Neighbourhood Resilience to Extreme Weather Events: An Assessment Methodology for Canadian Cities

Robertson, Natalie S.

Neighbourhood Resilience to Extreme Weather Events: An Assessment Methodology for Canadian Cities

dc.contributor.advisor	Hachem-Vermette, Caroline
dc.contributor.author	Robertson, Natalie S.
dc.contributor.committeemember	Tyler, Mary Ellen
dc.contributor.committeemember	Gerlach, S. Craig
dc.date	2018-06
dc.date.accessioned	2018-05-03T15:42:57Z
dc.date.available	2018-05-03T15:42:57Z
dc.date.issued	2018-04-27
dc.description.abstract	The escalating intensity and increasing frequency of extreme weather events caused by climate change, necessitates an examination of how urban form can support or undermine a city’s resilience to these weather events. A single, uniform strategy to increase resilience in a city is unlikely, because while regional weather patterns impact an entire area, individual neighbourhoods are affected differently because of their age, design, size, (infra)structures, land-use policies, etc. Furthermore, they are not all sited on identical topography, for example, some are located on a flood plain, some on the crest of a hill. Because neighbourhoods are generally built-out within a finite window of time, they are ‘development units’ reflecting the contemporary norms, technology, architecture, etc. of the era in which they were built. Because of these multitude of factors, every neighbourhood within a city is unique, and thus each possesses inherent strengths and weaknesses to extreme weather events, either by design or by accident. This thesis proposes a series of 24 metrics to assess individual neighbourhood form, local elements, and circumstances to uncover its inherent functionality. By understanding how a neighbourhood functions, i.e. the mechanisms operating within it that support residents, we are better placed to recognize any points of vulnerability or strength. Two case studies are provided as a means to test the proposed assessment framework in a real-world setting. The metrics provide information on neighbourhood and resident vulnerabilities dependent on weather, location, amenities, transportation, food, energy, and water provision. Metric results offer an overview for residents, planners, or other stakeholders, to understand the interplay of different elements within a neighbourhood, and support these stakeholders into the future for climate change adaptation planning or retro-fitting.	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Robertson, N. S. (2018). Neighbourhood Resilience to Extreme Weather Events: An Assessment Methodology for Canadian Cities (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/31888	en_US
dc.identifier.doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/31888
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1880/106602
dc.language.iso	eng
dc.publisher.faculty	Environmental Design
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary	en
dc.publisher.place	Calgary	en
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	Climate change adaptation
dc.subject	Urban Resilience
dc.subject	Neighbourhood Scale
dc.subject	Neighbourhood Systems
dc.subject	Food
dc.subject	Water
dc.subject	Energy
dc.subject	Shelter
dc.subject	Transportation
dc.subject	Waste Management
dc.subject.classification	Urban and Regional Planning	en_US
dc.title	Neighbourhood Resilience to Extreme Weather Events: An Assessment Methodology for Canadian Cities
dc.type	master thesis
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Master of Environmental Design (MEDes)
ucalgary.item.requestcopy	true