Culture and Creativity Seminar – Simulating Evacuation under Threat: Case Studies of Tsunami and Bushfire
Speaker: Hitomi NakanishiDate\Time: Thursday 1 October 2026, 12:30-13:30Location: Building 1 Level A Room 1A21, University of Canberra (NB Room 1a21 is accessed from the foyer joining Building 1 and Mizzuna café); or Zoom: http://zoom.us/j/95029077504 AbstractWhen disaster strikes, how quickly and safely can people escape? This talk presents two simulations that model how community members evacuate under different types of threat. The first examines a coastal town in Japan's Seto Inland Sea, where residents have little experience of tsunamis, testing how combining evacuation to higher ground with shelter in nearby tall buildings (vertical evacuation) and conventional horizontal evacuation affects survival. The second looks at the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires on the NSW South Coast, where narrow roads and holiday traffic created significant congestion, and tests how a new detour route and extra evacuation shelters could improve outcomes. Both studies show that timing, preparedness and available infrastructure make the difference between a safe evacuation and one where people are trapped, offering lessons for planners and communities facing tsunami and bushfire risk.All are welcome! BioHitomi Nakanishi is an Associate Professor at the University of Canberra and a Visiting Professor at Kagawa University, Japan. Her research in disaster risk reduction began with her involvement in the recovery effort following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, working with affected communities in Ishinomaki. Since then, she has researched disaster resilience, evacuation and community recovery across Japan, Australia and New Zealand through urban and transport planning. She is the sole author of Disaster Resilience and Sustainability: Japan's Urban Development and Social Capital (Routledge, 2023), and her research Seto Inland sea region’s revitalisation with Kagawa University was recognised with the Sustainable Global Award 2026. Supports and fundingsThis research was supported by: Obayashi Foundation Research Grant (Fiscal Year 2024) (2024-??-16-39), University of Canberra Overseas Studies Program, Japan Science and Technology Agency — "COI-NEXT Program Human, Technology and Sea Collaborative Innovation Hub for the Revitalisation of the Seto Inland Sea Region” (JPMJPF2306).OthersDr Sarah Wise (UCL, UK) and Prof Yoshihiro Suenaga (Kagawa University, Japan), Dr Milica Muminovic (UC), Dr Nishant Jagannath (UC) and Dr Wendi Han (UC Alumni)The Culture and Creativity Seminar Series is hosted by the Centre for Cultural and Creative Research (CCCR), Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra. To discover upcoming seminars, please follow us on Facebook @uccccr, or Instagram and Twitter @uc_cccr. Alternatively, join our mailing list by emailing cccr@canberra.edu.au. Any questions and accessibility requests please contact: cccr@canberra.edu.au.
