Jurisdictional decision-making about building codes for resiliency and sustainability post-fire
The increasing frequency and size of wildfires across the U.S. motivates the growing need to identify how affected communities can rebuild sustainably and resiliently. This study examines the jurisdictional decision-making process surrounding one important class of sustainability and resiliency deci...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/ad02b8 |
| _version_ | 1797649178755596288 |
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| author | Megan Ellery Amy Javernick-Will Abbie Liel Katherine Dickinson |
| author_facet | Megan Ellery Amy Javernick-Will Abbie Liel Katherine Dickinson |
| author_sort | Megan Ellery |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The increasing frequency and size of wildfires across the U.S. motivates the growing need to identify how affected communities can rebuild sustainably and resiliently. This study examines the jurisdictional decision-making process surrounding one important class of sustainability and resiliency decisions, focusing on energy and wildfire building codes for housing reconstruction. Through 22 interviews with staff and elected officials in three jurisdictions impacted by Colorado’s Marshall Fire, we identify factors influencing decisions. Code decisions varied across jurisdictions and, in some cases, building codes were relaxed, while in other cases, increased resiliency and sustainability standards were adopted after the fire. Jurisdictions with more experience had more certainty regarding code costs and effectiveness, leading to more stringent code adoption. Thus, findings encourage jurisdictions to create rebuilding plans pre-disaster to reduce the impact of uncertainty in post-disaster decision-making. The data also indicate that while local jurisdictions are well-suited to work cooperatively with homeowners impacted by disasters to return to the community, the state can play a role by informing or mandating disaster plans or establishing minimum code requirements. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:42:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cc91c56b5d5e46d4866806ee87edaa9c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2634-4505 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:42:33Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability |
| spelling | doaj.art-cc91c56b5d5e46d4866806ee87edaa9c2023-10-26T11:53:19ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability2634-45052023-01-013404500410.1088/2634-4505/ad02b8Jurisdictional decision-making about building codes for resiliency and sustainability post-fireMegan Ellery0https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1677-2012Amy Javernick-Will1Abbie Liel2Katherine Dickinson3Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder, CO, United States of AmericaDepartment of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder, CO, United States of AmericaDepartment of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder, CO, United States of AmericaColorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz , Aurora, CO, United States of AmericaThe increasing frequency and size of wildfires across the U.S. motivates the growing need to identify how affected communities can rebuild sustainably and resiliently. This study examines the jurisdictional decision-making process surrounding one important class of sustainability and resiliency decisions, focusing on energy and wildfire building codes for housing reconstruction. Through 22 interviews with staff and elected officials in three jurisdictions impacted by Colorado’s Marshall Fire, we identify factors influencing decisions. Code decisions varied across jurisdictions and, in some cases, building codes were relaxed, while in other cases, increased resiliency and sustainability standards were adopted after the fire. Jurisdictions with more experience had more certainty regarding code costs and effectiveness, leading to more stringent code adoption. Thus, findings encourage jurisdictions to create rebuilding plans pre-disaster to reduce the impact of uncertainty in post-disaster decision-making. The data also indicate that while local jurisdictions are well-suited to work cooperatively with homeowners impacted by disasters to return to the community, the state can play a role by informing or mandating disaster plans or establishing minimum code requirements.https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/ad02b8disaster recoverypost-disaster decision makingbuilding codes |
| spellingShingle | Megan Ellery Amy Javernick-Will Abbie Liel Katherine Dickinson Jurisdictional decision-making about building codes for resiliency and sustainability post-fire Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability disaster recovery post-disaster decision making building codes |
| title | Jurisdictional decision-making about building codes for resiliency and sustainability post-fire |
| title_full | Jurisdictional decision-making about building codes for resiliency and sustainability post-fire |
| title_fullStr | Jurisdictional decision-making about building codes for resiliency and sustainability post-fire |
| title_full_unstemmed | Jurisdictional decision-making about building codes for resiliency and sustainability post-fire |
| title_short | Jurisdictional decision-making about building codes for resiliency and sustainability post-fire |
| title_sort | jurisdictional decision making about building codes for resiliency and sustainability post fire |
| topic | disaster recovery post-disaster decision making building codes |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/ad02b8 |
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