A recent San Diego Union-Tribune article includes information from UCLA Luskin’s Liz Koslov about the debate over how best to protect people, homes and facilities located in areas prone to wildfire. “Managed retreat,” the methodical relocation of communities away from hazardous areas, has mostly been discussed in relation to coastal areas threatened by rising sea levels. Its potential value in fire-prone lands is a topic of debate. The story cites an interview by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) with Kathryn McConnell of the University of British Columbia and Koslov, assistant professor of urban planning at UCLA, in which they say creating more unmanaged open space in fire zones could lead to a buildup of dry brush and result in increasingly severe wildfires. Koslov holds more optimism for policies that reduce wildfire fuels, especially near populated areas. “The wildland buffer project in Paradise, California, is a great example,” Koslov said during the PPIC interview. Officials there are acquiring land sold by people whose homes were destroyed in a 2018 fire to create a network of trails, parks and managed open space as a protective firebreak. “The idea is to help people stay there more safely, while also doing some retreat and land repurposing,” she said.
Assistant Professor of Urban Planning, Environment and Sustainability, and Sociology
Liz Koslov is Assistant Professor of Urban Planning, Environment and Sustainability, and Sociology at UCLA. Her research brings an interdisciplinary...
