Urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction: A case study of Wenchuan County, China

•Literature review on urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction.•A case study of Weizhou Town in Wenchuan County, China.•Unique institutional arrangements and four interwoven systems.•New problems caused by the top-down approach and the rapid reconstruction process.

Urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction emphasizes strategies, safety, memorials and institutional arrangements. It is closely related to earthquake recovery plans. This article reviews general studies on urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction, before focussing on the case of Weizhou Town in Wenchuan County, which in 2008 was severely damaged by a magnitude-8 earthquake. Unique institutional arrangements, however, led to a rapid recovery and reconstruction process. The urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction in Weizhou Town was an integrated approach that promoted both long-term and short-term developments and combined the creation of public space with the provision of public facilities. It created four interwoven systems, namely a safety system, a memorial system, a tourism system and a network of open spaces. This study shows that the urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction in Weizhou Town greatly improved the safety and vibrancy of the town, whereas the top–down approach and the rapid reconstruction process resulted in new problems.