Prioritizing Transportation and Flood Mitigation: An Equity-centered Approach

Presenter: April Kim, MS (GDS)

Advisors: Dr. Andrew Gronewold; Dr. Meha Jain

Location: Southeast Michigan, USA

Client: Southeast Michigan Council of Governance (SEMCOG)

This study seeks to create an equity-centered approach to transportation planning and flood mitigation. Many tools exist that address an area’s susceptibility to flooding, dependability of infrastructure, or the socio-economic status of the area. However, these tools tend to exist in their own sectors. Further, models that assess damage in relation to natural hazards such as flooding, often use monetary units to define vulnerability. This can lead to inequitable mitigation and recovery efforts as areas of high income appear to have higher damage and vulnerability. By placing socio-economic variables at the center of this project, a more holistic approach to planning can be taken.

Three distinct methods were applied to a small subsection of north Wayne County, Michigan to assess the vulnerability of transportation networks in relation to flooding. A community’s accessibility to core services was used as a proxy for vulnerability. Two methods used spatial analysis, but different definitions of sensitivity to create a vulnerability index for zones in the study area. A third method used multivariate statistics to assign vulnerability scores. Comparing the three methods shows that the definitions of sensitivity and adaptive capacity and the order of operations for integrating socioeconomic data with flood and transportation data can have a significant impact on the vulnerability scores assigned. Results from this study showcase the importance of applying an equity-lens to transportation and flood planning. The methods developed can serve as a decision support tool for prioritizing infrastructure projects.