Niko researched, wrote and designed the 2004 update to the safety element of the Oakland general plan, titled “Protect Oakland.” The document addresses risks to the city from geologic hazards, fire, flooding, hazardous materials and other hazards. “Protect Oakland” won a 2005 “focused issue” planning award from the California chapter of the American Planning Association for the quality of its research, analysis and writing and also for being an attractive, accessible and otherwise ‘citizen-friendly’ document.