Abstract
Apartment dwelling is on the increase in many cities in Aotearoa New Zealand, including those in earthquake-prone regions. Hence it is important that people working in disaster management and housing improve their understanding on how the living situations of apartment dwellers influence their disaster management practices. This knowledge is crucial for efforts to promote safety and preparedness. This paper explores what enables and constrains apartment dwellers in their ability to prepare for an earthquake. Eighteen people were interviewed who resided in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) two years after the 2016 7.8 magnitude (Mw) Kaikōura earthquake. Of central concern was people’s ability to prepare for disasters and access knowledge about building and structural safety and how this knowledge mattered to what apartment dwellers were able to prepare for. We found that the agency to prepare was dependent on whether people owned or rented their dwellings. We report on participant accounts of dealing with body corporations, landlords, emergency kits, other emergency items, and evacuation plans.
Highlights
Piera CentobelliWith the growth of inner-city living, especially in earthquake-prone areas, calls have been raised for cities to make crucial adjustments to prioritize the safety of people who live and use city spaces [1]
According to Wellington City Council [16], the dwelling type is relevant to the city’s residential functioning, with higher density dwellings enticing younger adults and smaller households and with many students living in the Central Business District (CBD)
Changes in that legislation stipulated that owners had to be notified about their building’s earthquake rating and any remedial work required to bring that building up to 34% of the New Building Standard (NBS)
Summary
With the growth of inner-city living, especially in earthquake-prone areas, calls have been raised for cities to make crucial adjustments to prioritize the safety of people who live and use city spaces [1]. Within Aotearoa New Zealand, there are various resources that focus on earthquake disaster preparedness These encourage preparedness planning to promote personal safety and shield apartment dwellers, in particular, from harm during an earthquake and during the aftermath. They include information on immediate actions that should be taken when an earthquake occurs, such as ‘drop, cover, and hold’, knowing tsunami evacuation routes, and having a household plan. Research into the human aspect of apartment or high-rise dwelling and risk reduction is largely founded in the US because of their customary use of tall buildings. This includes work by Horney, Snider [10]. We were concerned about the actions people took to prepare for an earthquake, including storing water, food, and other survival items
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