
Christine Wamsler
Professor, Docent, appointed Excellent Teaching Practitioner (ETP)

Mainstreaming risk reduction in urban planning and housing: a challenge for international aid organisations
Author
Summary, in English
The effects of 'natural' disasters in cities can be worse than in other environments, with poor and marginalised urban communities in the developing world being most at risk. To avoid post-disaster destruction and the forced eviction of these communities, proactive and preventive urban planning, including housing, is required. This paper examines current perceptions and practices within international aid organisations regarding the existing and potential roles of urban planning as a tool for reducing disaster risk. It reveals that urban planning confronts many of the generic challenges to mainstreaming risk reduction in development planning. However, it faces additional barriers. The main reasons for the identified lack of integration of urban planning and risk reduction are, first, the marginal position of both fields within international aid organisations, and second, an incompatibility between the respective professional disciplines. To achieve better integration, a conceptual shift from conventional to non-traditional urban planning is proposed. This paper suggests related operative measures and initiatives to achieve this change.
Department/s
- Housing Development and Management
Publishing year
2006
Language
English
Pages
151-177
Publication/Series
Disasters
Volume
30
Issue
2
Full text
- Available as PDF - 867 kB
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Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Topic
- Architecture
Keywords
- risk reduction
- disaster
- developing countries
- prevention
- housing
- urban planning
Status
Published
Research group
- Housing Development and Management
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1467-7717