Gavin Smith

Gavin Smith is a professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at North Carolina State University. His teaching and research focus on hazard mitigation, disaster recovery, and climate change adaptation, including a focus on issues surrounding community-led relocation. Educational efforts focus on the oversight and teaching of courses associated with a 13-credit graduate certificate titled Disaster Resilient Policy, Engineering, and Design.  

Smith has written the text Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery: A Review of the United States Disaster Assistance Framework (Island Press, 2011) and served as the co-editor of the text Adapting to Climate Change: Lessons from Natural Hazards Planning (Springer, 2014) as well as writing numerous peer reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and practice-oriented reports. 

Smith has also served as a policy advisor to several nations, states, and local governments addressing planning for post-disaster recovery, flood-hazard risk reduction, and climate change adaptation and has testified before congress, state legislatures, and international committees. Smith has advised four governors including Governor Hunt following Hurricanes Fran and Floyd and Governor Barbour following Hurricane Katrina. During Hurricanes Fran and Floyd, Smith led teams responsible for the acquisition and elevation of more than 5,000 and 500 homes respectively. 

For the last 25 years Smith has been involved in applied research, community engagement, and national and international policy counsel tied to community-led relocation issues. This work has evolved into the development of an International Community of Practice spanning partners in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand.