The Overlap of Collaboration and Planning Networks: A Post-Harvey Study

Abstract

This paper uses social network analysis to assess the overlap of organizations involved in hazard mitigation and planning networks in Houston, TX. We compare measures of network centrality and density to highlight unique characteristics across two networks and discuss implications of connectivity within each network. Results suggest that central actors occupy important structural locations within both networks. These overlapping organizations may be highly influential in both planning and hazard mitigation efforts. Finally, we discuss aspects of connectivity in these networks and discuss how the networks can be used to become more equitable and holistic in planning and hazard mitigation efforts.

Headwinds in the heartland? Hazard planning lessons from six inland jurisdictions in the southern plains

“…Content analyzing individual plan documents, however, typically fails to (a) capture rich detail about the process of developing the plan, (b) situate the plan in a broader network of plans and processes, or (c) provide insight into how the plan is used and implemented. Recent studies have responded to these limitations, including evaluating network features of plan documents (Berke et al 2015; Lyles, Berke, and Overstreet 2017) and the day-in and day-out work done by networks of stakeholders (Woodruff 2018; Li et al 2020; Hannibal, Woodruff, and Malecha 2021).…”

Planning for Adaptation? Examining the Planning Integration for Hazard Risk Reduction

“…Conceptual and empirical studies of networks have exploded across disciplines as varied as physics, sociology, business, and computer science in the last 30 years, including in planning [4,40]. Conceptually, a network uses a list of nodes and edges connecting nodes to describe relationships among the nodes [41].…”

“…Regarding node-level measures, degree centrality defines the extent to which a network or an actor is connected [50]. Scholars use degree centrality to examine the extent of collaboration [40]. Others use degree centrality to measure the number of links an actor receives to examine the popularity of a specific actor or planning document [6].…”

“…Likewise, hazard mitigation scholars have shown that local mitigation efforts need to be cross-scale, collaborative, and multi-disciplinary [25,40,45]. A major step during a planning process is to gather a team of experts with different backgrounds to combine knowledge and resources.…”