Cal State LA hosted the latest Future Forums, entitled “Recovery, Rebuilding, Resilience and the Future of Infrastructure,” on Tuesday, April 15, at the Golden Eagle Ballroom. A panel of experts discussed the future of construction and infrastructure in Los Angeles in the wake of the devastating wildfires of January.
In her keynote address, President Berenecea Johnson Eanes outlined the role that Cal State LA and other universities could play in the rebuilding of Los Angeles.
“Higher education institutions are uniquely positioned at the nexus of research, talent development, civic responsibility, and innovation,” President Eanes said.
“We are laboratories for the future. And we have a profound opportunity—indeed a responsibility—to lead in the design, deployment, and scaling of infrastructure that is smarter, greener, more equitable, and more resilient.”
“At our institutions,” she continued, “we have an incredible opportunity to use our campuses as testbeds for the next generation of infrastructure. Our students, faculty, and partners can create solutions in real time, turning theory into practice with every project. Cal State LA’s dedication to community engagement and sustainable prosperity exemplifies the CSU’s mission to serve the public good. We are poised to lead the way in creating resilience and equitable solutions to today and tomorrow’s economic, ecological, and societal challenges.”
Future Forums are presented through a partnership between Cal State LA, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, and CSU Dominguez Hills. The forums position higher education institutions at the forefront of industry advancements, offering insights into how emerging developments shape regional economic growth.
Tuesday’s event, which drew an audience of about 100, explored how emerging technologies, new materials, and forward-thinking policies are transforming the construction industry as Southern California moves forward from the recent wildfires.
The panelists included Joss Tillard-Gates, director at Clark Construction Group; Michael H. Anderson, architect and principal at Anderson Barker; Gabrielle Bullock, principal at Perkins & Will; and Robert Sausedo, president and CEO of Community Build, Inc.
Parveen Chhetri, assistant professor in the Department of Earth Science and Geography at CSU Dominguez Hills, served as the moderator.
Key topics of discussion included smart and sustainable rebuilding, infrastructure resilience, the role of technology, equitable economic growth and investment, and rebuilding post-wildfires.
Tillard-Gates warned that the rebuilding will not be completed overnight.
“I don’t want to depress anyone in the room, but this is going to take a lot of time, and people should be aware and clear-eyed about that,” he said.
“The opportunity is that we can build in a really resilient way.”
Many of the homes that burned down in Altadena and the Palisades areas were wooden structures that were constructed from the 1930s through the 1950s.
Sausedo said the areas were considered model communities, but they will not stand up to modern-day challenges, including climate change.
“Both communities involved in the fires were model communities,” said Sausedo.
“What they did not have was model infrastructure. The infrastructure built for them was appropriate for that time.”
The panelists proposed a number of solutions, including using fire-resistant materials, building concrete-based structures, and burying power lines underground.
They also touched on additional challenges, such as the lack of construction workers living in an area where thousands of homes need to be restored.
Los Angeles’ rebuild might have to depend partly on contractors from other parts of California or even other states.
Bullock spoke about the cultural challenges tied to the rebuild efforts, especially in Altadena, with its long history of providing opportunities to Black families.
“Whatever materials are used to make the homes more fire-resistant, the character of the neighborhoods, what the residents want must be what we lead with,” she said.
“If we don’t engage the homeowners and the commercial owners in developing an approach to rebuilding—the design, the esthetics—then it’s not going to be right for them.
image source from：https://news.calstatela.edu/2025/04/16/cal-state-la-hosts-future-forums-discussion-about-rebuilding-los-angeles-following-januarys-wildfires/
