Distributive Justice and Urban Form Adaptation to Flooding Risks: Spatial Analysis to Identify Toronto's Priority Neighborhoods

Abstract

Empirical evidence points out that urban form adaptation to climate-induced flooding events—through interventions in land uses and town plans (i. e., street networks, building footprints, and urban blocks)—might exacerbate vulnerabilities and exposures, engendering risk inequalities and climate injustice. We develop a multicriteria model that draws on distributive justice's interconnections with the risk drivers of social vulnerabilities, flood hazard exposures, and the adaptive capacity of urban form (through land uses and town plans). The model assesses “who” is unequally at-risk to flooding events, hence, should be prioritized in adaptation responses; “where” are the high-risk priority areas located; and “how” can urban form adaptive interventions advance climate justice in the priority areas. We test the model in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where there are indications of increased rainfall events and disparities in social vulnerabilities. Our methodology started with surveying Toronto-based flooding experts who assigned weights to the risk drivers based on their importance. Using ArcGIS, we then mapped and overlayed the risk drivers' values in all the neighborhoods across the city based on the experts' assigned weights. Accordingly, we identified four high-risk tower communities with old infrastructure and vulnerable populations as the priority neighborhoods for adaptation interventions within the urban form. These four neighborhoods are typical of inner-city tower blocks built in the 20th century across North America, Europe, and Asia based on modern architectural ideas. Considering the lifespan of these blocks, this study calls for future studies to investigate how these types of neighborhoods can be adapted to climate change to advance climate justice.

Revisiting Urban Resilience: A Systematic Review of Multiple-Scale Urban Form Indicators in Flood Resilience Assessment

“…Open and green spaces offer ecosystem services and serve as natural buffers against environmental risks [128,[133][134][135]. Additionally, it promotes community cohesion and mental well-being, fostering social connections and adaptive capacity among residents during times of crisis [136][137][138][139]. -Microscale urban form refers to the detailed physical characteristics and spatial arrangements of elements within a small area, focusing on the specific features and interactions at the street level, within individual blocks, or around particular land-marks [140,141].…”

“…Street design, including street edge configuration, has profound implications for walkability, socioeconomic factors, and environmental sustainability. Street edges, which serve as a boundary between properties and adjacent streets, are critical for facilitating connectivity [10,80,139,144]. These areas can achieve permeability through physical modifications, such as smaller lots with multiple access points, reduced distances between Source: the authors (depending on [43,143,[145][146][147]).…”

“…Table 3 shows that macroscale UFIs significantly impact FR by altering flow patterns and determining floodwater speed and depth [131,256]. The relationship between city size and FR is multifaceted; larger cities tend to have more resources, including financial, infrastructure, and human capital [93,139]. These resources enable larger cities to invest in comprehensive flood management strategies such as sophisticated drainage systems, flood barriers, and early warning systems [153].…”

Risk analysis of waterlogging in a big city based on a bow-tie Bayesian network model, using the megacity of Wuhan as an example

“…They tested the model in Toronto, where there are indications of increased rainfall events and disparities in social vulnerabilities. Using ArcGIS, they then mapped and overlayed the values of the risk drivers in all the neighborhoods across the city based on the assigned weights provided by experts (Mohtat and Khirfan, 2022). In a context of global warming characterized by a mean sea level rise and extreme meteorological events, the study of the causes of coastal flooding is essential to protect communities and ecosystems.…”

Sprawiedliwość terytorialna a wymiar prawny planowania przestrzennego na szczeblu lokalnym w Polsce

“…2021). Wskazuje się również na konieczność dostosowania miejscowości przybrzeżnych do zagrożeń związanych z powodzią(Mohtat, Khirfan 2022;Danenberga 2021). Do tej grupy można również zaliczyć publikacje, które wiążą sprawiedliwość terytorialną z…”