Heat, Flood, Fire, Drought: Integrated Regional Landscape Resilience Strategy for Los Angeles - 1.25 PDH (LA CES/HSW)

Recorded On: 10/13/2025

Los Angeles faces increasing climate risks—flood, drought, fire, and urban heat. This panel explores landscape-based integration of data, design, and technology to strengthen resilience. We will articulate an interdisciplinary collaboration, grounded in a watershed-based adaptation lens, that can create a more resilient and equitable future and inform planning and design.

Learning objectives:

Learn how watershed-based planning can integrate floodplain restoration, urban heat mitigation, wildfire preparedness, and drought with equity-centered strategies.
Explore how AI, technology, and data visualization enhance public engagement and decision-making in climate/disaster resilience when used by landscape architects and public agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers.
Understand how landscape-based design solutions can reduce climate change risks, including flooding, forest management, slope stabilization, and post-disaster open space planning.
Identify strategies to embed equity and environmental justice into climate adaptation and emergency response planning.

Josiah Cain, ASLA

Landscape Architect

Design Ecology

Josiah Cain is a landscape architect, systems thinker and transdisciplinary design maverick who has been at the leading edge of regenerative design for more than three decades. He holds design certificates in Permaculture, Green Roofs, Rain Harvesting, and Constructed Wetland Treatment Systems in addition to his formal training. His work has been featured in publications like Martha Stewart Living, HGTV, the Wall Street Journal and NY. All Species Wellness: His talk will move beyond human wellbeing and explore what wellness means across species.

Megan Horn, ASLA

Principal

Studio-MLA

Megan Horn is a Principal at Studio-MLA with extensive experience in all phases of landscape architecture, focusing on transforming urban systems into connected, ecological, and inclusive public spaces. Her leadership spans projects including Puente Hills Regional Park, Eaton Canyon Natural Area, Compton Creek Trail, the SGV Greenway Network Plan, and NHM Commons. Megan’s work bridges design, equity, and ecology across Los Angeles. She serves as President of the Association for Women in Architecture Foundation that awards scholarships to California-based design students and co-founded Table for Ten, a platform advancing business development and leadership for women in the A/E design professions.

Hunter Merritt

Lecturer

California State University Sacramento

Mr. Hunter Merritt is a lecturer with California State University Sacramento, and a Social Scientist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As a former public affairs specialist and flood planner, Merritt brings enthusiasm and expertise in building and employing Serious Games for water resources problem solving, as well as 30+ years of experience in facilitation and conflict resolution.