This is a very interesting old thread about urban survival; bumping it to see if anyone has new input.
I don't have too much to add personally except to say that you should know the problems your particular city might face during whatever timeframe you
plan on being there. For example, to take Manhattan as an example, it is mostly bedrock, so lots of the buildings have the potential to stand for
decades if not longer. However, under at least two of the major avenues (I forget which ones), there are massive water runoff trenches that need
constant attention during the spring rains. Without such efforts, it is likely these two long, straight streets would cave in pretty quickly, turning
into gushing river-like vallies and perhaps pulling down the buildings. But only one or two streets over, you'd be fine.
Meanwhile, a city like Las Vegas or Mexico City, on the other hand, a major problem would be running out of water fast; somehting that wouldn't be as
big of an issue in London, New York or Tokyo. Wildfires would be more likely to start in a dryer climate. Would Amsterdam survive long without upkeep
of its famous dykes? How about earthquake and typoon issues in pac-rim cities? Also, know the types of materials used for building: Big heavy brick
and masonry structures, as in a typical European city, flimsy wallboarding like Capetown, or crumbly old concrete like Taipei? Know the paticularities
of your environment.
[edit on 8/15/10 by silent thunder]



