Department or Program
Environmental Studies
Abstract
January of 2025, catastrophic fires swept through two California towns, Altadena and the Pacific Palisades, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and reshaping long-standing relationships to place, home, and community. Informed by critical feminist theory, political ecology of disasters, and critical climate studies, this thesis investigates how residents and community members affected by the 2025 fires experienced displacement and recovery through placekeeping – the relational, affective, and place-based practices through which communities mourn collective loss, resist displacement, and sustain meaningful bonds to place and to one another. Utilizing a qualitative multi-sited case study approach, this study draws upon twenty semi-structured interviews with community members from Altadena and the Pacific Palisades, historical research and walking observations. Qualitative analysis was done through two-rounds of coding and interpretive analysis in NVivo, which provided insights into how displaced residents and communities are adapting to 21st century environmental disaster through acts of care, solidarity, environmental stewardship, and community organizing to sustain a sense of place amidst trauma and loss. The findings suggest that post-disaster recovery cannot be understood solely through rebuilding metrics or institutional response but must be examined through these everyday practices of placekeeping which is shaped by, and enacted against, the unequal power relations that determine who is able to remain, return, and belong in the wake of disaster. This study situates these community-led practices within broader scholarly debates about justice, adaptation, and disaster recovery, offering empirical insights into climate-induced displacement and placekeeping.
Level of Access
Restricted: Embargoed [Bates Community After Expiration]
First Advisor
Haverkamp, Jamie
Date of Graduation
5-2026
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Recommended Citation
Lomet, Bella Rose, "Displacement, Care-full Recovery, and Placekeeping in the Wake of Los Angeles Fire Disasters" (2026). Honors Theses. 522.
https://scarab.bates.edu/honorstheses/522
Number of Pages
305