The L.A. Earthquake Sourcebook
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE L.A. EARTHQUAKE SOURCEBOOK Produced by Richard Koshalek and Mariana Amatullo 2/3 Copyright © 2008 Designmatters at Southern California earthquake maps reprinted Art Center College of Design. courtesy of the U. S. Geological Survey. Excerpt from All rights reserved. ISBN 978-0-9618705-0-8 “Los Angeles Days” reprinted with the permission of Simon and Schuster Adult Publishing Group from Design: Sagmeister Inc., NYC After Henry by Joan Didion. Copyright © 1992 by Managing Editor: Gloria Gerace Joan Didion. All rights reserved. Pp. 97–100 from Ask Editor: Alex Carswell The Dust by John Fante. Copyright © 1980 by John Printer: Capital Offset Co. Fante. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers. Excerpt from As I Remember by Arnold Genthe. Copyright © 1936 by Reynal & Hitchcock. Reprinted by permission of Ayer Company Publishers. “When Mother Nature Visits Southern California” by David Hernandez, 1998, used by permission of the author. Excerpt from “Assembling California” from Annals of the Former World by John McPhee. Copyright © 1998 by John McPhee. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC. Excerpt from “Folklore of Earthquakes” from Fool’s Paradise: The Carey McWilliams Reader. Reprinted by permission of Harold Ober Associates Incorporated. Copyright © 1933 by Carey McWilliams. First published in American Mercury. “When Living on the Edge Becomes Stark–Naked Reality” originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times. Copyright © 1987 Carolyn See. Used by permission of the author. Excerpt from “The L.A. Quake” © 1994 Lawrence S C C Weschler. Used by permission of the author. The full E essay appeared in the Threepenny Review and is part an NSF+USGS center of Vermeer in Bosnia: Cultural Comedies and Political Tragedies, Pantheon, 2004. 4/5 8 FOREWORD 72 SECTION 2: by Richard Koshalek Building for the Big One 12 PREFACE by Judith Lewis by Antonio R. Villaraigosa 16 INTRODUCTION 78 Excerpt from Annals of the by Mariana Amatullo Former World by John McPhee 22 SECTION 1: Stories From the Fault Zone 82 Earthquakes are Fabulous by Judith Lewis An interview with Thom Mayne by Dana Hutt 30 Earthquake Explorations in Southern California 88 Engineering from End to End: by Susan Hough A New Approach to Modeling Seismic Activity 36 The “P-word” An interview with Dr. Jean-Lou Chameau by Thomas H. Jordan and Dr. Paul Jennings by Judith Lewis 44 An Eerie Quiet on the Southern 98 A Comprehensive Approach to San Andreas Earthquake Engineering: Lessons A profile of Lucile Jones by Judith Lewis from Northridge and Beyond An interview with Susan Tubbesing 58 Preparing L.A. for Potential by Aileen Farnan Antonier Earthquakes: Applications of Space Technology 104 The Field Act: Building by Charles Elachi and Andrea Donnellan Stronger Schools by Judith Lewis 66 Excerpt from “The Folklore of Earthquakes” 110 Visual Essay by Paul Rogers Paul McCreery by Carey McWilliams 6/7 126 SECTION 3: 190 SECTION 4: 236 SECTION 5: 282 Intervention Design and Preparing for the Unthinkable The Longest Second: The Aftermath: The Resilient City Preparedness by Judith Lewis Earthquake Comes on a Quaking Planet by Sean Donahue by Judith Lewis by Judith Lewis 132 Excerpt from “Los Angeles Days” 290 THE 7 STEPS to Earthquake by Joan Didion 194 “When Mother Nature Visits 242 Excerpt from As I Remember Preparedness Southern California” by Arnold Genthe from Dare to Prepare 138 The Cultural Geographies of by David Hernandez “A River In Egypt” Natural Disasters 246 The Social Cascade: Preserving by Martin Kaplan with by Michael Dear 198 Disaster Research: Studying Communities After a Disaster visuals by Darren Ragle Collective Behavior by Judith Lewis with contributions by 144 Assessing Preparedness A profile of Kathleen Tierney Richard L. Bernknopf, Mark Ghilarducci, 316 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS An interview with Linda Bourque by Aileen Farnan Antonier and Anne M. Wein 324 Contributors by Aileen Farnan Antonier 328 Participants 204 Excerpt from “The L.A. Quake” 254 A Place To Live After the 150 How To Succeed in by Lawrence Weschler Shaking Stops 336 RESOURCES Disaster Readiness by Mary Comerio 338 Selected Bibliography A profile of Richard McCarthy 210 The Novelty of Crises: How To 340 Selected Resources by Aileen Farnan Antonier Prepare For the Unprecedented 260 Reprint of “When Living on the Edge by Arnold M. Howitt and Becomes Stark-Naked Reality” 158 Earthquake Disasters by Design Herman B. “Dutch” Leonard by Carolyn See by Dennis S. Mileti 218 Excerpt from Ask the Dust 266 Shaken, Not Stirred: Earthquakes 164 Bold Leadership in Crisis by John Fante and the Culture of Erasure Management—A Call to Action by David L. Ulin by James Lee Witt 222 Communication: The Weakest Link A profile of Ellis M. Stanley, Sr 276 Designing the Message: The Challenge 182 Visual Essay by Christoph Niemann by Aileen Farnan Antonier of The Los Angeles Earthquake: