A Local Campaign for Retrofitting Buildings by Sumida Quakeproof Reinforcement Promotion Conference, Sumida City, Tokyo

In 2006, the Tokyo Metropolitan Disaster Management Council revised the estimation of major damage in the eastern wards of Tokyo metropolis for an earthquake beneath northern Tokyo Bay (M7.3) with a JMA seismic intensity of scale 6 upper. It is assumed that 12, 337 houses in Sumida City would collapse completely. The number of wooden dwelling houses built before 1981 adopting the old seismic code totals 21, 898 in Sumida City, of which 6, 863 are located in the most dangerous area with a high density of wooden dwelling houses. Seismic retrofitting of these houses is urgently needed. This paper reports on the countermeasures planned by Sumida City.Sumida City has designed a support program for safe living spaces, which promotes antiseismic performance checks and seismic retrofits. A financial support system for retrofitting provided by Sumida City began in January 2006, and this system is characterized by dividing seismic retrofits into easy retrofits and regular ones, with application to residents of rental housing. The Sumida Anti-seismic Reinforcement Forum 2006 was held in February 2006 to announce this system. Moreover, the Sumida Quakeproof Reinforcement Promotion Conference, which exercises governance involving inhabitants, companies, and local government, was organized in June 2006. This conference is now campaigning for seismic retrofits through meetings held at every community center of each community in the city.