Disaster Assistance Handbook
The Disaster Assistance Handbook helps architects support communities before and after disaster—creating more resilient, sustainable, equitable, and healthy places and spaces.
Disaster response & recovery
“Citizen Architects” assist their communities through service on boards and commissions before and after a disaster to plan for hazardous events, ensure building codes are updated, and advise on responsible land use that will allow businesses and communities to assume operations more quickly after a disaster.
In a state of emergency, architects and engineers work together to determine the habitability of homes and businesses, preventing further harm and injury to unsuspecting residents.
This handbook will:
- Help architects understand how to help communities mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
- Prepare AIA Chapters to engage and coordinate their architect members and provide community discourse and assistance.
- Explain how built environment professionals can work with architects and the community on disaster response and preparedness efforts.
- Inform municipal governments of the unique ways architects assist the public and their clients in mitigating, responding to, and recovering from disasters.
Download Disaster Assistance Handbook
Quick guide: Disaster Assistance Handbook, Fourth Edition; 2021
This document defines mitigation, resilience, adaptation, sustainability and regenerative design, clarifying the characteristics of each strategy as well as the nuances of hazard, risk and
