PDLA and Braver Angels In-Person Model Civic Assembly Exercise a success

In-Person Model Civic Assembly Saturday, was held on June 7, 1–4pm | in Culver City |

A hands-on opportunity to experience a mini civic assembly in action. Participants deliberated on policies to guide wildfire response and prevention, and explored how this model can be used on the issues they care most about. The event was Sponsored by Public Democracy Los Angeles and BraverAngels. An informative and detailed account of the assembly was published in LAist, also known as KPCC.

The focus of the discussions was the tradeoff of housing availability, economics, and fire safety that are required when choosing how to rebuild areas burnt in the recent Los Angeles fires.

The exercise compressed a group process from approximately 40 hours to about 3, which conveyed the experience of the full process, though admittedly with a bit of haste and stress. The attendants were polled afterwards, and indicated that this process was successful in generating a rough consensus, and they would definitely want to do this to actually address urban and other problems should they have the opportunity.

Expert presentations and discussions were given on these issues, after which the voting participants divided into four and five person groups, who were given sample rebuilding policy options that they could discuss and modify. After the initial round, members of the groups were shifted around to cross fertilize the discussions, and optionally modify the proposals. Afterwards, all members scored all proposals, so as to identify which proposals were preferred.

Expert presentations were given by a landscape architecture expert, a housing expert, and a an aide to a state senator.

Stephanie Landgren, MsPM, fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, who discussed the potential fire impact of various forms of ground cover. Azeen Kahanmalek is the Executive Director of Abundant Housing, a group focused on increasing housing supply in Los Angeles who discussed housing impact of various reconstruction options Nick Faries, District Representative of Senator Ben Allen. Nick discussed issues related to funding redevelopment options.