Dismantling Disaster

A ground-up approach to disaster preparation and recovery for communities on the frontlines of climate change

In this unprecedented era of extreme weather events, disasters are becoming more frequent, more expensive, and more disruptive. Dismantling Disaster explains why reducing risk can no longer be left only to emergency managers, insurers, recovery agencies, and large-scale infrastructure projects. Through examples of post-disaster housing, coastal adaptation, community land trusts, infrastructure justice movements, and resilience hubs, Wes Michaels takes readers from New Orleans and coastal Louisiana to Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Florida to show how communities can reduce risk by strengthening the systems that support daily life.

Not everyone suffers in the same way when a storm, fire, or flood strikes. Those differences are often shaped long before disaster arrives, in decisions that may not look like disaster decisions at all: whether housing is secure, services are reliable, transportation is available, aid is accessible, and communities have the trust and resources to act together. Michaels argues that designers, planners, architects, engineers, and public officials have essential roles to play.

Encouraging people to see risk clearly and translate their priorities into actionable plans, Dismantling Disaster envisions a new role for design professionals in community-led initiatives aimed at reducing risk and planning for recovery before the next crisis hits.