Modeling spatial and economic impacts of disasters

More about the book

This volume honors the memory of Barclay G. Jones, a Professor of City and Regional Planning and Regional Science at Cornell University, who significantly contributed to the field of economic modeling of disasters. Over a decade ago, he embraced this emerging area of study and played a pivotal role in its development. As the social science program director at the National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (NCEER), he attracted regional scientists to focus on disaster research, advocating for the importance of social science in a field often dominated by natural scientists and engineers. In 1995, he organized a conference at the World Trade Center on "The Economic Consequences of Earthquakes: Preparing for the Unexpected." In 1993, he initiated a series of sessions on "Measuring Regional Economic Effects of Unscheduled Events" at the North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International (RSAI). This innovative approach highlighted the challenges disasters pose to regional science modeling. The sessions fostered a collaborative environment for researchers, addressing a previously fragmented literature. Following Barclay's unexpected passing in 1997, we have continued to advance this important work in his spirit.