A major public policy dilemma arises in the aftermath of virtually every damaging earthquake: What to do about buildings which are still standing but structurally weakened, or are of a confirmed suspect type, and which therefore pose a threat to public safety in the event of another earthquake. This project will study how the City of Oakland, California faced precisely this problem with several dozen major structures in its downtown area after the October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The methodological approach will include interviewing key decision makers and the analysis of relevant documents.
