Merger of Network Graph Indicators to Estimate Resilience in Latin American Cities

Abstract

In Latin America, cities are characterized by uncontrolled urban growth and locations in critical geographic areas. This factor affects an individual's ability to react efficiently to an action known as resilience to disasters caused by natural phenomena or catastrophes that involve human participation. This study proposes a method for detecting vulnerabilities in urban road systems in large, intermediate, and small cities in Latin America, so that resilience can be better supported. Depending on the structural characteristics of a city, measurement techniques can be used to combine the topological, geographic, and spatiotemporal indicators. Several measurements, such as mesh and connectivity, betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, robustness of networks with interruption attacks, location of dead ends, measurement of travel times between origin and destination, elevations and fusion of indicators with clusters on the same map, were applied using network graphs from OpenStreetMap (OSM) to estimate the resilience of road networks. The results are exposed to clusters of fused geospatial maps, which show that intersections and streets tend to be classified as vulnerable, with morphological structures of growth, resistance to degradation of the urban network, marginal urban sectors with high conglomeration, and mobility. The results highlight the importance of applying resilient practices in the region and generating urban management options to strengthen the response capacity of cities in Latin America.

Blending Efficiency and Resilience in the Performance Assessment of Urban Intersections: A Novel Heuristic Informed by Literature Review

“…Selected studies on 'Community engagement and behavioral studies in urban mobility' are linked to each other in their shared focus on urban resilience, sustainability, and the impact of external factors like the COVID-19 pandemic [60][61][62][63][64][65][66]. They collectively contributed to understanding and improving urban living conditions, exploring concepts such as resilient cities, community viability, transportation needs during pandemics, and the role of infrastructure in fostering prosperity.…”

“…In Latin American cities, for example, rampant urban expansion and strategic geographic positioning contributed to vulnerability in the face of natural disasters and humaninduced catastrophes. In this context, Cordero and Rodriguez [60] presented a method to detect deficiencies in urban road systems in cities of different sizes. The study utilized various metrics, encompassing topological, geographic, and spatio-temporal indicators, and incorporated network graphs from OpenStreetMap.…”