This Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) will examine the impact of urban development patterns and social vulnerability on impact, dislocation, and early repair and rebuilding decisions which are critical for community resilience. The susceptibility of a community to social and physical impacts from disasters is an important component of creating resilient communities that are able to respond effectively to hazard events and recover quickly after impact. Characteristics of the built, natural and social environment may exacerbate or mitigate such vulnerability and impede or facilitate the ability of residents and businesses to recover. Specifically, the research team will assess the impact of existing social and physical development patterns on community resilience and recovery. Data collection and analysis will be driven by the following research questions:
- Did existing development patterns mitigate or exacerbate damage and loss to property?
- Did the spatial distribution of vulnerable populations mitigate or exacerbate damage and loss to property?
- Do social vulnerability factors facilitate or impede decision-making with regard to dislocation and early repair/rebuilding decisions?
Data collected will build on existing databases of environmental, management, and demographic data of the Texas coast. Specifically, the project team has been involved in collecting and analyzing development, sustainability, and resiliency data for the entire Texas Coast and these data have been made easily available for local communities to plan future development (see coastalatlas.tamug.edu). Consequently, findings from the analysis will be both more immediate and more extensive than the proposed data collection alone would permit. Understanding how current development and vulnerability patterns mitigate or exacerbate damage from disasters is critical for enabling local communities and professionals involved in the design, regulation, and management of the built and natural environments to construct communities that are more socially and physically resilient.
These data will serve a baseline for further study of community recovery, for which additional funding will be sought. The ability to capture initial damage assessments and early decisions related to dislocation and repair/rebuilding will provide the foundation for the development of a longitudinal database which will continue to generate a better understanding of the relationship between community resilience and recovery. The data regarding dislocation and early repair/rebuilding decisions are particularly ephemeral, justifying the funding under the Small Grants for Exploratory Research.
