1. Focus site

Utuado is located in a mountainous region prone to riverine flooding and landslides. The lack of infrastructural connectivity hindered recovery efforts in the wake of Maria. I developed a process to spatially locate and design multi-use emergency centers.

2. Assessing environmental vulnerability

A network analysis performed on the existing roadmap found that 37% of households - mainly those in highland areas - have minimal access to any civic asset. The majority of Utuado’s assets are also located in the flood zone.

3. Identifying low-risk areas

By conducting an environmental vulnerability analysis, I identified locations for potential emergency shelters. These areas carry minimal risk: located on flat topography, outside the floodplain, and provide optimal access to underserved households. 

4. Designing a safety trail

Using a slope analysis and taking advantage of the existing road network, I designated a safety trail to connect underserved residential nodes to each other and to the newly identified emergency centers.

5. Programming a multi-use space

Emergency shelters can be programmed for productive uses: helicopter landing spots and camping grounds can operate as football fields and recreational space. Doing so would ensure ongoing maintenance and use of the site for the community’s benefit.

6. Measuring Impact

The placement of two shelters would increase emergency access to 1,506 households. This does not solve accessibility for all 2,501 households, but is an approach that works toward reducing disaster risk, and bolstering Utuado’s resilience.