Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

3-2013

Abstract

On March 11, 2011, the magnitude 9 earthquake that struck off the coast of north east Japan was followed by a massive tsunami that killed almost 20,000 people and displaced more than 350,000 residents. The decreased function and capability of local government made strong demand in society for the role of planning universities to get involved in post-disaster recovery planning in Tohoku region. It is said that there are more than 300 communities in which need to work on post-disaster recovery planning. Universities’ faculty and students play significant roles today to pursue resilient and sustainable communities between partnerships with local government and community organizations in a variety of ways, contributing scientific knowledge of mitigation for tsunami, working as facilitator of post-disaster community-based recovery planning with residents, restoring lost towns and villages by 1:500 scale models, and empowerment of survivors to be main player for post-disaster recovery activities etc.

One of the important aspects of a resilient society is that all stakeholders involve and collaborate to achieve resiliency for disaster. This presentation provides several examples: How have universities assisted post-disaster recovery planning working with communities, and its accomplishment to date and challenge ahead for long-term post disaster recovery planning after Great East Japan Earthquake. The presenter has focused on housing recovery after Hurricane Katrina (2005) and Great East Japan Earthquake (2011), both of which have similar characteristics such as long term evacuation of survivors and widespread destruction of the built environment.

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