The ability of architecture to respond to natural disasters

This article aims to question and understand how cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina will feel and respond in the future,

Analyze local and global challenges affecting the city and its residents, and understand disaster resilience and reconstruction;

Whether in natural disasters such as floods, or in the post-war environment as well.

Without thinking too much, it is understood that rapid population growth means that more people live in cities.

Currently 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and this will grow to 68% by 2050.

Changes are occurring at several levels, at the level of major cities and small urban areas.

These changes affect economic development, housing, public health, and public transportation.

Top photo of the Neretva Hotel building in Mostar, showing the post-war reconstruction with the facade preserved and restored,

Partial reconstruction of the building such as the walls and the entire roof.

The next Hilton hotel. Another construction site, as the next Hilton hotel will be built in central Sarajevo.

What will the city look like in the coming years and is there a better model to promote?

Changes are occurring at a pace that was almost unimaginable just a few decades ago.

People change, lives change, so habitats obviously need to change too,

which means cities need to adapt to this change.

Unfortunately, with climate change and everything going on in the world,

post-conflict and post-natural disaster environments are becoming more common.

Architects and urban planners play an important role as change makers of place

There are several observations that need to be shared from the perspective of the post-conflict environment.

In fact, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been in a post-conflict phase since 1995.

The changes that have occurred have affected all strata of society,

including changes in the way building and rebuilding is done.

The first observation concerns the rapid rise of custom buildings in Bosnian cities and towns such as Sarajevo,

Tuzla, Srebrenec, Visegrad, and Mostar which had a major impact on the way these cities and towns look.

These were part of reconstruction in the post-war environment,

often driven by speed and undermined by a lack of urban planning.

With the desire for quick-impact reconstruction; And give priority to cheap and rapid construction over sustainable development of urban areas.

The faces of cities and towns have changed beyond recognition in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In most cases, this is not for the better.

Urban development

Urban development is a reflection of state and local policy as well as their level of influence on urban planning departments.

The results of the urban planning department’s post-war work are clearly visible, and its choices are often painful for the city.

But it is up to today’s new generations to make choices and try to repair the damage caused by war and the damage caused by the lack of proper urban planning.

While the ugly and unnatural have been built and will remain there, the beautiful and natural can still happen by creating a better environment.

Not only is it fun to look at, it’s healthy to live too.

Meanwhile, Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, holds the title of one of the most polluted cities in Europe.

Shouldn’t buildings be used as a mitigator for this problem, rather than a contributor to it?

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