Communicating the “Last Mile” of Seismic Risk: Insights from a Case Study

Earthquake risk communication often remains centered on event parameters and structural collapse, while local site effects, building response and non-structural elements vulnerability shape how earthquakes are experienced and what people can do to reduce risk. This study examines whether a multi-modal, experience-based strategy focused on these dimensions, which are referred to as “last mile” of seismic risk, can improve public understanding and support actionable preparedness behaviors. The case study is the exhibition “Terremoti: Attenti agli Elementi!—Dettagli che salvano la vita” (Earthquakes: Beware of the Elements!—Details that Save Lives), designed for school audiences and the general public. Its effectiveness was assessed through five multiple-choice questions administered before (N = 183) and after (N = 174) the visit to the Genoa Science Festival; responses were analyzed overall and by topic and demographic group. Correct answers increased significantly from pre- to post-visit, with the largest gains concerning local site effects (+43.29%) and household prevention measures (+49.45%), whereas building vulnerability (+14.97%) and building dynamic response (+0.49%) showed more limited improvement. These exploratory results suggest that seismic risk communication is more effective when abstract concepts are translated into observable, manipulable, and everyday experiences, and support a shift toward a “last-mile” framework of seismic risk communication.