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Taking The High Ground: Fema Trailer Siting After Hurricane Katrina, Daniel P. Aldrich, Kevin Crook
Taking The High Ground: Fema Trailer Siting After Hurricane Katrina, Daniel P. Aldrich, Kevin Crook
Daniel P Aldrich
Using data on more than 300 census blocks from across New Orleans, Louisiana, this article investigates two steps in the placement of temporary housing after Hurricane Katrina. First, the authors seek to understand the factors that determined whether census blocks were selected for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailers. Then, in light of the widespread resistance to the trailers, they focus on variables that influenced whether trailers were successfully placed on those sites. Despite past research arguing that race, collective action potential, and political factors are the primary determinants of facility placement and the success or failure of the attempt, …
Fixing Recovery: Social Capital In Post-Crisis Resilience, Daniel P. Aldrich
Fixing Recovery: Social Capital In Post-Crisis Resilience, Daniel P. Aldrich
Daniel P Aldrich
Disasters remain among the most critical events which impact residents and their neighborhoods; they have killed far more individuals than high salience issues such as terrorism. Unfortunately, disaster recovery programs run by the United States and foreign governments have not been updated to reflect a new understanding of the essential nature of social capital and networks. I call for a re-orientation of disaster preparedness and recovery programs at all levels away from the standard fixes focused on physical infrastructure towards ones targeting social infrastructure. The reservoirs of social capital and the trust (or lack thereof) between citizens in disaster-affected communities …