Ecuadorian housing resettlements five years after the 2016 earthquake: A critical analysis

Future scenarios for housing (re)settlements in Ecuador

“…This is certainly evident in the reconstruction program deployed in the Manabi province after the 2016 earthquake. A review of the impacts of the reconstruction strategy [12], indeed, highlighted the inadequacy of the built resettlement due to the location and the urban program (geography of the resettlement), the quality of the house in terms of thermal comfort and flexibility (material condition of the housing), and the lack of planning for future economic and social grow (social condition of the urban environment).…”

“…The investigation of the cities of Portoviejo, Manta, Bahía de Caráquez and Pedernales, which accommodated about 90% of the permanent resettlements built after the 2016 Muisne earthquake highlighted some key criticalities connected to the geography of the resettlements, the material condition of the housing and the social condition of the urban environment [12]. Interviews and field work, indeed, highlighted the lack of connectiveness of the current resettlements with the existing cities centres, the total disengagement in planning for economic and civic growing of the inhabitants, as well as the lack of any proper urban planning of the new areas.…”

“…In an attempt to rethink future resettlements, the international NOVA VIDA research project, funded by British academy in UK, aims to critically evaluate the (re)settlements built after the 2016 Muisne earthquake in Ecuador, looking specifically to the cities of Portoviejo, Manta, Bahía de Caráquez and Pedernales, which accommodated 90% of the resettlements built by the central government. The learning obtained in the first investigative phase [12] are currently informing the definition of new scenarios for future longterm reconstructions in Ecuador, which is the main topic discussed in this paper. In the future, the proposed scenarios will be developed in virtual reality and brought in Ecuador to be experienced by local inhabitants to understand the impact they could have on the local populations and also to review them as required.…”