Rises, the recovery effort will bring together high-profile leaders around the city including Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter, business mogul and basketball legend Earvin 'Magic' Johnson and LA28 president and chair Casey Wasserman. Walter, the Mark Walter Family Foundation and the Los Angeles Dodgers foundation have pledged an initial $100 million to get LA Rises going. Additional funds will be raised through private donations. LA Rises will 'marshal the full resources of the private sector' to amplify 'local and state resources.' Donations will be used to rebuild communities most affected by the devastating fires including Altadena, Pasadena and the Pacific Palisades. 'Los Angeles will rise again — stronger, more united, and more resilient than ever,' Newsom said in a statement 'Just as California came together to fight the fires, we will work together to rebuild. With Mark, Earvin and Casey's proven leadership and deep commitment to Los Angeles, we will tap into the enormous creativity, experience, and resources of the private sector, alongside local, state, and federal efforts, to deliver a recovery that benefits all Angelenos.' City and county leaders have been busy crafting recovery plans for their communities and Newsom said the state is 'mobilizing its resources, coordinating with the federal government and removing red tape. The initiative is unique but given the scale of the devastation the approach will likely speed up the rebuilding process.' 'This is a time for bold action,' Johnson said. 'We are bringing together the best resources and biggest hearts across California to ensure that every Angeleno — no matter their race, socioeconomic status, or neighborhood — has a chance to rebuild and thrive. This is not just about recovery; it is about restoring communities while also making them more resilient and better than before.' LA Rises will contribute through collaboration, access to capital and financial tools, leveraging innovation and private-sector investment to drive a faster recovery. It will support the broader recovery efforts by: Fundraising and expanding access to philanthropic and private capital Formulating financing strategies to close the gap between available resources and the cost to rebuild Collaborating with other philanthropic and community organizations to maximize the impact of ongoing rebuilding and recovery efforts Supporting unified communication efforts to arm Angelenos with up-to-date, factual information, timelines for rebuilding, and available resources Walter, who has pledged the most to the recovery said it was an easy decision to step up and help: 'The LA fires have wreaked havoc on LA's neighborhoods. It is time for those with the means to come forward and make a positive impact to build back better.' Wasserman also has personal connections to the community. He has been a 'lifelong Angeleno' and said, 'what I admire most about this city is its resilience and unity. There is nothing Los Angeles can not achieve.' LA Rises will also receive financial support from California Rises, which is a statewide recovery initiative founded by Newsom and First Partner Siebel Newsom following the 2018 Camp fire in Northern California's Butte county. At least 29 people have died as a result of the Los Angeles fires and over 16,000 structures have been damaged. Many residents remain homeless or evacuated following the devastation. The post Gavin Newsom Creates $100 Million Initiative to Rebuild LA: Magic Johnson, Dodgers Chair Sign On appeared first on TheWrap.
