Planning and geohazards
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Published:January 01, 2009
Abstract
This paper reviews the work of 56 papers, authored by scientists and engineers from 60 different countries. The methods and achievements shown by this collection of papers are compared to a similar review made in 1998. Some similarities were remarkable:
The most prominent hazards in both reviews were earthquakes, volcanoes, slope instability and subsidence;
Slow onset events were rarely discussed;
Both reviews report exacerbation of natural risks by rapid development, water abstraction or lack of maintenance;
New development continues to be located in marginal areas such as unstable slopes, flood-prone alluvium or coastal plains, with decisions on development driven by political or socio-economic factors that sometimes outweigh geoscientific advice.
The advent of GIS and 3D computer modelling;
The availability of data online;
An increasing adoption of risk methodologies to aid decision making where geological, geotechnical, sociological, economic and procedural data are built into event scenarios and assessed by professional judgement.
Figures & Tables
Contents
Engineering Geology for Tomorrow’s Cities

This book and the accompanying CD-ROM provide a statement of our knowledge and understanding of engineering geology as applied to the urban environment at the start of the 21st century. In particular, this volume demonstrates that:
working standards originally developed nationally are becoming internationalized;
risk assessment, rather than just assessment of hazards, is driving decision-making;
geo-environmental change, whether climatically or anthropogenically driven, is becoming better understood;
greater use of underground space is being made;
the relentless advance of information technology is providing new opportunities for engineering geologists to interpret and visualize the subsurface.
This book shows that in developed and developing countries alike, engineering geolgists are increasingly exchanging ideas and learning from each other in a genuine two-way process. These ideas will contribute significantly to the sustainable development of both new and long-established urban environments world-wide.