The Resilient City, How Modern Cities Recover from Disaster

Small city and town planning benefits for the insights in this book. The Resilient City, How Modern Cities Recover from Disaster[2010] is the story of survival. The authors reveal how 12 cities around the world have survived natural and man-made disasters. As a result, they are now better places for residents, businesses and visitors.

The common features of their revival plans and programs have been identified, examined and profiled. This is my favorite book of the last decade. The profiles offer specific details for the preservation and enhancement of a town’s character.  In addition, the recommendations are useful for small cities and towns still seeking their place.

Lawrence J. Vale and Thomas J. Campanella review the Chicago Fire, the San Francisco Earthquake and the British burning of the White House. They also examine the World War II destruction of Warsaw and the earthquake devastation in China in the 1990s, among others. They describe the responses of the host communities, the actions taken, the politics of the times and the details that made the difference. It is a great story. The lessons learned and the insights gained apply to the recent disasters and tragedies of Oklahoma City, 9/11, New Orleans and Sandy are fruitful.

The conclusions of The Resilient City form a studied analysis of many of the world’s most devastated cities and their comebacks. The authors offer object lessons for city officials and civic leaders to use in preserving and enhancing the quality features and characteristics of today’s small cities and towns.

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