Urban Planning for Safer Cities Jibgar Joshi

Principles Urban Planning for Safer Cities should consider the risks and threats due to probable natural disasters like earthquake recognizing that provision of urban goods and services during and after disaster is more problematic as the pressure on urban goods and services increases. Urban planning should make cities easy to service even at the time of crisis. The mechanisms to produce and distribute goods and services should be able to cope with any sort of emergency and urban planning should address this.

Purpose of the session To understand How urban planning can be used to mitigate earthquake risks for making cities safer The relationship of urban planning with immediate relief works during the time of earthquake and Planning for rebuilding cities

Goals of urban planning Urban planning aims at the location of activities and functions in urban space in such a away as to enable the citizens to meet their needs in the best possible way. Economic efficiency Convenience Access Safety and security Health, sanitation and environment (livability) Capacity to cope with threats and disasters

Coping Capacity Resources (land, infrastructure, institutional, financial, quality of buildings) Self-reliance Social cohesiveness, order and harmony Participatory planning and development Community building Human resources, planning and management skills Awareness for preparedness

Urban Planning Preparedness before the earthquake Immediate response during the earthquake Rebuilding cities after the earthquake The goal is to provide goods and services to the residents in the most efficient manner. It is more difficult to provide these at the time of earthquake.

Problems and Risks Casualties and injuries Damages to buildings The feeling of horror and insecurity Survivors deprived of medical care, food and shelter Relief works become more pressing Affected areas blocked and become inaccessible.

Access to outside world is made more difficult Shortage of food, water and other life supporting goods Infrastructure breakdown Acute shortage of urban goods and services Increase in crimes Homelessness Price escalation

Basic elements Urban planning covers everything but the following are basic in the context of earthquake risks Food Medical facilities Health and sanitation Transport and communication Life supporting system like electricity, water, medical care etc. Housing

Urban Planning and Risk mitigation Measures Land use planning based on land suitability analysis including high risk areas using GIS Housing complying with zoning regulations and bye-laws Transport planning with the ability to provide access to communities Open spaces and wider roads

Damages are due to man-made structures and buildings -- safer buildings at safer locations, with easy and multiple ways of servicing. Built-up space has costs in seismic terms. The damages of the buildings result in debris and demolition wastes That are difficult to be removed and block the ways. Relief works become more difficult. Natural spaces should be utilized to the maximum extent. Where the weather is good, people should use.

Rebuilding Cities: implementation of urban planning Cities are generally built again at the same place as infrastructure is more costly. Even after a complete devastation, rehabilitation may mean building the city again at the same place. Implementation process has to be rapid. Planning process is more sensitive to disaster. People are more concerned with risk mitigation measures. Planning process tends to create safer cities. By keeping things simple, people should be mobilized.

Organization of rebuilding Strategic planning People should be at the front during rebuilding Help them to build their houses by providing finance, technology, Bureaucracy, standards, law and order Community action to provide infrastructure and services

Problems and Risks Huge investments will have impacts on the price level. Skilled Labour becomes scarce. Building materials become scarce and more costly. Building materials and other goods may suddenly become scarce. Vested interests might be created to prolong the rebuilding process.

Preparedness Finance for seismic safety, Insurance Bureaucracy Simpler technologies should be used in providing basic infrastructure and services Concentrated decentralization Management of new development areas

New development areas Intensive community use of open spaces is possible Wider roads with multiple access to dwelling units Safer buildings and housing Multiple channel of communication and transport networks Alternate ways of providing life support elements, energy, water, medical care Decentralized provision of infrastructure and services with respect to the city networks

Urban upgrading Widening of roads giving more access Open space management and use Dedensification Retrofitting Safer buildings with respect to seismic zones, soil conditions and possibility of liquefaction Accessibility

Safer Cities Ability to deal with disasters Ability to respond to the emergency needs quickly and make them accessible to the victims. Adequate open spaces at several places of the city will make it easier to build shelter, distribute food, medical care, temporary hospitals Alternative channels of communication and road access will maintain contacts outside Community cohesiveness and participatory planning will help to reduce crimes Alternative sources of life systems will reduce dependence on city-wide infrastructure networks - - electricity, water.