Cities and Disasters

Cities and Disasters presents interdisciplinary and multinational perspectives on emergency management policy, economic development, and the various factors that affect the recovery process after natural disasters strike urban areas. The book has three central themes: policy, urbanity, and the interplay of events after disasters that affect the process of a community’s return to normalcy. It covers differing approaches to emergency management policy at local, state, and federal levels, as well as economic development and redevelopment issues in urban areas. It also analyzes the issues of race and ethnicity involved in urban disaster response and recovery plans. The book looks at recent catastrophes such as Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy, and the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in East Japan. The case studies highlight the diverse challenges that communities face with regard to emergency planning and response. Given global climate change, rising sea levels, and the increasing impacts of disasters upon people, particularly in densely populated urban areas, there is a clear and urgent necessity to rethink issues involved in preparation methods for disasters and their aftermath. The analyses in Cities and Disasters help guide policymakers and policy actors in making decisions that strengthen communities for the future. Examines environmental hazards and disaster exposure resulting from urban growth and the vulnerabilities that stem from it ; Outlines emergency management within the context of public administration and the economics in local and federal funding ; Investigates variations in building codes, including FEMA and the standards of the Army Corps of Engineers ; Includes real-world examples such as Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy, and the East Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011 ; Covers various social aspects that may influence a city’s resilience and ability to recover following a disaster.--Publisher website.