Spatial connectivity as a recovery process indicator: The L'Aquila earthquake

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to prove that spatial connectivity can be an effective spatial indicator for monitoring and evaluating the recovery process after the event of an earthquake. It integrates variables such as distance, travel time and quality of public transport service. We hypothesize that there is a relationship between the connectivity to the central business districts in cities, and the satisfaction with the locations of new settlements assigned to the homeless population during a recovery process. If this hypothesis holds true, then the satisfaction with new settlements will be correlated with the inhabitants' preference to either stay, or to search for a new site. This will then support the evaluation of the success of a recovery process. To prove this relationship we investigated the twelve months recovery process in L'Aquila in Italy. Spatial data sets were used and analyzed using GIS. Fieldwork data and interviews were conducted in order to investigate the satisfaction of persons living in newly established places outside of the city. We compared the strength of the desire of the interviewees to move away, against the Contreras et al.Spatial connectivity in recovery processes 2 travel distance and travel time to the city center. The statistical analysis reveals that the preference to search for another place was significantly correlated with the distance between new settlements and the city center of L'Aquila. To a lesser degree it was correlated with the travel time. The regression indicated that the distance between the new settlements and the inner city strongly influences the preference to either stay or to move.

Fuzzy Boundaries Between Post-Disaster Phases: The Case of L’Aquila, Italy

“…There is a strong correlation between the dissatisfaction among people who relocated to new settlements and the distance and travel time to central L'Aquila (Contreras et al 2013). There were emergent groups that wanted to regain social space for L'Aquila through the location in the new settlements of amenities such as multifunctional centers (including auditorium, library, multimedia, and playground spaces for children).…”

“…The main objective is to reduce the emigration of young people from the city of L'Aquila (Forino 2014). Most of the new settlements lack any urban facilities, a characteristic of the relief phase when most of the facilities are not available due to damage, but in this case due to the lack of urban planning in the design of the new settlements (Contreras et al 2013). These problems contrast with the advanced seismic design of the houses, more related to the development phase.…”

“…Reconstruction programs such as the Complessi Antisismici Sostenibili ed Ecocompatibili (C.A.S.E) (earthquake resistant and environmentally friendly units) project, and the Moduli Abitativi Provvisori (M.A.P) (temporary housing units) program, resulted in the construction of 5722 housing units for the homeless population in 19 new settlements distributed around the city at various locations within 1 year from the earthquake (Contreras et al 2013). The C.A.S.E and M.A.P.…”

“…This expensive housing resettlement solution resulted in a number of problems including a lack of basic services, lack of urban facilities (for example, churches, schools, pharmacies, post offices, supermarkets, social centers, sports centers), lack of spatial connectivity (Contreras et al 2013), social fragmentation (Geipel 1979;Forino 2014), and questionable ecological values (Alexander 2012). This artificial resettlement ''sprawl'' did not consider either the social or spatial characteristics of L'Aquila, nor the centuries-old relations between the historical center and its surrounding neighborhoods (Forino 2014).…”

Smart City L’Aquila: An Application of the “Infostructure” Approach to Public Urban Mobility in a Post-Disaster Context

“…However, in reality most settlements have been located in the periphery of the city, and in this way they contributed to strengthening the already dispersed urban tissue of L'Aquila (See Figure 1). Research has shown that the residents of the new settlements show more propensity to move to another place of residence (Contreras et al, 2013). However, relocation would not necessarily imply returning to the previous place of residence, as the reconstruction in large parts of the city has not yet been completed.…”