ABSTRACT
Disaster scholarship has an extensive history of complex and sometimes competing definitions of disaster that has been shaped by conceptualization processes, new knowledges and discipline paradigms. While many disaster scenarios have been firsthand experiences for New Yorkers, these scenarios also echo the real or predicted disasters that have been frequently featured in American media. The drive to protect one’s family from disaster has launched a tremendous prepping economy that expands well beyond the sales of traditional survivalist goods. Urban prepping should be considered as an extension of this form of localized citizenship. First, urban prepping takes place in the public realm; prepping meetings are held in public spaces like Central Park and in parochial spaces such as church meeting rooms. Second, safety is a responsibility shared by both the state and citizens. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.
