Urban planning challenges and missed opportunities after an industrial disaster in Hungary

Purpose This paper explores the challenges and missed opportunities in post-disaster urban planning in Devecser following Hungary’s 2010 red sludge disaster. It assesses how recovery efforts aligned with the “Build Back Better” (BBB) paradigm and addressed or overlooked pre-existing vulnerabilities. Design/methodology/approach The research applies a qualitative case study, analysing Devecser’s pre- and post-disaster municipal plans. Field interviews conducted in 2013 and 2020 with officials, planners, community members and NGO workers complement the document review, offering insights beyond the written plans. Together, these sources allow for a critical assessment of how far Devecser’s rebuilding embodied BBB principles. Findings Devecser’s post-disaster reconstruction was completed rapidly and yielded visible improvements in infrastructure and housing. However, this recovery largely reinstated the pre-disaster development trajectory. The rebuilding process, centrally managed with little community input, focused on physical and economic restoration rather than addressing underlying social vulnerabilities. The findings highlight missed opportunities to use the reconstruction as a catalyst for long-term resilience and social integration. Key issues identified include the highly top-down governance of recovery, the continuity of development plans without new risk-reduction strategies and the failure to improve conditions for the most vulnerable residents. Originality/value This study provides an in-depth analysis of a small-town, post-socialist disaster recovery case, expanding the geographic and socio-political scope of BBB research. It bridges international disaster recovery concepts with a local Hungarian context, drawing on both domestic planning documents and community narratives. The paper offers insights into how institutional dynamics and socio-political factors can constrain the realization of BBB ideals.