The Reconstruction and Risk prevention of the 9/11 Terrorist Attack

Sydney Smith, 182797

151: Introduction to Disaster Studies
Professor Yasui.
 In my essay, I will be discussing the tragic events that took place on September 11th,

2001, in New York City known as 9/11. I will be specifically allocating my research to the

reconstruction and risk reduction that occurred after this event and continues to be a part of

today’s society. These events were not only some of the most financially devastating events in

American history with over 40 billion dollars in insurance losses, along with the stock market

crashing. What followed was the overwhelming fear put into the world eyes as this event

unfolded live and the following years afterwards. I chose this topic because New York City has

always held a special place in my heart, as it is one of my favorite places to visit and it is a city

that is amerst in culture and diversity. I also chose this topic because I have seen the global

effects it has had on society such as the prevention strategies that have been put in place since

this event took place. While researching this topic it is hard to not come across totally new pieces

of information, this event is one of the most talked-about events in North American history,

therefore the knowledge and background is no secret, yet I am finding myself learning something

new through every article I read. I will be organizing my information starting with the actions

that took place immediately following the event, focusing on area how they planned on

reconstructing the buildings and what they would put in its place, along with the hurdles they

went through to do so. Lastly, I will be looking at the risk prevention and reduction strategies

that took place following the event up to the present day.

The First Phase of rebuilding

Immediately following the 9/11 disaster began one of the most financially deviating

events New York City had had to undergo. With both twin towers crashing down, this meant the

need for reconstruction. According to an article written by Robert A. Beauregard, the total

property loss exceeded 4 billion and is projected to be roughly $40-60 billion in insurance
payouts, which to most seemed difficult to come to terms with. It was also not only the two

towers that were destroyed but various local businesses and hotels had property damage that had

to be dealt with alongside everything else. The process of reconstructing such a large horrific site

was not only finically deviating and horrific for the families and loved ones involved, but it was

also a political debate among New York City, the state of New York, the federal government,

and an architectural war among designers, but they had to begin somewhere. The beginning

stages of re-building would be to deal with the site clearing which took up to one year to get rid

of the debris and bodies that were still being searched for. The reconstruction involved many

people, some of which had different viewpoints, some focusing more so on the families that were

destroyed but some more so on getting something rebuilt and put in the place of the towers and

surrounding area. Schools in the lower side of Manhattan began drawing pictures of what they

envisioned the site to become, along with families directly or indirectly involved in the tragedy.

Larry Silverstein the property owner initially proposed the idea of rebuilding four 50 story

towers to replace the two 110 story towers, but there were more people that the idea needed to

clear with before going ahead. Such as Governor George Pataki, The Empire State Development

Corporation, and lastly the state legislature who has the right to put in place the public authority

to give input and oversee the process as a whole. In July 2002 the Civic Alliance to Rebuild

Downtown gathered up to 4000 civilians to meet and discuss various ideas for rebuilding, the

head group in charge of the Port Authority stood firm that they would make the final decision

and follow the LMDC’S guild lines. These guidelines included being transparent about the

process, ensuring it included a memorial for the victims, that it was something that everyone

must agree on, what type of building it would be, that the transit service in lower Manhattan

would be replaced, the housing crisis would be addressed, and lastly that the structure for which
the twin towers was built on was not a sustainable platform and streets located near must be

changed. As discussions were had and ideas were addressed various proposals consisted of

multiple tall office spaces, to smaller retail stores. The citizens felt unheard according to

Beauregard, they knew they wanted a design in between memorialization and forgetfulness, this

resulted in multiple ideas being put out but nothing seemed to be agreed upon. Below I have put

the initial design concept to get a better understanding of what they were working with.

According to this article phase, one of reconstructing the twin towers did not go as

planned. A quote from Beauregard stated “Phase 1 faltered not because the plans were deficient

or the process insular but because public planning in the USA is institutionally marginalized and

thus constitutionally incapable of handling large, symbolic development projects. This simple

fact makes public plans fall short, more often than not, of expectations.” (R. A. Beauregard;146)

After much debate, a design from Peter Walker and Michael Arad’s was chosen. Below is a

picture of what is now standing where the twins towers once were. It is now a site of respect for

the ones who lost their lives and who fought to save lives. Reconstruction of such a horrific site

comes with its challenges, but the people of New York and surrounding areas and come to the

location and think and reflect on the lives that were lost.

Risk Prevention

Risk prevention strategies have been an ongoing and ever-evolving mission to ensure

safety among civilians. The 9/11 terrorist attack was not the first attack that sparked people to

consider safety measurements being put in place, but 9/11 led to the largest transformation about

how we approach terrorism and how we take extra caution to ensure safety among everyone. The

measures that took place after September 11th was both economic, social, and political. Some

examples of political changes

were the Patriot Act granted by President George W. Bush, which allowed the provision to

address the threat of terrorism or another example is the creation of The Office of Homeland

Security act, which protects the United States country's borders and manages the flow of people

in and out of the country. Another change that was made is household preparedness, this is

important for natural disasters but also those of terrorism. The article titled Terrorism

Preparedness and Exposure Reduction since 9/11 discusses how important it is to be prepared for

any type of disaster or act of terrorism. Surveys and polls were taken and the results in the article

paints a picture as to the effect 9/11 had on the country. The results are followed “national

estimate of 15% of households that gathered emergency supplies more frequently as a result of

9/11 events.” (Megumi;2 ) As well “28% of Los Angeles County residents stockpiling

emergency supplies because of terrorism” (Megumi;2). Such findings have resulted in 23% of

people nationally changing their transportation mode along with limiting time spent outside in

fear after 9/11. Along with household changes came airport security changes. On November

19th, 2001, George Bush passed a law known as The Aviation and Transportation Security Act.

This act would ensure security efforts would increase inside places of transportation. The article

titled The Impact of Post-9/11 Airport Security Measures on the Demand for Air travel discusses

the two main changes to airport security was the “federalization of security screening for

passengers at all U.S. commercial airports by November 19, 2002, and the requirement to begin

screening all checked baggage by December 31, 2002.” (Blalock;731) These extra screening

procedures were necessary to ensure travel and be done safety especially since 9/11 was done by

air, this would put a great emphasis on air travelers and airline companies. In this doing these

airlines now require civilians to show no later than 2 hours before departure due to the security

measures in place. Along with this came random screening of baggage and personal items to
ensure there were no explosives or anything that could be used to warm somebody else such as

homemade weapons or substances over a certain size and weight. Some examples would be that

nothing can come on board with civilians that are over 3.5oz or bringing certain toiletries aboard.

A data collection taken from The Journal of Law & Economics’ article suggests before 9/11,

16,200 private security screeners were employed at U.S. airports and by the end of 2002, the

TSA had hired 56,000 screeners for both passenger and baggage screening. Baggage screening is

one of the most significant changes that took place after 9/11 because prior there was only a data

rate of 5% of bags were checked and screened before getting on board an aircraft. Afterwards,

more than 90% of all checked baggage were being screened using ETD or EDS machines which

would screen the contents of the bag and screen for explosives, and the remaining 10% would be

screened by security dogs or hand-picked individual searches. All these safety precautions put in

place came with a price, and that was the hassle of flying. This caused people to initially

question flying due to the about of time was needed to go through these procedures. It was

estimated airlines lost nearly $1 billion in revenue after 9/11 due to the fear of terrorism.

In conclusion, the September 11th terrorist attack on the twin towers in New York City

was one of the largest disasters in American History and affected millions globally. After my

research, I learned there was a lot more time and debate over the reconstruction of this site. I also

learned about the extensive process that the airports went through to ensure the property safety

measures were being put in place. After this event, it is no surprise that 9/11 impacted the world

on various levels with an emphasis on how we travel and how we can come together to rebuild

something that can keep those who lost their lives in everyone’s memory. The 9/11 terrorist

attacks made a large imprint on the world and I feel that this is a good example to demonstrate

the need for disaster preparation and safety measures. Disasters can happen on any level or scale
and at any time, ensuring safety and taking precautions are essential for staying safe and being

able to recover adequately.

References
Blalock, G., Kadiyali, V., & Simon, D. H. (2007). The Impact of Post‐9/11 Airport Security
Measures on the Demand for Air Travel. The Journal of Law & Economics, 50(4), 731–755.
https://doi.org/10.1086/519816

Kano, Megumi, Michele M Wood, Linda B Bourque, and Dennis S Mileti. "Terrorism
Preparedness and Exposure Reduction since 9/11: The Status of Public Readiness in the United
States." Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management 8.1 (2011): Journal of
Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 2011-08-10, Vol.8 (1). Web.

Low, S. M. (2004). The Memorialization of September 11: Dominant and Local Discourses on
the Rebuilding of the World Trade Center Site. American Ethnologist, 31(3), 326–339.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3805361

Robert A. Beauregard (2004) Mistakes were made: rebuilding the World Trade Center, Phase 1,
International Planning Studies, 9:2-3, 139-153, DOI: 10.1080/1356347042000311749