Disaster Resilience Through Planning and Building Performance

3/07/08

The Symposium, Disaster Resilience Through Planning and Building Performance, held on
March 7, 2008, was a big success and brought together professionals from a broad range
of backgrounds to discuss disaster resilience from an engineering, urban planning,
sociological, insurance, building code, forensics and international perspective. We learned
about the development of the Unified New Orleans Plan, FEMAs new Risk Assessment
tool, FEMAs hazard design guides, building codes role in disaster mitigation, leaderships
role after a disaster, and international communities rebuilding efforts.

During the Symposium we asked several questions, including
how can Architects participate in post disaster performance assessments?
How can Architects help their clients prior to a disaster and after a disaster?

Many excellent points were part of the wrap up of the Symposium. Some answers to the
above questions include:

Various groups have offered to work with CBSP to include architects in disaster
performance assessments.
Many guidelines for disaster mitigation were recommended and CBSP plans to work with
FEMA to provide links and education to FEMA disaster mitigation efforts.

Following are some highlights from the excellent presentations. In April, audio and text
presentations of each speaker will be on the CBSP website.

David Dixon, FAIA, Goody, Clancy & Associates
Rebuilding Recommendations for New Neighborhoods and Housing
-Problems in New Orleans include:
-weak leadership.
-underlying community problems.
-substitute housing options not available.

-Solutions for New Orleans involves planning together to:
-Bottom-Up Initiative ideas and solutions should come from the people
of the community.
-revitalize downtown residential sectors.
-manage the French Quarter.
-attract cultural tourism.
-expand transportation options.



Laurie Johnson, AICP, Urban Planner and member of the Board of Directors,
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
Recommendations for Disaster Resilient Communities and Buildings
-Disaster reveals the resilience of government.
-Local resilience is linked to national renewal.
-Resilience is underwritten by outsiders.
-Remembrance drives resilience.
-Resilience benefits from the inertia of preparedness.
-Resilience exploits the power of place.
-Resilience is site-specific.



Disaster Resilience Through Planning and Building Performance



3/07/08
-Resilience entails more than rebuilding.



David Downey, Assoc. AIA, AIA Communities by Design
AIA Rapid Disaster Assessments
-Architects need to:
-target preperation.
-support preparation.
-support mitigation.
-support FEMA.
-promote cooperation.
-Good Samaritan Laws.



Edward Laatsch, Federal Emergency Management Agency
FEMAs Mitigation Role in Katrina Rebuilding and Forensics Engineering
-Forensic investigations are conducted to determine the causes of structural failures and to
highlight structural successes.
-Primary goals include reducing economic loss, and preventing major damage.
- Recommendations for building better and stronger and how to mitigate future damage.
-HAZUS is used to:
-Identify areas.
-Prioritize mitigation response.
-Estimate losses.
-Decide allocation of resources.
-Asess level of readiness.



Richard Kuchnicki, International Code Council
Disaster Response for Building Assessment & Building Performance Assessments
-Strong code evolves into disaster mitigation.
-Code enforcement is critical.
-Proposals include:
-Building Response Teams.
-Building Assessment Professionals.
-Disaster Response Committee



Milagros Kennett, DHS Department of Science and Technology
Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment Tool
-Risk Assessment tool, is now for all hazards, including man-made and natural, FEMA 452,
includes a building checklist for risk assessment.
-Rapid Visual Screening for Building Security FEMA 455
- Design guides for Earthquakes, - FEMA 454
-Risk = Threat Rating X Asset Value X Vulnerability
-Site & Urban Design for Security- FEMA 430
-Safe Rooms and Shelters- FEMA 453



Disaster Resilience Through Planning and Building Performance



3/07/08
Andrew Goldberg, Assoc. AIA, AIA Government and Community Relations
Federal Advocacy on Disaster Mitigation and Relief
-Congressional bill to provide a national Good Samaritan Act.



Kelly Burris, AIA, State Farm Insurance
State Farm Rapid Response
-Situational Leadership is an essential part of successfully executing any plan.



Charles Setchell, Shelter, Settlement and Hazard Mitigation Advisor, USAID Office of
US Foreign Disaster Assistance
Incorporating Disaster Risk Reduction into International Humanitarian Community
Disaster Responses: A Review of Recent Disasters
-Shelter and Settlements
-Disasters exacerbate urbanization.
-Disasters by Design Disasters may be a result of the way we are designing.
-Hazards and Disasters are not the same. (Hazards are local, individual events. Disasters
are large-scale, multi-faceted events.)
-Survival Platform



Janice Olshesky,
Chair, CBSP