Los Angeles isn't short on ideas or expertise. But, like many communities rebuilding after a disaster, it lacks the connections, systems, and capacity to bring them together at scale.
Early proof points are what eventually unlock scale, and they almost never look like proof when they begin. We need the compounding of resilience over time, and we need to recognize when the next disaster creates a narrow window for rapid investments in resilience—all at once.
Incrementalism is often dismissed as not scalable enough to translate into population-level outcomes. But a series of incremental changes, conducted by various stakeholders in concert, can translate into new norms, higher standards, and more resilient cities.
Four convictions drive an evolving investment thesis in the adaptation economy:
1) The adaptation economy is large and growing; 2) Resilience makes for more durable investments; 3) Investors see predictable growth and opportunity in the adaptation economy; 4) It’s still early and underserved.
When disaster strikes, the question is not whether we will rebuild, but how. The problem is that it costs more to rebuild a home to disaster-resilient standards. We need new flexible and dedicated financing products that make it easier for homeowners to make critical resilience investments.
