Leading Voices in Real Estate Lew Horne & David Waite | The Los Angeles Wildfires
Jul 22, 2025
Lew Horne, President of CBRE for Greater LA, and David Waite, Partner at Cox, Castle, & Nicholson LLP, dive into the aftermath of the January 2025 wildfires. They discuss the Project Recovery report, exploring community responses and rebuilding strategies. The conversation highlights innovative approaches to streamline permitting, including AI tools and self-certification. They emphasize the importance of collaborative efforts and trust between sectors to ensure efficient recovery while advocating for a 'build back better' philosophy that focuses on equity and resilience.
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Scale of the LA Wildfires
- The 2025 LA wildfires destroyed 12,000 homes and impacted hundreds of thousands.
- Recovery is multi-faceted, involving debris removal, infrastructure, and rebuilding phases.
Structured Recovery Approach
- The ULI-led recovery broke the work into nine focused lanes for deep expertise.
- Teams delivered robust, data-driven recommendations to city and county officials.
Accelerate Permitting with Self-Certification
- Professional self-certification for building plans can reduce permitting from over a year to 30 days.
- Strict qualifications and accountability ensure safe, efficient expedited rebuilding processes.