LAURIE A JOHNSON PHD

​Current and Upcoming Activities

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• Planning for Disaster-Induced Relocation of Communities,"  by Balakrishnan Balachandran, Robert B. Olshansky, and Laurie A. Johnson was published in the  Journal of the American Planning Association, in November 2021. Johnson and co-authors examined the dynamics of disaster-induced relocation processes through a conceptual framework consisting of five interrelated elements: 1) the natural science; 2) the risk decision; 3) the community’s relationship to place; 4) the relocation process, land, and money; and 5) the historical, social, and political context. This research draws from analyses of 53 cases of community relocation, including many that the authors directly researched or worked on. This framework is introduced as a way for planners to systematically approach the task of evaluating and implementing proposed disaster-induced relocations.

• Analysis of Communities at Risk in the HayWired Scenario, by Laurie A. Johnson, Jamie L. Jones, Anne M. Wein, and Jeff A. Peters was published in 2021 as Chapter U of The HayWired Earthquake Scenario —Societal Consequences, Volume 3 of the U.S. Geological Survey's multi-year, multidisciplinary analysis of the potential hazards, impacts and consequences of a M7 earthquake on the Hayward fault in the San Francisco Bay Area. Johnson is a featured presenter at the HayWired Volume 3 Rollout, October 21, 2021, and the seminar "HayWired: Where is home after a large earthquake in the Bay Area?" held on June 30, 2021. Links to the YouTube videos for both presentations can be found here.

• Laurie Johnson is the immediate Past-President of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI). EERI is a national, nonprofit, technical society of engineers, geoscientists, architects, planners, public officials, and social scientists devoted to earthquake risk reduction in the U.S. and around the world. Johnson has been an EERI member since 1990 and served on the Institute's Board of Directors from 2006  - 2009.

• Laurie Johnson joined the Advisory Board to the Governing Board of the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation in December 2019. The GEM Foundation is a non-profit, public-private partnership based in Pavia, Italy, working n to create a world that is resilient to earthquakes. GEM is a global collaboration to develop scientific and high-quality resources for transparent assessment of earthquake risk and to facilitate their application for risk management globally.​

• In April 2019, Laurie Johnson was confirmed as a member of the Board of Trustees of EMI, an international not-for-profit scientific organization devoted to advancing the knowledge, policy, and practice of urban disaster risk reduction, particularly in megacities and fast-growing metropolises. EMI is based in the Philippines with work in many cities around the globe including Amman, Mumbai, and Dhaka.

Notable Recent Activities

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• The March 21, 2020 edition of the San Francisco Examiner features an opinion piece by Laura Tam and Laurie Johnson on Improving hazard resilience in the Bay Area, which is the subject of the SPUR Safety First briefing paper that the two authored and recently released as part of SPUR's Regional Strategy, a 50-year vision for how the Bay Area of 2070 can be more equitable, sustainable and resilient. They propose 12 policy recommendations for how the Bay Area can improve data and information gathering, codes and standards, community planning and funding for resilience to multiple hazards.

• The "Adapting to a Changing Climate: The Future Vision of Greenbelt Alliance" event held on January 30, 2020 featured Laurie Johnson in conversation with Amanda Brown-Stevens, Executive Director of Greenbelt Alliance about the history of natural hazard management in the San Francisco Bay Area and the challenges and opportunities for the region's future in a changing climate. Greenbelt Alliance named Laurie as its first "Climate Resilience Ambassador" for her significant contributions to developing and implementing policy solutions to build a climate resilient Bay Area for future generations.

• The Edward Wenk, Jr. Endowed Lectureship in Technology and Public Policy at the University of Washington was made possible by a generous donation from Dr. Edward Wenk, Jr., Emeritus Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and science policy adviser to the U.S. Congress and three presidents. Laurie Johnson gave the 2019 Wenk lecture on October 29th. Her topic: Rebuilding for resilience - Disaster experience informs future recovery efforts.

• The Canterbury Earthquakes Symposium, jointly hosted by the New Zealand Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Christchurch City Council, was held on November 29-30, 2018 at the University of Canterbury. The symposium focused on sharing lessons with national and local leaders across the country so that New Zealand as a whole can be better prepared in future disasters. Laurie Johnson was invited to provide an international perspective in her keynote address, Reflections on recovery: The Canterbury earthquakes within the context of other major disasters. Press coverage of the event and Johnson's comments can be found here: "Rebuild cities fast but not hastily, disaster expert says," and "Looking for the lessons, earthquake symposium has messages for the country."

• Election to Fellow is one of the highest honors that the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) bestows upon a member. Laurie Johnson was inducted into the 2018 Class of the AICP College of Fellows at the National Planning Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her nomination came from the Women and Planning division of the American Planning Association for her significant contributions in helping planners and communities address the complex urban challenges posed by natural disasters and changing climates.

• Laurie Johnson provided the opening keynote address at the Sonoma County Rises Summit on Equity, Recovery and Resilience on June 4, 2018 to share lessons and best practices to support community recovery following the 2017 wildfires. Local public radio station KRCB's covered her talk in these podcast reports, "Disaster Expert Emphasizes Equity, Community in Recovery from Fires" and "How Katrina and NZ quakes changed response to disasters like the Sonoma Fires."