This study looked at how relevant urban design practices could be incorporated into the work of aid agencies working towards the reconstruction of urban areas in the recovery phase of a humanitarian response, as part of the process of achieving durable shelter solutions for the population affected by the disaster. It focused on the reconstruction process in Haiti, following the earthquake of January 12 2010. As part of the research we travelled to Haiti to look at a series of neighbourhood reconstruction projects in and around Port au Prince, ran an online twitter discussion to bring this debate to as wide a group of people as possible, and finally ran a workshop bringing together urbanists and humanitarians to review what we had found and identify some ways forward.