TRACK12: DISASTER RESILIENT PLANNING  

Planning for the unexpected; disaster preparedness, management and recovery; disaster-oriented urban solutions; resilience and risk mitigation.

Chairs:

• Meltem Şenol Balaban, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara
• Cora Fontana, Institute of  Environmental Geology and Geo-Engineering (CNR-IGAG), Rome
• Daniel Zwangsleitner, TU München

The incidence of natural hazards affecting populations is rising across various regions, due to factors such as population growth, urbanization, and climate change. Despite evidence, the predominant approach of governments to disaster risk management is still focused on emergency public actions for repayment and the physical restoration of individual assets rather than comprehensive urban prevention strategies. This approach not only incurs high financial costs but also exacerbates issues of territorial equity. Emergency operations during post-disaster phases often lead to prolonged and stressful recovery processes that amplify vulnerabilities and inequalities instead of strengthening the affected territories. Moreover, anthropogenic factors—such as global pollution, biodiversity loss, and changes in land use—are having both direct and indirect effects on human health and the planet as a whole.

​​Consequently, while increasing development opportunities, the concentration of population and assets in urban and peri-urban areas also exposes people and the environment to potential impacts from multi-risk situations stemming from both natural and human-induced events. This requires continuous monitoring and sustainable planning processes supported by integrated governance. A shared framework of public policies is essential to implement effective mitigation programs and actions. By shifting the focus from "building back better" to "building better before," reducing the catastrophic impact of disasters, and prioritizing the development of resilient physical and social infrastructure.

Empirical areas of focus could include climate disasters, pandemics, or environmental crises. Contributions exploring both theoretical foundations and empirical examples of planning for the unexpected are encouraged. Presentations could cover subjects such as the conditions and limitations of planning, managing uncertainty in collective decision-making, balancing spontaneity and control, or approaches to disaster risk management, from prevention to recovery.

Hence, in the face of long-term transformations, how can planning integrate diverse capacities to mitigate the impacts on our daily lives and adapt our practices? How can planners maintain the ability to achieve shared long-term goals, while managing and reducing the impacts of unpredictable events?