Get Ready Project in the Studio 228 Visual Essay by The Ann Field Studio by Anne Burdick 8/9 Richard Koshalek President, Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, stands the chance of becoming our we live with the certainty that at any Hurricane Katrina. The lesson of New given time—and without any warning— Orleans is clear: In a mega-disaster, we the ground will shift dramatically. In the may be on our own to ride out the initial immediate aftermath, our infrastructure mayhem that could follow. Yet, a post- could be seriously compromised, with Katrina scenario need not unfold in Los communication networks shut down and Angeles, because experts widely agree lifelines severed. In other words, the that we can mitigate the impact of the Sul-Young Cho Sul-Young next major earthquake we experience next big quake—if we plan ahead. Foreword 10/11 Richard Koshalek With The Los Angeles Earthquake: existence. How do we deal with the need creating new models for Get Ready project, Art Center College to prepare for something that has not interaction and outreach, The Los of Design has convened an innovative happened in our lifetime? How do we fully Angeles Earthquake project also consortium charged with finding new realize that our personal actions—or represents an exceptional opportunity solutions to this long-standing challenge. inaction—will have real consequences? for the media to carry an equally new By bringing the visual and communication These and other provocative questions message throughout Los Angeles and skills of the international design commu- run through many of the book’s essays, beyond. In this spirit of participation and nity together with expertise in science, interviews, and profiles—with many optimism, therefore, Art Center dedi- emergency management, policy, and answers as well. cates this sourcebook to the media public health, this consortium is yield- community. As the following pages show, ing entirely new, effective approaches we can all work together to get ready to earthquake preparedness and safety. much as anything, I hope that and move from a society in denial to a The clarity of the design approach is this publication and The Los Angeles culture of possibility and individual providing powerful ways to make new Earthquake project will underscore the responsibility—and in so doing, create tools for preparation and coping avail- pivotal role of designers—and the entire an even more resilient city capable of able to the largest possible public. creative community—in building public transcending an enormous challenge. awareness and response to a major urban challenge that faces Los Angeles Richard Koshalek publication provides and numerous cities worldwide. Art President, Art Center the first of these tools: an expertly de- Center is deeply committed to this kind College of Design signed, up-to-date reference resource of advocacy, and to expanding the range on the topic at hand. While far from ex- of socially relevant responsibilities for June 2008 haustive, this compendium is the first to the creative individual. Through its edu- include truly diverse voices that together cational mission, the College encourages offer new wisdom about living along the students and faculty to develop origi- web of faults that animate our active nal ways to engage with long-standing terrain. Various narratives and visual el- societal problems, and enables new ements complement this core knowledge generations of designers to collaborate and raise fundamental questions that with leaders in business, public policy, pertain to many aspects of contemporary science, and technology. 12/13 Antonio R. Villaraigosa Mayor, City of Los Angeles of the greatest things and overcome it in a way that perhaps no about Los Angeles has always been its other city ever has. Our responders— resilience in the face of disaster. from police and fire agencies to the many Unfortunately, because our landscape other vital community organizations that regularly subjects us to calamities such we rely on—step up and show the world as wildfires, mudslides and earthquakes, how dedication and determination can that resilience has been called upon all save lives and inspire hope. Our people too often. Yet every time a challenge rise to the occasion with unparalleled Katherine Siy arises, Angelenos are there to confront support for their fellow citizens. Preface 14/15 Antonio R. Villaraigosa I have pledged to lead this city in road—should be a barometer of that College of Design, one of the world’s top call to action for each of us to work facing its most daunting challenges. In commitment. schools of design and art; their contri- toward the common goal of building an Los Angeles, one of the biggest chal- bution reflects the pivotal role of the even more resilient city. With community lenges we confront is preparedness for creative community in addressing major participation at their heart, these earthquakes. We always strive to give our responders stand as social issues.