Report on Post-Disaster Urban Redevelopment and Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Leveraging Crisis for Sustainable Advancement

• A recent analysis by Dr. Minjee Kim, Assistant Professor of Urban Planning at UCLA, frames the recovery from the Los Angeles wildfires as a critical opportunity for strategic urban redevelopment.
• The core proposition is to move beyond simple reconstruction and utilize the post-disaster period to implement long-term, sustainable urban forms.
• This approach directly aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), transforming a recovery effort into a proactive initiative for building resilient and equitable urban environments.

Alignment with SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Dr. Kim’s framework for post-fire recovery is fundamentally anchored in the principles of SDG 11.
• Target 11.5 (Disaster Risk Reduction): The primary objective is to rebuild with enhanced “fire resiliency,” directly addressing the goal of reducing the adverse per capita impact of disasters.
• Target 11.3 (Inclusive and Sustainable Urbanization): The recovery is presented as a “launchpad for long-term, equitable urban planning,” promoting inclusive and sustainable urbanization by rethinking development patterns.
• Target 11.B (Integrated Policies and Plans): The call to think “large scale” about a “good sustainable form of urban development” supports the implementation of integrated policies for inclusion, resource efficiency, and disaster risk reduction.

Integrating SDG 13: Climate Action

• The discussion on fire resiliency is intrinsically linked to climate adaptation and the objectives of SDG 13.
• Target 13.1 (Strengthen Resilience and Adaptive Capacity): By focusing on rebuilding cities to withstand future climate-related hazards like wildfires, the strategy directly contributes to strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity.

Advancing SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• A significant emphasis is placed on ensuring that redevelopment processes are equitable, a key component of SDG 10.
• Target 10.2 (Promote Social Inclusion): The need for “equitable urban planning” is highlighted to ensure that recovery efforts serve all members of the community, preventing the exacerbation of existing inequalities and promoting social inclusion in the rebuilt environment.

The Imperative of SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

• The successful implementation of these sustainable goals is contingent upon robust institutional frameworks, as outlined in SDG 16.
• Target 16.6 (Effective, Accountable Institutions): Dr. Kim stresses that sustainable recovery can only be achieved if “supported by the right governance structures.”
• Her research, which includes advising the L.A. County Blue Ribbon Commission and exploring models from other cities, underscores the need for effective and accountable institutions like regional redevelopment agencies to manage the complex process of post-disaster planning.

Models and Path Forward

1. Strategic Redevelopment: Treat post-disaster recovery as a strategic opportunity for long-term, sustainable planning rather than short-term reconstruction.
2. Institutional Empowerment: Establish or leverage effective governance bodies, such as regional redevelopment agencies, to lead equitable and resilient recovery efforts.
3. Comparative Analysis: Draw lessons from established redevelopment models in cities like San Francisco, New York City, and Cincinnati to inform local strategies.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article discusses issues that are directly and indirectly connected to several Sustainable Development Goals. The analysis identifies the following SDGs as relevant:

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The entire discussion revolves around urban planning, rebuilding cities after a disaster, and creating sustainable urban environments. Dr. Kim’s focus on using the L.A. fires as an “opportunity to think about urban planning and development in the long term… in terms of resiliency and fire resiliency, but also in terms of what is a good sustainable form of urban development” directly aligns with the core mission of SDG 11.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The article addresses post-disaster recovery from wildfires, which are increasingly recognized as a climate-related hazard. The emphasis on building “fire resiliency” is a direct form of climate change adaptation, which is a key component of SDG 13. The goal is to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related disasters.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article explicitly mentions the need for “equitable urban planning.” This highlights the importance of ensuring that post-disaster recovery and redevelopment processes are inclusive and do not exacerbate existing social and economic inequalities. This connects directly to SDG 10, which aims to reduce inequality within and among countries.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

  The conversation about rebuilding Los Angeles after a disaster inherently involves infrastructure. The call to “rethink how cities rebuild with long-term resiliency in mind” points to the need for developing quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, which is the central theme of SDG 9.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 11.5: Reduce the impact of disasters

   This target aims to “significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses…caused by disasters.” The article’s entire premise is centered on “post-fire recovery” from the “devastating LA wildfires,” making this target directly relevant.

2. Target 11.b: Implement policies for disaster risk reduction

   This target calls for increasing the number of cities that adopt and implement integrated policies and plans for inclusion, resource efficiency, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk resilience. Dr. Kim’s discussion on using the disaster as an “opportunity to rethink how cities rebuild with long-term resiliency in mind” and her work advising the “L.A. County Blue Ribbon Commission on post-fire recovery” are practical examples of working towards this target.

3. Target 11.3: Enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization

   This target focuses on enhancing “inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning.” The article’s mention of creating a “good sustainable form of urban development” and achieving “long-term, equitable urban planning” directly reflects the goals of this target.

4. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience to climate-related disasters

   This target is to “strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.” The focus on “fire resiliency” as a key component of rebuilding is a clear example of strengthening adaptive capacity to a specific climate-related hazard discussed in the article.

5. Target 9.1: Develop resilient infrastructure

   This target aims to “develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure…to support economic development and human well-being.” The concept of rebuilding Los Angeles with “long-term resiliency” implies the development of infrastructure that can withstand future shocks like wildfires.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not mention specific quantitative indicators, but it implies several qualitative or process-based indicators that could be used to measure progress:

• Adoption of Integrated Post-Disaster Plans (Implied Indicator for Targets 11.b, 11.3)

  The article discusses the need for the right “governance structures” and cites examples from San Francisco, New York City, and Cincinnati as potential models for “regional redevelopment agencies.” The establishment and adoption of such agencies and their comprehensive, long-term recovery plans would serve as a key indicator of progress.

• Incorporation of Resiliency Standards in Urban Planning (Implied Indicator for Targets 13.1, 9.1)

  Dr. Kim’s emphasis on “fire resiliency” suggests that a measurable indicator would be the extent to which new building codes, zoning laws, and urban development plans explicitly include standards for resilience against fires and other climate-related hazards.

• Implementation of Equitable Planning Processes (Implied Indicator for Target 11.3)

  The call for “equitable urban planning” implies that progress could be measured by the existence of participatory planning processes. This could include the level of community engagement in the post-disaster recovery planning and the inclusion of measures to protect vulnerable populations in the final redevelopment plans.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: luskin.ucla.edu