Designing to Heal explores what happens to communities that have suffered disasters, either natural or man-made, and what planners and urban designers can do to give the affected communities the best possible chance of recovery. It examines the relationship that people have with their surroundings and the profound disruption to people's lives that can occur when that relationship is violently changed; when the familiar settings for their lives are destroyed and family, friends and neighbours are displaced, incapacitated or killed.
The book offers a model of the healing process, outlining the emotional journey that people go on as they struggle to rebuild their lives. It outlines the characteristics of the built environment that may facilitate people to travel as smoothly as possible down this road to recovery and suggests elements of the design process that can help achieve this goal. Designing to Heal highlights the importance of thinking about urban design as a way of nurturing hope and creating the optimal conditions to achieve social objectives.
Designing to Heal explores what happens to communities that have suffered disasters, either natural or man-made, and what planners and urban designers can do to give the affected communities the best possible chance of recovery. It examines the relationship that people have with their surroundings and the profound disruption to people's lives that can occur when that relationship is violently changed; when the familiar settings for their lives are destroyed and family, friends and neighbours are displaced, incapacitated or killed.
The book offers a model of the healing process, outlining the emotional journey that people go on as they struggle to rebuild their lives. It outlines the characteristics of the built environment that may facilitate people to travel as smoothly as possible down this road to recovery and suggests elements of the design process that can help achieve this goal. Designing to Heal highlights the importance of thinking about urban design as a way of nurturing hope and creating the optimal conditions to achieve social objectives.
Sheds light on the results of inappropriate responses to disaster reconstruction.
Raises awareness to the importance of investing in design as a way of achieving social objectives amongst decision makers.
Provides insight into the process of design to ensure the best outcome and the product of urban design is the physical infrastructure that can help people meet their needs.
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 The high cost of living
Chapter 3 Recovering from disaster
Chapter 4 Sixteen acres in Manhattan
Chapter 5 Rebuilding political, social and human capital on Montserrat
Chapter 6 Building bridges out of flags, murals, a prison and a shopping centre in Belfast
Chapter 7 Providing hope for children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Chapter 8 Giving new meaning to a tsunami-devastated beach, Hambantota, Sri Lanka
Chapter 9 Loss and identity, rebuilding communities and buildings after the Victorian bushfires
Chapter 10 Designing to heal
Chapter 11 The characteristics of places that are designed to heal References
Appendix 1: Interview with Tony McHugh: facilitating the healing process
Appendix 2: Murrindindi Shire memorials guidelines
Index
The book is aimed primarily at practitioners of urban design, planning and people working in development agencies and students in these fields. It is written for interested parties but avoids any jargon or terminology that would limit it to just planners and designers.
Jenny Donovan is the principal of the urban design practice Inclusive Design and has a particular interest in designing to address social exclusion and creating environments within which people can thrive. Her insights draw from her work in post-war and post-disaster situations in Kosovo, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia, and studies in Australia, Northern Ireland, New York, Montserrat and elsewhere.
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