Planning Theory and Practice’s Interface on
the ongoing problems of rebuilding communities in Japan after the
triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown.
While western eyes are
focused on the ongoing problems of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear
reactor site, thousands of people are still evacuated from their homes
in north-eastern Japan following the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear
emergency. Many are in temporary accommodation and frustrated by a lack
of central government foresight and responsiveness to their concerns.
With the exception of
the ongoing problems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor, outside
of the Tohoku region of Japan, the after effects of the Great East Japan
Earthquake of 2011, and the subsequent tsunami and nuclear disaster,
are no longer front page news. The hard work of recovery is the everyday
reality in the region, and for planning schools and consultants across
the country the rebuilding of Tohoku dominates practice and study.
But while physical
reconstruction takes place, progress is not smooth. Many victims of the
disasters and members of the wider public feel that the government is
more interested in feeding the construction industry than addressing the
complex challenges of rebuilding sustainable communities. This is a
region that was already suffering from the challenges of an ageing
population, the exodus of young people to Tokyo and the decline of
traditional fisheries-based industries. In the worst cases people are
facing the invidious choice of returning to areas that are still
saturated with radioactive fallout or never going home.
The frustration is reflected in four short pieces in Planning Theory and Practice’s Interface Section from architecture, design and planning practitioners working with communities in four different parts of Tohoku.
Christian Dimmer,
Assistant Professor at Tokyo University and founder of TPF2- Tohoku
Planning Forum which links innovative redevelopment schemes in the
region says:
“The current
Japanese government’s obsession with big construction projects, like
mega-seawalls that have already been shown to be not likely to be
effective, is leading to really innovative community solutions being
marginalized, the voices of communities being ignored, and
sustainability cast aside.”
According to community planner and academic, Kayo Murakami – who edits this Interface section:
“The troubles of
the Tohoku reconstruction are not just a concern for Japan. They
highlight some of the fundamental challenges for disaster recovery and
building sustainable communities, in which people are really involved,
all over the world.”
