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Urban Stormwater Flooding: Policy Solutions Addressing Chicago’s Underserved Populations

• Professor of Political Science Matthew Shapiro

Abstract:

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of heavy rainfall events over time, leading to increased flood risks and decreased water quality. There are a number of programs and initiatives to assess risks and respond to flooding events. Here we utilize a mixed methods approach consisting of interviews with nearly two dozen stakeholders as well as a survey experiment of the Chicago public to investigate equitable stormwater management initiatives that are politically and physically feasible. We account for differentiated effects among sub-populations, paying particular attention to how flooding disproportionately affects socio-economically disadvantaged populations due to a historic lack of investment in stormwater infrastructure. We focus on the Chicago area to describe the scope of physical and socio-behavioral differences across Chicago’s population as well as the potential for green infrastructure across Cook County. We eschew discussing geographic factors such as the local topology in favor of a socio-institutional network analysis to identify the goals and influence of different types of actors, particularly as they relate to sustainable urban stormwater for underserved communities. We find that historic disinvestment in existing infrastructure, a lack of public awareness regarding green infrastructure, and co-benefits of green infrastructure all work against widespread use of green stormwater infrastructure. However, moving individuals’ beliefs is an enormous task, requiring targeted messages that emphasize cost savings and efficiently managed public resources. Our findings show that strong framing messages have less of an impact compared to their moderated effects when combined with respondents’ communities’ flood vulnerability.

All ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳ faculty, students, and staff are invited to attend.

The Friday Research Presentations series showcases ongoing academic research projects conducted by Stuart School of Business faculty and students, as well as guest presentations by ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳ colleagues, business professionals, and faculty from other leading business schools.