Abstract --Chi Chi Earthquake thoroughly manifested the inadequacy of urban disaster prevention spatial system in Taiwan area, consequently the disaster prevention and emergency rescue works could not be executed in a streamlined way. Then following the earthquake, although many local governments have contributed enormous efforts to setting up disaster prevention facilities, because there haven't been panoramic urban disaster prevention spatial system plans in place, they have failed to define the functions of those facilities so as to use such as the reference for the construction of disaster prevention step-up projects. On the other hand, for other cities in Taiwan, owing to lack of overall urban disaster prevention spatial system plans, review of comprehensive urban plan directions on phase by phase and district by district basis in connection with route planning, location selection, function defining, scale evaluation for area disaster prevention paths and base points has still been in progress. Therefore, it has become an urgent task with respect to how to prepare effective and feasible plans starting from the most fundamental administrative districts.
Architecture & Building Research Institute Ministry of Interior has been focusing our efforts on promoting the urban disaster prevention research and studies for our country for many years. In the wake of the Chi Chi earthquake, we have also completed investigations on the urban spatial systems for disaster prevention performance of nine towns in Chi Chi Earquake Devastated Area. For the purpose of assisting the rapid set-up of urban disaster prevention spatial system for the cities in the country, we have earmarked funds to assist Taichung City as well as, Tali City, Nantou City, Touliu City to execute planning for urban disaster prevention spatial systems based on the "Urban Plan Handbook for Disaster Prevention", which has already been incorporated in their overall review for urban plans, area disaster prevention and rescue plans, mid- and long-term administrative plans and reconstruction guidelines by those competent authorities.