Planning Theory for Sustainable Community Resettlement and Environmental Transfer in the Context of Natural Disaster and Climate Change

Abstract

The Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 was the first time that a single disaster relocated hundreds of districts, and it was completely unprecedented. Professor Suguru Mori is an expert in the field of helping communities rebuild after natural disasters who is interested in taking lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake in the establishment of community relocation that places emphasis on human rights and ethics. As a bachelor student, Mori experienced the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake in 1995, gaining the dual perspective of victim and researcher. This highlighted a disconnect. Mori is based in the Division of Architecture, Hokkaido University, Japan, where he is exploring planned community relocation in the context of large-scale disasters and climate change in the Asia-Pacific region, with a particular focus on Koizumi district in Kesennuma city and looking at both past and future risks. In addition to being a researcher, Mori is an architect and planner and a key approach is Action Research, which integrates research and practice to catalyse transformative change. He also uses approaches from the unique academic field of architectural planning research (APR), which was developed in academic circles of the Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ) and scientifically examines architecture and its design methods.