Cassidy Johnson is a Professor of Urbanism and Disaster Risk Reduction at the Bartlett Development Planning Unit, University College London. Her academic interests are linked by a commitment to improving the quality of life and livelihoods of low-income groups living in urban areas. Her research contributes to the area of disaster risk reduction and disaster recovery and to the role of local governments and civil society in this – and to integrating an understanding of disaster risk into urban development. This encompasses issues of urban planning, housing quality, building code regulations, informal settlements (and upgrading) and evictions. Her work engages internationally with policymakers as well as with local communities and she has worked in countries across Asia and Africa, including Turkey, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi.