Urban disasters and megacities in a Risk society

Cities like London, New York and Los Angeles possess complex urban environments that, despite their technological sophistication, present their citizens with a multiplicity of risks. This paper presents a discussion of the effects of physical and social trends on the creation of risk and vulnerability to hazard in such cities. The interplay between physical hazards and perceived risks in late modern, or Risk, urban societies is considered, and the impact of this process on adjustment to hazard.