Designing to Heal (Paperback)

This book explores what happens to communities that have suffered disasters, either natural or man-made, and what planners and urban designers can do to give the affected communities the best possible chance of recovery. It examines the relationship that people have with their surroundings and the profound disruption to people’s lives that can occur when that relationship is violently changed; when the familiar settings for their lives are destroyed and family, friends and neighbors are displaced, incapacitated or killed.

The book offers a model of the healing process, outlining the emotional journey that people go on as they struggle to rebuild their lives. It outlines the characteristics of the built environment that may facilitate people to travel as smoothly as possible down this road to recovery and suggests elements of the design process that can help achieve this goal. Designing to Heal highlights the importance of thinking about urban design as a way of nurturing hope and creating the optimal conditions to achieve social objectives.

KEY FEATURES

* Sheds light on the results of inappropriate responses to disaster reconstruction.
* Raises awareness to the importance of investing in design as a way of achieving social objectives among decision makers
* Provides insight into the process of design to ensure the best outcome

Jenny Donovan is the principal of the urban design practice Inclusive Design and has a particular interest in designing to address social exclusion and creating environments within which people can thrive. Her insights draw from her work in post-war and postdisaster situations in Kosovo, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia, and studies in Australia, Northern Ireland, New York, Montserrat and elsewhere.