Reflections on Recovery: Analyzing disaster recovery frameworks for the cities of Seattle and Wellington through a lens of reflexive sociology

Abstract

University of Washington Abstract Reflections on Recovery: Analyzing disaster recovery frameworks for the cities of Seattle and Wellington through a lens of reflexive sociology Samuel Ripley Chair of the Supervisory committee: Dr. Jan Whittington Department of Urban Design and Planning Recovering from catastrophic disasters forces communities to ask deep and difficult questions about identity- do they want to rebuild what they had before? Do they even know exactly what that was? Or would they want to change and become something different, hopefully something better. This thesis examines disaster recovery planning frameworks in the cities of Seattle and Wellington, and compares how they promote reflectiveness- a quality which indicates forethought and investigation. The reflectiveness of recovery plans is examined using three indicators: Incorporation of scientific and technical studies, understanding and use of local knowledge, and the use of assessment methods or other metrics for directing improvements. In particular, older and current iterations of recovery frameworks are compared, demonstrating a strong shift towards more reflectiveness. I also use interviews with disaster recovery professionals to provide further context and background that is often not captured in draft frameworks.