Recovery or Redevelopment: An Examination of the Long-Term Socio-Spatial Transformation of Earthquake-Affected Neighbourhoods in Bhuj

This paper examines long-term socio-spatial transformation of historical urban neighbourhoods in the earthquake-affected city of Bhuj. The research draws upon archival review and field data collection in this city ten years after the massive earthquake of 2001. The paper first examines the recovery programme and plans for reconstruction at different scales of city, neighbourhood and individual buildings, with a particular attention to housing reconstruction policies. It then maps out changes in the built environment of two neighbourhoods in the old fabric of the city across time; from the pre-earthquake condition, to the disaster time and ten years after it. Changes in the social environment of these neighbourhoods are investigated through the examination of interviews with the pre-earthquake residents of the two neighbourhoods. The juxtaposition of the narratives of those who stayed in the neighbourhood and those who opted or had to leave it demonstrates the contested meanings of recovery. The paper discusses how socio-economic trends, the disaster and its impacts, as well as post-disaster interventions of different actors played a role in such transformation. It is discussed how these influences are manifested in the still changing built environment and how these manifestations are in turn perceived by the residents of the two neighbourhoods. The paper concludes by drawing lessons from this case study to inform future urban planning efforts following major urban disasters.