The conservation of traumatic ruins: A sensitive issue to improve urban resilience

Abstract

Preserved urban ruins convey a social and political message, sometimes with great impact. Whereas stakeholders often tend to cancel the traces of disaster, the conservation of ruins has been the consequence of much disputed decisions. Such decisions can be explained by the will to use the conservation of ruins as a preventive tool. Indeed, the conservation of a disaster’s traumatic marks can be a tool to perform urban resilience, since the urban system integrates the trauma, in an open purpose of risk mitigation. However, this instrument of risk management entails major urban planning issues. Many municipalities in various countries have decided to preserve ruins after tragic events. They set up specific restoration and management standards, various aesthetic and technical choices, access and presentation criteria, but they also indicate a political exploitation of the disaster.