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WATCH: Gavin Newsom Says Team Being Organized To Reimagine “L.A. 2.0” – SmartLA 2028?

In an interview with Meet the Press, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he’s organizing a Marshall Plan to reimagine “L.A. 2.0” after the destructive wildfires.

Los Angeles will host several major sporting events in the next several years, including the World Cup, Super Bowl, and Summer Olympics.

Newsom said the city will “rebuild” in wake of the fires.

“We’re already organizing a Marshall Plan. We already have a team looking to reimagine L.A. 2.0. And we’re making sure everyone is included,” Newsom said.

“We’re already talking to city leaders. We’re already talking to civic leaders. We’re already talking to business leaders and non-profits. We’re talking to labor leaders. We’re starting to organize how we can put together a collection of individuals on philanthropy for recovery. How we can organize the region. How we can make sure that we are seeking federal assistance for the Olympics, more broadly, but also federal assistance for the recovery efforts,” he continued.

“Governor Gavin Newsom announces a sweeping plan to rebuild Los Angeles, dubbing it ‘L.A. 2.0’ under a Marshall Plan-inspired initiative that signals major changes for the city. Newsom reveals he’s already mobilizing city officials, civic influencers, powerful business moguls, and labor unions to execute his vision,” Shadow of Ezra commented.

“He says that the region will be completely reorganized, vowing to seek federal assistance to reshape Los Angeles ahead of the Olympics. This sounds more like a fantasy from the World Economic Forum,” the post added.

WATCH:

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Per Deadline:

Newsom also issued a new executive order to try to prevent fraud and price gouging, and speed the inspection process so those who have lost their homes can get their insurance claims. The executive order also eliminates California Environment Quality Act requirements, Newsom said, and addresses property tax assessments “to make sure when someone rebuilds that they have their old property tax assessments and that they’re not increased.”

“I’m worried about time to getting these projects done,” he said.

Another worry, he said, is winter rains. “I’ve got to button up the canyons here as it relates to potential flooding of a lot of atmospheric rivers,” he said.

Newsom suggested that the rebuilding efforts also would be tied to the Olympics, which Los Angeles will host in 2028.

X users commented on Newsom’s interview:

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From The Guardian:

Newsom also called for a California version of the Marshall Plan. “We already have a team looking at reimagining LA 2.0,” he said, “and we are making sure everyone’s included, not just the folks on the coast, people here that were ravaged by this disaster.”

Meanwhile investigators are searching for clues as to why the major fires – Palisades and Eaton – were ignited, even as Santa Ana winds are expected to pick up overnight on Sunday and through Tuesday with no rain anticipated until later in the week.

One theory gaining traction is that overhead transmission and distribution lines, rocked or brought down by the winds, may have sparked, igniting the dry vegetation below. It is routine for utilities to shut off power during “red-flag events” but the power lines were on near the Eaton and Palisades fires started on Tuesday last week.

Power lines and utility equipment have been identified as the cause of California’s 2018 Camp fire, killing 85 people and destroying the town of Paradise, the 2023 Maui fire in Hawaii and a 2021 fire in Otis, Oregon, that began when a utility pole fell and ignited a wildfire, destroying 300 homes.

Los Angeles department of water and power reportedly does not have a program in place to pre-emptively shut off power in urban areas when fire risk is high. Robert McCullough, a electric utility consultant, told the New York Times that the department’s shut-off plan is “woefully inadequate”.

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The analyst also said that the utility’s electric grid was designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 56mph, which considered “quite low in today’s climate”. The department has said it did not cut power in advance of the fires in the city despite the wind speeds.

WATCH:

As 100 Percent Fed Up noted, the City of Los Angeles released a document in 2020 outlining how to make the country’s second-largest metropolis a “Smart City” in 2028.

The document is titled, “SmartLA 2028, Technology for a better Los Angeles.”

Image

* Image from “SmartLA2028 – Smart City Strategy *

”The soul of our recovery will shape the contours of our City’s future for decades to come…We have a blueprint for the city of the future,” a quote from former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti reads.

“The City of Los Angeles envisions a highly digital and connected city in 2028,” the document reads.

The document outlines a plan to transform Los Angeles into a “Smart City” in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics.

“Visitors for the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics will find a transformational digital Olympic experience from the moment they arrive. Passing through LAX airport’s completely renovated terminals, they can use the new automated people mover to select between light rail airport connections, rideshare, or taxi transportation choices. They will be greeted by digital signage, directed by multi-lingual electronic wayfinding, and connected through their smartphone with the hotels, restaurants, and venues that they are looking for during their stay,” the document states.

Whether visiting Hollywood Boulevard or Venice Beach, visitors will use smartphones or easily accessible kiosks to learn in their own language about the landmarks and readily available services to enhance their experience, including blind or deaf visitors,” it continues.

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This vision is already becoming a reality. As a three-time United States Digital City Winner (2016-18), the City of Los Angeles has been investing and continues to invest in the infrastructure, digital services, and data tools to be a globally recognized Smart City. The SmartLA 2028 strategy is a concise summary of our vision, our approach to being a Smart City, and our roadmap to 2028,” it adds.

WATCH:

Per StateTech Magazine:

The city of Los Angeles has Olympic-level ambitions for its development as a smart city over the next year seven years.

The city, which is set to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, recently released a smart city blueprint that outlines how it plans to evolve and become a more connected and equitable city in time for the games. The plan was shared with members of the Los Angeles City Council in June.

The plan envisions a city that is easy to get around without a car via a unified digital payment platform for Metro rail, buses, bikes and shuttles. “Ethical proactive technology” will help identify “fire, violence, or other risks to the health and safety of L.A. residents” even before a 911 call. The city will deploy “ubiquitous, ultra-high speed 5G connectivity” across its environs. It calls for the deployment of smart wayfinding kiosks and 10,000 public electric vehicle charging stations.

“It’s close enough to provide a target, but it’s also far away enough to accomplish some pretty aggressive goals,” LA CIO Ted Ross tells StateScoop about the plan. “So the idea of electronic vehicle charging being spread across the city — that’s not something you can do in a year. But it’s certainly something that, within the next seven years, you could be in a very solid place to receive people with electric cars.”

The plan outlines five “components of a digital and connected Los Angeles”:

  • Infrastructure
  • Data Tools & Practices
  • Digital Services
  • Connectivity & Digital Inclusion
  • Governance

“In 2019, the City of Los Angeles Information Technology Agency (ITA) convened its Smart City Committee, composed of 24 departments and elected officials. While Los Angeles had become a civic technology leader (winning #1 U.S. Digital City award for three straight years), the exponential growth of new technologies and increasing public expectations requires new levels of coordination to realize our vision,” the document reads.

The City of Los Angeles’ Smart City Committee came to the following conclusions:

1. Smart cities are multi-faceted and made up of several components, not just IT infrastructure

2. Smart cities are evolving, which requires both near-term and long-term goals that adhere to an overarching set of Smart City values

3. Smart cities require collaboration, where government and non-government entities work together to deliver best-in-class services to the public

4. Smart cities require local resident and business participation, especially in light of major social movements, such as the protests for racial justice, the Digital Divide, and social impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic

5. Smart cities don’t happen by accident; they require careful strategic planning and investment to become intelligent urban ecosystems designed for the humans that live there.

Read the full “SmartLA2028” document HERE.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

View the original article here.


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