The consequences of living in hazard-prone areas were brought home by graphic television coverage of the hurricanes that devastated the Gulf coast of the USA in 2005. Hurricane Katrina, in particular, highlighted the compelling need to build more sustainable and hazard-resilient communities. Much can be learned from recovery efforts to rebuild the Gulf coast. Personal observations and interviews with planners, academics and others involved in recovery efforts inform this analysis, which focuses on New Orleans. A conceptual framework is developed and substantive and process principles outlined to guide action for building sustainable, hazard-resilient communities drawing on insights from diverse literatures, including coastal management, natural hazards planning, collaborative planning, sustainable communities, sustainable livelihoods, ecological economics, environmental governance, adaptive management and co-management. Building sustainable, hazard-resilient communities will remain elusive unless ‘business as usual’ is confronted by a transformational process of developmental planning. Sustainable, hazard-resilient coastal communities are founded upon robust ‘critical infrastructure’ (including ecological, political, social, livelihood and physical dimensions) that is secured by planning and decision-making processes that enable coastal communities to build ‘layers of resilience’ to overcome ‘waves of adversity’.
