Hanshin Earthquake Experience:Lessons for Damage Reduction in Urban Scale Earthquake

In this paper Hanshin Earthquake that hit Kobe City, northern portion of Awaji Island and eastern part of Osaka Prefecture in 1995, its damages, consequences, causes of human damages, fire occurences and the main reconstruction highlights are discussed. The objective is to show how reconstruction can lead to disaster mitigation through proper activities and damage reduction in a post event trend as well as pre evet. Hanshin Earthquake characteristics, the earthquake damages, causes of damages are presented in order to see which procedures were adopted to improve safety and preparedness against future disasters. Finally authorities’ and residents’ opinion toward damage reduction based on some studies in Kobe City will be presented to know which parameters are important in disaster recovery.