and, says ken bernstein, effective city planning that aids both local officials and developers, who'do a project. >> los angeles always has significant development pressures and there is heritage at risk as a result. so we want to be able to use this survey information to make better planning decisions. >> reporter: there's also one other factor. this is california, where there are earthquakes. >> we will need to know comprehensively vxen we're looking at thousands or potentially tens of thousands of buildings in the aftermath of a disaster. what's significant, which buildings might we want to be more careful with as we make investment decisions about how to rebuild. >> i bet that was originally a neon sign too. >> reporter: survey l.a. hopesç to finish gathering its field data and make the information available to the public next year. not iraq, then, threatened by war and looting, but a great american city, filled with it's own history and heritage, wanting to know itself a little better. >> woodruff: again, the major developments of the day. video evidence of what's believed to be