Academy insights and articles written by our team of world-class professionals
Post-conflict or post-disaster reconstruction is often declared complete once roads reopen and buildings are rebuilt, yet daily life may remain fragile. This article proposes a practical KPI (key performance indicator) framework to “make recovery visible” for citizens and decision makers. Building on internationally recognized monitoring approaches—such as
In the immediate post–World War II period, war damage, evacuation-related demolition, and repatriation generated an estimated net shortage of roughly 4.2 million dwellings nationwide, creating a political imperative to maximize supply as quickly as possible. Government responded by institutionalizing a “build-more” paradigm through direct provision and finance—public housing, public corporation development, and
landscape” (urban aesthetics) is often treated as a secondary concern—something to be addressed after housing and infrastructure. This article argues the opposite: landscape quality functions as an operational recovery indicator that shapes whether
Yet field evidence from major disasters shows that the decisive bottleneck is logistics: the ability to restore continuous flows of relief supplies, fuel, medical goods, construction materials, skilled labor, and operational information. When these flows stall, debris removal, temporary housing, and permanent rebuilding all slow or stop. This article reframes logistics as core urban infrastructure and
Temporary housing is designed as a short-term emergency measure, yet major disasters repeatedly turn it into a multi-year living condition. When temporary residence extends beyond its
Through a comparative reading of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Berlin, the paper identifies recurring spatial and governance patterns that translate remembrance into durable urban form. Hiroshima demonstrates how an irreplaceable remnant can function as a “central term” in the city’s syntax when embedded within
Postwar reconstruction is often framed as a technical project—restoring damaged infrastructure and rebuilding housing—yet its most persistent bottlenecks are political and legal. In practice, reconstruction frequently requires the reconfiguration of property rights, land boundaries, compensation rules, and relocation pathways. These issues are difficult not because stakeholders are irrational, but because reconstruction decisions produce
Post-disaster recovery is often discussed as an engineering sequence—clear debris, repair assets, and rebuild. In practice, recovery succeeds or fails based on how quickly essential services return and how well interdependencies are managed across sectors. This paper reframes early reconstruction as the stabilization of three “lifeline” infrastructures—water, power, and transportation—treated not as isolated facilities but as service systems with measurable performance targets. Drawing on the “Community Lifelines” construct promoted in
Post-war reconstruction (and large-scale post-disaster recovery) begins less with visionary urban form than with the restoration of continuity: people must be able to drink safe water, rely on stable power, and reach hospitals, markets, and jobs. This article argues that these three lifeline infrastructures—water and sanitation, electricity, and transport—also constitute the most practical “sequence” for building a future-oriented smart city. The key is