COS 77-1 - Everyone wants to be sustainable until they have to pay for it: Barriers to sustainable urban restructuring in Santa Rosa, CA after the 2017 Tubbs Fire

Abstract: As the climate crisis intensifies, natural disasters have increased in intensity and frequency, and, in turn, impacted communities struggle to rebuild for longevity. In October of 2017, the North Bay region of California was hit by the Tubbs Fire– at the time the most destructive wildfire in the state’s history, which burned over five thousand structures and thirty-six thousand acres. In the aftermath, the desperate need for rebuilding in public, private, and commercial sectors was dominated by three main priorities—speed, fire resistance, and environmental impact. Despite the focus on and public support for green and sustainable building practices and urban restructuring, few projects deviate from standard construction practices. This disconnect is where I place my research—centered in the city of Santa Rosa. I ask what barriers prevent sustainable urban restructuring despite nominal governmental and community support? Through interviews with architects, community organizers, local politicians, and other stakeholders in the Tubbs rebuilding process as well as qualitative analysis of legal documents and news sources, I account for the factors which enable or impede sustainable development and renewal.
Findings indicate that despite vocal public support for increased sustainability in development and urban planning, a lack of state support for homeowners, local government fear of city shrinkage, limited resources, and the affective results of a traumatic event (such as the emotional toll of rebuilding a home lost) serve to prevent wide scale restructuring. Instead, environmentally conscious building is largely centered on individual choices by residents and clients. Due to the lack of effective regulations on city, state, and federal levels, when sustainability is included in designs, it often serves as the first consideration to be discarded . This is complemented by a severe lack of sustainable building materials and professionals who are able to design and build with higher standards—making them only accessible to those who know they exist and can afford their services. Taking interview and document data together, it appears the failure to realize large-scale sustainable restructuring is due to the lack of structural support both through governmental channels and private companies who provide building and design services. In addition, through conversations with residents and industry professionals, there is a lack of widespread knowledge of sustainable practices except within specific organizations which provide or promote them. Additional analyses of the interviews and documents are currently underway and will be incorporated prior to the ESA meeting.