Should Los Angeles be in such a rush to rebuild after the devastating wildfires?

Experts suggest that replicating the conditions that saw neighorhoods burn to the ground may not be the best policy

Gavin Newsom signed a $2.5bn wildfire relief package this week, with the goal of helping Los Angeles rebuild faster". Both the California governor and the Los Angeles mayor, Karen Bass, pledged to suspend environmental and other regulations to make rebuilding homes and businesses easier. Donald Trump has reportedly said he wants the city to recover quickly so that the 2028 Olympics, which Los Angeles is hosting, can be the greatest Games".

But many environmental and urban planning experts say that Los Angeles should actually be pausing, and taking a moment to consider how and where to safely rebuild communities located in high-risk wildfire zones.