Quantifying and Designing Infrastructure for Nonstationary Flood Risks; Analyzing Flood Mitigation Infrastructure Development Disparities in Norfolk, Virginia

My technical report and STS research paper both concern the implementation of flood mitigation infrastructure. The technical work concerned green infrastructure implementation in Charlottesville, Virginia using an optimization tool with a range of objectives (e.g., runoff reduction, cost). The STS research paper analyzed the development of flood mitigation infrastructure in Norfolk, Virginia, and provided historical inferences for its inequitable distribution of protections. The technical project was initially intended to provide green infrastructure solutions for Norfolk, Virginia (the motivation for the STS research), but computing difficulties forced us to shift the study area. Together, these projects offer insights into the state of flood mitigation in the state of Virginia and provide recommendations for future improvements. In recent years, climate change has led to a rise in intense precipitation events, presenting the need for efficient and cost-effective flood management infrastructure. In Charlottesville, VA, one key area identified for improvement is Meadow Creek. This paper examines different infrastructure options for flood management in Meadow Creek under various climate change scenarios. This analysis is carried out by optimizing infrastructure designs with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Storm Water Management Model under uncertain future conditions captured by climate projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6. The optimization seeks to minimize cost and runoff volume while maximizing co-benefits. Our findings provide a set of non-dominated green infrastructure solutions and provide a methodology for selecting a recommended compromise solution. This analysis contributes to our goal of addressing flood risks and long-term sustainability in the Charlottesville area. My STS Research Paper seeks to identify the reasons for the inequitable development of flood mitigation infrastructure in Norfolk, Virginia. I analyzed the legacy of racism in Norfolk through a social justice lens and connected events/trends throughout the city’s history to connect the policies of the early 20th century to the infrastructure planning that extends to the modern day. I conducted a literature review that related to the specific policies that facilitated inequity in the city and the current situation. I then analyzed primary sources, academic research articles, and local news reports through a social justice lens to demonstrate how the policies of the past are directly related to the contemporary inequities in Norfolk’s flood prevention/mitigation plan. Lastly, I explored avenues of future work and made recommendations for how the city can achieve a more equitable future. Extensive research/analysis was dedicated to the Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) project, a next-generation flood mitigation project currently pursued by Norfolk. The specific implementation of the different phases of the project is emblematic of the socioeconomic divides that plague the city, and work is underway to reduce the amount of inequity present in the project. This work will ensure that the city is better prepared to face the ever-increasing threat of climate change while providing a more equitable future for all residents. Working on these projects concurrently enabled me to understand all aspects of the flooding problem faced by urban planners. The technical capstone considered metrics normally associated with flood mitigation (namely cost, runoff volume, and co-benefits). While these are important measures to gauge the efficacy of the infrastructure, they fail to consider the social impacts that design decisions cause to the community. My STS research paper considered these factors in greater detail and provided context under which more equitable protections could be designed. I found additional value in my technical project as a result of the research conducted for my STS paper, where I found a strong desire from Norfolk community members to prioritize green infrastructure implementation as part of the overall solution. The focus of the technical capstone on green infrastructure solutions allowed us to contribute meaningful progress to a more sustainable, equitable future for Virginia residents.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering

Technical Advisor: Julianne Quinn

STS Advisor: MC Forelle

Technical Team Members: Lachlan Murphy, Noah Simsic, Petey von Ahn, Justin Zheng