Japan has figured out how to build resilient housing in disaster-prone places — here's what the US can learn

How Architects Are Designing for Disaster Resilience

On Jan. 7, architect Greg Chasen rushed to his childhood home in Pacific Palisades, a well-off Los Angeles neighborhood tucked between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean, to remove any flammables and turn on the sprinklers. “You could hear exploding propane tanks and see the flames reflected in the smoke. I was sure that fire was going to tear through overnight,” he says. At some point, there was nothing left to do but go home and wait. [time-b…

Japan has figured out how to build resilient housing in disaster-prone places — here's what the US can learn

Japan has taken steps in recent decades to make its homes and buildings more resilient to disasters.KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty ImagesJapan has taken steps to make its buildings more resilient to seismic activity.Strategic planning, updating building codes, and a culture of preparedness have driven progress.Japan's approach could offer lessons for the US, where many communities are vulnerable to disasters.Prone to major earthquakes that trigger …