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Opportunities and challenges in rebuilding tornado-impacted Greensburg, Kansas as “stronger, better, and greener”

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Abstract

A May 2007 tornado destroyed 95% of aging, declining Greensburg, Kansas. The city took the opportunity to build back “stronger, better, and greener,” enforcing upgraded codes, requiring city-owned buildings to meet LEED Platinum level standards, and recommending energy-efficiency housing in a new Sustainable Comprehensive Plan. Using information collected from surveys of Greensburg tornado survivors, interviews, and publications, we examined the housing-related recovery, including the emergency provision of temporary shelter and rebuilding permanently. Although temporary shelter kept residents nearby for rebuilding, given the gap between insurance policy limits on the aging housing stock and rebuilding costs, housing affordability is a critical issue in Greensburg’s recovery. Local, state, and federal support have made construction of municipal buildings at LEED Platinum level and some affordable and green housing projects possible. However, far greater public and private sector funding for affordable workforce housing, in conjunction with broader economic and job development, is needed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA

    Bimal Kanti Paul

  2. School of Public Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    Deborah Che

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  1. Bimal Kanti Paul
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  2. Deborah Che
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Correspondence to Bimal Kanti Paul.

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Paul, B.K., Che, D. Opportunities and challenges in rebuilding tornado-impacted Greensburg, Kansas as “stronger, better, and greener”. GeoJournal 76, 93–108 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-010-9404-4

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