Cordons provide a useful, but challenging risk-management tool for protecting public safety in a post-earthquake environment. There is limited literature on the purpose, complexities, and societal implications of post-earthquake cordons. Using evidence primarily from the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, and observations from the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake, this exploratory study identifies and highlights the various avenues of consideration involved in cordon establishment. This study shows that a cordon brings about complex challenges, pertaining to housing, law, economy, social welfare, governance, civil liberties, and health. We find that cordons can support both short-term and long-term recovery processes. Three themes emerge: (1) the tensions between minimizing risk for public health and safety and constraining the rights of the public and private parties; (2) the roles, rights, and relationships between government and private sectors; and (3) the balancing of short-term benefits of cordons against longer term impacts to the wider post-earthquake community. This exploratory study of the challenges, complexities and consequences associated with cordons over short, medium, and long terms may inform cordon-related decisions and improve outcomes for communities following an earthquake.

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