At the second panel covering the subject of “Strategies in Rebuilding” at this year’s Luskin Summit, a coalition of experts laid out an ambitious framework to accelerate the rebuilding process across Los Angeles County in the aftermath of the January wildfires. The proposals include streamlining permitting through self-certification, using artificial intelligence to speed up approvals and launching a builders’ alliance to bring down construction costs and provide options for homeowners grappling with financial uncertainty.
The session was mediated by Gadi Kaufmann, Chairman of RCLCO Real Estate Consulting, who described the effort as a cross-sector collaboration between UCLA, USC and the Urban Land Institute, along with private developers, academics and local residents. Following an earlier industry summit with representatives from all of those organizations, six working groups were formed to address key components of recovery including permitting, financing, infrastructure and vertical rebuilding. A central goal emerged: to make rebuilding feasible for the thousands of families who lost their homes, without sacrificing dignity or affordability.
“We launched this work with one thing in mind,” Kaufmann said. “People want to get back to their communities. They want to rebuild quickly, efficiently and cost effectively. If that can’t happen, many will be forced to move on.”
According to a survey of fire-affected residents in both the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, more than 80 percent want to return, but that desire comes with a time limit. If the rebuilding process stretches beyond two or three years, many respondents said they would start making other plans. Of the approximately 10,000 homes destroyed, as well as another 8,000 structures including apartments and commercial buildings, as many as 4,000 homeowners are expected to need financial assistance. A funding gap of around $3 billion is projected between what is covered by insurance and what it will actually cost to rebuild.
David Waite, partner at Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP, who chaired the permitting reform workstream, said one of the most effective ways to reduce delays is to allow licensed architects and engineers to self-certify plans for compliance with building codes. Rather than waiting a year for approvals from multiple city or county departments, applicants would be able to submit sealed documents that are reviewed only for completeness and then fast-tracked for inspections.
Waite pointed to Santa Rosa’s recovery after the 2017 Tubbs Fire, where the Coffee Park neighborhood was 85 percent rebuilt within three years because that recovery was made possible in part by expedited permitting. “The gold standard is to get through the permitting process in 30 days,” he said, adding, “That’s what we’re aiming for.”
Support for the concept has already gained political traction. Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman introduced a motion to study self-certification earlier this year and the LA City Council approved it unanimously. Waite acknowledged that consolidating up to 13 city departments into a single review process is a major bureaucratic hurdle, but he said the momentum is growing. LA County has already approved a similar consolidation among four departments and the groundwork is being laid for a dedicated inspection unit to oversee certified projects.
Emerging technologies are expected to play a supporting role. One platform, called CanIBuild, allows architects to check zoning compliance in seconds using digital models. Additional tools are in development that could allow AI to assist with full plan checks and help field inspectors access records in real time via mobile apps. “We are not far from having inspectors walk job sites with everything they need on a tablet,” Waite said.
However, the challenge is not just regulatory as construction costs remain a major barrier, particularly for middle-income families. Adrian Foley, President of Brookfield Development, introduced a new Builders Alliance that seeks to bring down costs through bulk purchasing, shared labor resources and standardized floorplans. He said the initiative would allow homeowners to choose from production, semi-custom or fully custom home options that could be matched to their specific lot sizes and preferences.
By coordinating among multiple builders, the alliance aims to achieve volume pricing and predictable scheduling. “We’re treating this like one unified pipeline,” Foley said. “If trades and suppliers know what’s coming, they can offer better rates and we can pass those savings on to the homeowners.”
The alliance is open to all builders, but questions were raised about equity. Finance professor Andrea Eisfeldt, who lost her home in the Palisades, expressed concern that local builders could be left behind. “There are small businesses based right here that want to be part of this recovery,” she said, adding, “We need to make sure they’re not crowded out by larger players.”
Eisfeldt also highlighted the uncertainty facing many residents who are weighing whether to rebuild. She compared the situation to a financial option, noting that the more uncertainty there is, the more valuable it becomes to wait. Questions remain about the safety of soil, future insurability and the long-term value of rebuilt homes. Preliminary estimates suggest that rebuilding in the Palisades could cost $850 per square foot, while in Altadena the average is closer to $500. For many families, insurance payouts will not come close to covering those amounts.
“Uncertainty is the biggest barrier,” Eisfeldt said. “People are waiting because they don’t know what the right move is yet.”
Transportation challenges add another layer of complexity. With up to 3,000 homes expected to be under construction each year during peak rebuilding, the strain on already fragile infrastructure could be severe. UCLA Professor of Planning Michael Manville said the road networks in areas like the Palisades are ill-equipped to handle large volumes of trucks and workers.
Manville suggested limited overnight construction, managed lanes and one-way traffic loops as possible mitigations, but acknowledged that many of these ideas would face political and logistical resistance. “We’re talking about neighborhoods with very few access points and very little tolerance for disruption,” he said. “Even small changes could cause massive gridlock.”
Despite the daunting obstacles, panelists remained hopeful. By aligning political will, private-sector efficiency and academic insight, they believe it’s possible to rebuild thousands of homes within three years and restore communities that many thought were lost.
“This isn’t just about construction,” Foley said, adding, “It’s about restoring faith that recovery is possible.”
scott.snowden@smdp.com
