2021.03.16
CTIE supports urban "disaster preventive area management," helping to ensure safe and secure communities
Technology & Research
CTI Engineering Co., Ltd. (Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer : Tetsumi Nakamura) has developed a guide for "Disaster Preventive Area Management" concerning the mutual aid necessary to maintain and continue urban functions in the event of a potential disaster. The guide supports the activities performed by various facility managers, including those in the public and private sectors.
1. Background
In recent years, storms and floods have been causing frequent damage, and compound disasters are expected to occur when these storms and floods coincide with imminent, large-scale earthquakes with the potential to cause extensive damage. In cities, underground passageways, underground shopping malls, and subways are widespread, creating major challenges for preventing flooding of underground spaces and ensuring the safety of human life and property in the event of large-scale flooding. Crime prevention measures for the entire city are also necessary from the perspective of creating communities that are secure and comfortable for people to live in. Finally, it has become clear that quarantine measures will be needed for those who seek refuge or remain in the city during disasters.
In these areas, there are limits to the measures that can be taken through public aid alone. "Mutual aid" activities, in which various facility managers, including those in the private and public sectors work together, are therefore essential.
2. Our initiatives
In 2018, we organized a research team on urban safety. This team has been conducting field surveys, exchanging opinions, and discussing area management with local developers and facility managers as it relates to the prevention of disasters, crime, and epidemics. Their work particularly targets the Tokyo metropolitan area, including the Nihonbashi and Yaesu districts in Chuo-ku.
Case study concerning support for those who temporarily remain in Yokohama's Minatomirai district (accommodating people who have difficulty returning home)
(Accommodating persons who require special help in disaster scenarios and quarantine measures were also considered.)
As the result of three years of research, we have prepared a "Guide for the Promotion of Disaster Preventive Area Management" to help to ensure the safety of urban areas using both tangible and intangible measures. Through this guide, we expect to help the following entities:
[Who this guide may help]
- Administrators of government facilities (disaster preparedness centers, temporary shelters, etc.)
- Urban development and disaster risk management departments in charge of safety planning and support for disaster preventive area management
- Council bodies backed by official city plans
- Volunteer area management organizations
3. Future developments
Using this guide, we will propose plans that reduce or prevent disaster risks and enable the continuation or timely recovery of the functions of facilities in establishment of urban infrastructure, redevelopment projects, and disaster preparedness centers. As a multi-disciplinary consulting engineering company, we will use our planning technology and knowledge concerning a wide range of disaster risks, from single hazards to multiple and compound disasters, to support disaster preventive area management activities in which diverse facility managers, including those in the public and private sectors, work together.
[Reference] Examples of collaborative authorship or compiling of technical publications on disaster preventative area management
Special Feature "The Great East Japan Earthquake: 10 Years of Reconstruction and the Future Ahead" in City Planning Review Vol. 70 No. 2 (349) published by The City Planning Institute of Japan "A History of Legislation and Policies on Urban Reconstruction and Area Management - Policy Developments Based on Previous Disasters after the Great East Japan Earthquake" by Yusuke Maekawa