The Role of Design in Displacement: Moving Beyond Quick-Fix Solutions in Rebuilding Housing After Disaster

Charlesworth and Fien address the antithesis of displacement—the resettlement of communities after natural and/or human-induced disasters. The chapter presents the case for integrating architecture and wider design thinking into housing and settlement programmes to facilitate long-term community recovery and resilience. This is done through an analysis of two case studies of housing recovery after natural disaster events in Sri Lanka (Seenigama) and Haiti (Villa Rosa). Both case studies demonstrate the critical role that shelter and settlement projects play in economic and social recovery after disaster and how successful housing solutions can be best developed through five principles. These are owner-driven approaches; multi-stakeholder approaches, especially the close involvement of displaced communities; the integration of housing with community infrastructure; support for livelihoods and the local economy; and design thinking approaches to problem-solving.