FireCity | FireLAnd: New Models of Resilience and Community with UCLA's Hitoshi Abe and Jeffrey Inaba's Research Studios

As wildfires continue to devastate Los Angeles, with thousands of residents displaced and entire communities struggling to recover, the urgency of addressing fire resilience in urban landscapes has never been greater. In light of the ongoing crisis, we are republishing our 2021 interview with UCLA’s Hitoshi Abe and Jeffrey Inaba about their collaborative research studios, FireCity and FireLAnd. This exploration into designing adaptive, fire-resilient environments feels more relevant than ever today.

Inaba and Abe discuss critical topics such as the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), strategies for balancing human activity with ecological systems, and rethinking urban regeneration in the face of climate change. Their approach to fostering a “new ecology of coexistence” between wilderness and city offers insights that could inspire architects, planners, and policymakers as they navigate the challenges of rebuilding and creating more sustainable communities.

This republication also serves...

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