Traci Park’s Ties to Corporate Real Estate and the Push to Privatize LA’s Fire Recovery

As Los Angeles struggles to recover from the devastating wildfires, a troubling alliance between Councilmember Traci Park and corporate real estate interests is coming to light. At the center of this scandal is Richard Ziman, a powerful commercial real estate CEO and founder of the Ziman Center for Real Estate at UCLA. The Ziman Center, which has long served as a mouthpiece for corporate real estate interests, recently released a report advocating for large home builders to take control of the wildfire reconstruction process. This proposal, outlined in their January 2025 analysis, "Rebuilding After the Fires: Lessons from Economics," is a thinly veiled attempt to privatize disaster recovery—and Traci Park’s ties to Ziman raise serious questions about whose interests she truly represents.  

The Ziman Center’s Corporate Agenda  

The Ziman Center’s report argues that large home builders should lead the reconstruction efforts, claiming they have the “expertise and resources” to rebuild quickly and efficiently. But a closer look reveals a deeply flawed analysis that prioritizes profit over people. The report glosses over the fact that these same corporate builders have a history of cutting corners, displacing communities, and prioritizing luxury developments over affordable housing. By handing over the reins to these entities, the Ziman Center is effectively advocating for a disaster capitalism model, where corporations profit from public crises while ordinary Angelenos are left behind.  

This approach is not just misguided—it’s dangerous. Privatizing the rebuilding process would exacerbate inequality, as corporate developers focus on high-profit projects rather than affordable housing for displaced families. It would also undermine community input, sidelining the very people who have lost their homes in favor of top-down, profit-driven decision-making. The Ziman Center’s proposal is a textbook example of how corporate interests exploit disasters to consolidate power and wealth, all while masquerading as benevolent problem-solvers.  

Traci Park’s Ties to Richard Ziman  

The Ziman Center’s agenda becomes even more troubling when considering Councilmember Traci Park’s close ties to Richard Ziman. Ziman, a major player in Los Angeles real estate, has long used his influence to shape policy in favor of corporate developers. His think tank at UCLA, the Ziman Center, serves as a platform to promote pro-corporate policies under the guise of academic research. Park’s alignment with Ziman and his ilk is no coincidence—it’s a reflection of her unwavering loyalty to the real estate industry.  

Park’s record speaks for itself. From her opposition to tenant protections to her refusal to support affordable housing initiatives, she has consistently sided with developers over her constituents. Her ties to Ziman and the Ziman Center’s push to privatize wildfire reconstruction are just the latest examples of her corporate-first agenda. By endorsing policies that benefit large home builders, Park is effectively handing over the future of Los Angeles to the same interests that have fueled the city’s housing crisis and inequality for decades.  

A Disaster for Regular Angelenos  

The Ziman Center’s proposal, and Park’s implicit support for it, would have devastating consequences for regular Angelenos. Privatizing the rebuilding process would likely lead to:  

• Displacement of Low-Income Residents: Corporate developers would prioritize only high-end housing, pushing out anhy working-class families who can no longer afford to live in their own neighborhoods.  
  
• Lack of Community Input: Decisions about rebuilding would be made by executives and investors, not the communities directly affected by the fires.  
  
• Erosion of Public Accountability: By outsourcing reconstruction, the city would lose control over ensuring equitable and sustainable development.  

This is not the path to recovery that Los Angeles needs. Instead of handing over the rebuilding process to corporate interests, the city should prioritize a community-led approach that centers the needs of displaced residents. This means investing in affordable housing, ensuring tenant protections, and holding developers accountable to the people they serve.  

Park’s Betrayal of Los Angeles
  
Traci Park’s ties to Richard Ziman and her alignment with the Ziman Center’s corporate agenda are a betrayal of her constituents. At a time when Los Angeles needs leaders who will fight for equitable recovery, Park is instead paving the way for corporate profiteers to take over. Her actions demonstrate once again that she is beholden to the real estate industry, not the people she was elected to represent. As the city rebuilds, we cannot allow corporate interests to dictate our future. \