A community rebuilding after disaster
The LA wildfires displaced families, damaged landscapes, and reshaped communities.
As Niantic prepares for Pokémon GO Tour: LA, we aim to support local recovery efforts in meaningful ways.
By combining community-driven initiatives and technology, we can highlight the resilience and revitalization of places affected by disasters.
Immersive journalism: Documenting in 3D with Scaniverse
The LA wildfires displaced families, damaged landscapes, and reshaped communities. While the region rebuilds, capturing and preserving these changes is essential—not just for historical records, but to inspire and support recovery efforts.
Scaniverse allows anyone to capture and share 3D scans of places that matter—whether preserving historic sites, documenting change, or contributing to a shared digital map. By documenting fire-affected areas, community members can preserve what was lost, showcase rebuilding efforts, and contribute to a shared digital history.
Peabody winner Nonny de la Peña is program director of ASU’s Narrative and Emerging Media program, where she leads a best-in-class graduate program focused on using new technology in arts, culture, and nonfiction storytelling. She comes to the Los Angeles-based center with more than 20 years as an award-winning writer, director, and producer.
Her company Emblematic Group has earned multiple accolades for using cutting-edge technologies to tell stories that create intense, empathic engagement on the part of viewers. A fellow of the Royal College of Art, she was also inducted into the SXSW Hall of Fame. Named a WSJ Technology Innovator of the Year, one of CNET’s 20 Most Influential Latinos in Tech, and a Wired Magazine #MakeTechHuman Agent of Change, she is widely credited with pioneering immersive journalism.
A native of Los Angeles, when the fires tore through her hometown, she immediately summoned her colleagues at ASU, including immersive creator and journalist Mary Matheson and a top student Ashley Buschhorn, who double-majored in journalism and computer science as an undergraduate, to help scan, film, and document the post-fire devastation.
“More than thirty of my friends have lost their homes, and preserving what we can for them—for history and for helping the rest of the world have a deeper understanding of the impacts—is imperative.”
Her team began the arduous process of recording anything and everything they could, using Scaniverse to create detailed iPhone captures that would have been impossible until recently. Their work is currently showcased on immersivejournalism.com, with more material being added regularly.
Less than two years ago, de la Peña experienced a similar devastation when her home studio, which had become her company Emblematic Group’s offices due to COVID, was destroyed by fire, eviscerating everything from memorabilia to key back-up drives.
“Having my Scaniverse scans from back then has been essential to my healing process and for documentation for my insurance claims. To offer that to anyone who needs it has also been part of my goal.”
Using Scaniverse, her team is creating 3D scans of fire-affected areas to document the devastation and aid in recovery.
How Scaniverse helps preserve and rebuild LA
The ASU team has made 10 documentation visits to Pacific Palisades and Altadena, areas devastated by the fires. On each visit, they captured 3D scans using Scaniverse, as well as a larger Gaussian Splat rig and 360° film.
“Using Scaniverse, the team has captured more than 80 objects—ranging from small, charred Christmas decorations to towering chimney stacks that survived the fires. They have also scanned more than 20 larger areas of destroyed homes, revealing the immense damage caused by the wildfires.”
Pokémon GO Tour: LA – Supporting recovery efforts
As Pokémon GO Tour: LA brings thousands of trainers together, Niantic is committed to giving back to the local community.
Niantic is donating $1 million to LA wildfire relief, supporting short-term aid and long-term recovery.
Nonny’s project aligns with this shared vision, showcasing how technology can document history, support rebuilding efforts, and foster a sense of community resilience.
Beyond its charitable contributions, last year’s GO Tour: LA drew 36,000 attendees, generated $759 per visitor in spending, and created 512 full-time equivalent jobs.
How to get involved
Explore LA’s fire recovery through 3D scans on the Scaniverse map.
Capture and share 3D scans of the places that matter to you—whether it’s a beloved landmark, a hidden gem, or a space undergoing change.
Join us at Pokémon GO Tour: LA’s donation drive.
Technology has the power to preserve, educate, and connect communities.
Through Scaniverse, Pokémon GO Tour: LA, and Niantic’s commitment to social impact, we celebrate the resilience of Los Angeles and stand alongside those working to rebuild it.