662.2
Capacity for Urban Recovery in Southern Germany after the 2013 European Floods
Capacity for Urban Recovery in Southern Germany after the 2013 European Floods
Tuesday, July 15, 2014: 3:45 PM
Room: Booth 48
Oral Presentation
This proposed contribution deals with the impact of natural disaster on the recovery of urban settlements. In the 2013 European floods, settlement space in the South and East of Germany was severely impacted, including the Bavarian city of Deggendorf situated along the Danube river. Reports point out that early damage appraisals in combination with environmental degradation may significantly affect individual reconstruction efforts. This indicates an interrelated, socio-spatial, and cultural character of planning, settlement space, disaster, and recovery. Which aspects play a role in the recovery of urbanized regions after disaster, and how can their interrelation be conceptualized?
An integrated approach based on socio-spatial perspectives in disaster research and urban studies serves to analyze these aspects in relation to vulnerabilities as well as institutional planning and programs for recovery. This permits a multidimensional discussion on ongoing processes of adaptation to disaster and its impact in urbanized regions, while enabling disciplines in spatial production access to this subject matter. A case study methodology serves to gather empirical data in the Fischerdorf area of Deggendorf in late 2013. Methods include qualitative interviews with key individuals in state and local institutions as well as impacted residents in addition to document research, participant observation, site visit.
The goal of this contribution is to identify problems within the urban recovery after the 2013 European floods. This may serve to propose knowledge-based planning recommendations for the reconstruction of settlement space following natural disaster, and thus, reduce vulnerabilities of impacted populations against the background of recurring hydrometerological hazards. In the case of natural disasters in urbanized regions, weak links between plans and programs for recovery and the needs of impacted populations may impair the capacity of cities to adapt. The approach is intended for application to other cases of urban recovery planning after disaster.
An integrated approach based on socio-spatial perspectives in disaster research and urban studies serves to analyze these aspects in relation to vulnerabilities as well as institutional planning and programs for recovery. This permits a multidimensional discussion on ongoing processes of adaptation to disaster and its impact in urbanized regions, while enabling disciplines in spatial production access to this subject matter. A case study methodology serves to gather empirical data in the Fischerdorf area of Deggendorf in late 2013. Methods include qualitative interviews with key individuals in state and local institutions as well as impacted residents in addition to document research, participant observation, site visit.
The goal of this contribution is to identify problems within the urban recovery after the 2013 European floods. This may serve to propose knowledge-based planning recommendations for the reconstruction of settlement space following natural disaster, and thus, reduce vulnerabilities of impacted populations against the background of recurring hydrometerological hazards. In the case of natural disasters in urbanized regions, weak links between plans and programs for recovery and the needs of impacted populations may impair the capacity of cities to adapt. The approach is intended for application to other cases of urban recovery planning after disaster.