Climate Action

WED-B02: Zone 0: A Spark for LA Advocacy and Science

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

10:45 AM - 12:00 PM PT

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW

Speaker(s)

stephanie V. Landregan, FASLA (she/her/hers)

Director
Altadena Green
Glendale, California
Esther Margulies, ASLA

Professor of Practice, PLA
Office of the Designed Landscape inc + USC
Venice, California
Max A. Moritz (he/him/his)

Wildfire Specialist/Adjunct Professor
UC Cooperative Extension/Bren School, UC Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California

The 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires caused an estimated $65 billion dollars of damage, prompting the expediting of the 2020 defensible space legislation, limiting vegetation 5 feet from any structure. This session explores wild and urban fire dynamics and our profession’s urgent need for sound practices that utilize evidence-based design.

Learning Outcomes:

Appreciate the value of local, regional, and national advocacy and communications in shaping regulatory directives.
Assess the value of science and evidence-based research in our design profession.
Consider the potential of WUI cultural shifts and landscape adaptation based on fire-aware design and research.
Apply evidence-based design strategies to work smarter in the face of escalating wildfire risk, saving lives and supporting ecosystems.