Issues pertaining to urban risks are a pressing
concern for people involved in disaster mitigation.
With the progressing urban sprawl and the emergence
of mega-cities around the world, disasters of all kinds
become an inevitable consequence of uncontrolled
urbanization. Growing environmental and social
(purely scientific and practical disaster mitigation and
preparedness) concerns, both on the part of decisionmakers
and public opinion, have brought a new perspective
to the perception of hazard assessment as a
valid alternative in the long-term (e.g. retrofitting),
and an effective complement in short and medium
terms, to traditional design procedure for a resistant
and safe environment. Recent earthquakes, Haiti
earthquake of 12 January 2010 and Chile earthquake
of 27 February 2010, in particular, exemplify the
urgent need for society to develop the effective
strategies and policies to reduce seismic risk and to
mitigate earthquake disasters.
