Full Citation
Title: DYNAMICS OF URBAN UTILITY AND URBAN CHANGE: A FLOOD CASE OF NEW ORLEANS
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2019
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Abstract: This study investigated the dynamics of utility affected by urban flooding in New Orleans. Disasters occurring in an urban area affect urban change. However, the impact on urban utility change has been rarely investigated. Utility defined as a net benefit of a resident living in an area is measured with earnings subtracting housing and commuting costs. This study applied regression models to test the relationship between urban flooding and urban utility, simulating multiple scenarios to split the total effect into flood effect and recovery effect. Using American Community Surveys’ microdata between 2001 and 2016 collected from IPUMS USA, two hypotheses could be tested: urban utility decreased by urban flooding while increased by recovery activities. With additional in-depth analyses, various policy implications useful for planning are suggested. Firstly, New Orleans becomes a less livable city from utility perspectives. The utility increase is significantly smaller in New Orleans (5.6%) than the rest of Louisiana (10.3%) between 2005 and 2016 mainly because rent price increased relatively high in the city. Secondly, a disaster prevention policy could have not only been cost-effective but also led New Orleans to be a more livable place. Lastly, government support positively affected urban utility. For example, the Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005 could contribute to one percent increase in urban utility of New Orleans. Therefore, policy makers and stakeholders will be informed of the change in urban utility associated with disasters by adopting various quantitative approaches provided from this study, which is especially important in the era that global climate change increases disaster risk and vulnerability.
Url: https://www.fig.net/resources/proceedings/fig_proceedings/fig2019/papers/ts02g/TS02G_koh_9898.pdf
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Authors: KOH, Munsung
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Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Land Use/Urban Organization
Countries: United States