Disaster Recovery and Place-Led Development Through

Comprehensive Urban Design

Ivan Cartes

Universidad del Bio-Bio, Concepcio´ n, Chile.

Learning from Places, as One of the Tasks of Urban Design

Facing the urgent reconstruction process, the master plans (with no legal enforcement) were considered as easily implemented urban design instrument: one that was indicative, flexible and that accepted other projects and complementary actions of interest. But above all, these were the

ones that were multidimensional, because they involved the social, economic and environmental

aspects.

Trigger projects, capable of generating and qualifying development areas and which were

passed onto the public and private sector, were also included in its execution. These also allowed a

second stage of social participation having agreed the urban master plan, and facilitate a more

appropriate definition of the buildings design. In its design synthesis, the Plan was developed looking to establish a mitigation strategy and to reduce the effects of a phenomenon with a similar or greater magnitude than 27F (27th February). It also looked to guarantee the safety of the people living in an area that is prone to tsunami impact .

Several probable scenarios were modelled, with a combined strategy of a defensive coastal wall

with a crown height of 5.2 m above sea level, combined with a coastal park strip, which have

to not only wear down the hydrodynamic energy of the tsunami, but also to filter the particulate

material that it drags with it and that causes greater damage in its onrush. Along with this, the

recovery of the estuary’s delta was also considered.There, a dense contention forest was planted on the river’s delta, in addition to refilling the soil that had been lost up to its previous levels. Finally, upstream a riverside park and defensive walls on both sides of the water source were added. All of

this together, would manage to reduce the water speed by 57 per cent and lower the flood height by

25 per cent under a similar event like that of 27F or one that was even worse (UC, 2010).

As FEMA recommends, once potential tsunami sources are identified, and the severity of the

tsunami hazard is known, site-specific information on the extent of inundation, height of run-up, and velocity of flow is needed. In the absence of available maps or site-specific inundation studies,

analytical solutions can be used to estimate tsunami inundation parameters of preliminary or

approximate design. (FEMA, 2008)

With the goal of protecting the residents and planning the replacement of homes, whose original

precariousness led to their destruction, their provision was classified as ‘‘anti-tsunami’’ and ‘‘tsunami-resistant’’. ‘‘The first category involves homes lifted up on pillars, where the ground level

does not have a residential use. This is done so that the hydrodynamic energy can pass by and run

underneath without damaging human or material property. The second typology is located in floodable areas, where the hydrodynamic energy has less impact. But here, water flooding can be

avoided, allowing that the first level, built with reinforced concrete or reinforced brickwork, can resist minor impacts and can be quickly restored and/or dried after a ‘‘tsunami’’ (Cartes, 2011). Additional reconstruction subsidies were provided for both typologies from the Solidary Housing Fund. However, the largest emergency camp in the country, located 25 m above sea level, was built with 230 definitive homes, moving part of the urban area above the safety level .

Future Platforms, Recovering the Sense of Belonging and Entrepreneurialism

In order to understand the town’s reconstruction, and given the work crisis caused by the loss of most of the constructions which provided tourism services and whose role was being an economic

motor, a series of actions, subsidies and support mechanisms for new businesses were determined.

A combination between the Production Development Corporation (CORFO) and the Technical Cooperation Service (SERCOTEC) generated several programmes to promote economic recovery

projects. These allowed people to recover their income and thus attract tourists to a devastated zone. Each one of these actions and programmes did nothing more than reinforce the local identity and support the activities that were going on before the tsunami, but now with renewed entrepreneurship and innovation as an added value .

In the early stage of the reconstruction process, SERCOTEC initially invested US$1.1 million, choosing 111 micro and small businesses whose commercial activities provided opportunities for

development and employment for 200 people. Law 20,494 was used to speed up company start-ups

through the pro-business agenda. Meanwhile, CORFO invested US$0.5 million, generating 74 jobs in restaurants and seafood-based establishments. Thirdly, the Regional Government also invested US$0.5 million and encouraged a gastronomic hub project and a businesses’ project housed in a

provisional tent. The stores were located in recycled containers with special modules for public restrooms, providing space for 10 small restaurants, 10 shops and 16 kiosks. This generated employment for some 50 people until the reconstruction process was concluded.

Currently, it is possible to see tourists and people in culinary services almost all year round. The seasonal and summer trend which concentrated most visits into a short period of time from January to March, without the possibility of generating a higher level of attention and continuous development has been reversed.

As the coastal mitigation park needed to occupy areas that were previously inhabited, or used for

beachside services, a special procurement plan was launched. To do this, land which was used for

commercial activities and even worse, for housing purposes, was expropriated. These activities were

relocated, being able to purchase land on higher ground, and the ones that were still useful and close enough to the coast to have tourism-based activities, but not housing, were rented or sold to residents that previously had worked on the same shorefront first and then to other residents. This urban operation not only gave back the empty lots to the residents, but also allowed shaping a continuous facade and a line of activities along the mitigation park and close to the beach, where the main consumers were. All the restaurants along the shoreline had a subsidy for construction and were forced to provide terraces and balconies facing the ocean, to liven up the public

space. (Baeriswyl, 2015)

These initiatives and schemes confirm that when urbanism has the purpose of developing a community, a series of actions and collective instruments can be implemented. They can also be centred where the affected parties are, achieving better results which lead to other projects, driving through a joint and sustainable development.

（文章来源：URBAN DESIGN International excerpted）