Writing sample

Uptown Neighborhood Resiliency & Adaptation Plan

CP8823 I Revathi Veriah

Contents 1. Context.......................................................................................................................................................................3 1.1 Location ...............................................................................................................................................................3 2. Impact of Hurricane Katrina .......................................................................................................................................4 4.1 Vulnerability to Heat ........................................................................................................................................6 4.1.1 Exposure ......................................................................................................................................................6 4.1.2 Susceptibility ................................................................................................................................................7 4.1.3 Adaptive Capacity ........................................................................................................................................8 4.2 Vulnerability to Flooding ......................................................................................................................................8 4.2.1 Exposure ......................................................................................................................................................8 4.2.2 Susceptibility and Adaptive Capacity............................................................................................................9 4.3 Combined Assessment ......................................................................................................................................10 5. Recommendations ...............................................................................................................................................10 5.1 Heat Adaptation .................................................................................................................................................11 5.1.1 Preparedness .............................................................................................................................................11 5.1.2 Emergency Response ................................................................................................................................12 5.2 Flood Adaptation................................................................................................................................................13 5.2.1 Preparedness .............................................................................................................................................13 5.2.2 Emergency Response ................................................................................................................................14 6. Conclusion ...........................................................................................................................................................14 Bibliography .............................................................................................................................................................14

1. Context The aim of this project is to assess vulnerability of a neighborhood to two key climate stressors -heat and sea level rise. Based on this assessment an adaptation plan is proposed. This report will cover an overview of the study area, its characteristics, assessment of vulnerabilities and relevant recommendations.

1.1 Location The neighborhood selected for this project is Uptown. Uptown is unique in its context and vulnerabilities. Post Hurricane Katrina, it emerged as an resilient neighhorhood with minimal short and longterm damage. The neighbhorhood is situated in the western part of the city and in Planning District 3. Uptown is bounded by Lasalle street to the north, Nepoleon ave to the east, Magazine street to the south and Jefferson avenue to the west. It is surrounded on all sided by other residential neighbhorhoods.

Fig.1: Uptown location and urban character.

1.2 Urban Character Nicknamed the ‘the garden district’ Uptown retains many of the grand homes built in the 1890s along St. Charles Avenue and in exclusive cul-de-sac developments like Rosa Park. On oak-shaded streets intersecting St. Charles Avenue, frame houses with ample galleries are the norm. Closer to the river, more modest shotguns were built to house 19th century workers. Historically, Uptown was part of lands granted to Louisiana Governor Jean Baptiste LeMoyne, Sier de Bienville in 1719, then divided into smaller plantations in 1723. It wasn’t until the 1884 World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition on the present-day site of Audubon Park, however, that the areas away from St. Charles Avenue experienced a building boom. (The Garden District, Uptown, and Carrollton, 2018)

2. Impact of Hurricane Katrina Relative to other parts of the city, Uptown is at a higher elevation (compared to the mean sea level). The average elevation of the neighborhood is 1 to 2 m above sea level. Hence the neighborhood remained largely unaffected by Hurricane Katrina. Only a small portion in the North-East part of the neighborhood is a t a comparatively low elevation (between 0 to 1m). This area is prone to flooding.

Fig.2: Impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and Uptown. (Reference Maps | The Data Center, 2018)

3. Neighborhood Demographics In 2016, there were approximately 6546 people in the neighborhood and around 2981 households. Uptown’s rate of population decline was 2.02% between 2000-2016. This is significantly less than the region’s population decline which is 21%. This can be attributed to the neighborhoods resilience and lack of long term damage post hurricane Katrina. In fact, property and rental values continued to increase. The gross per month rent was estimated to be $1,294 compared to $987 in the other parishes. (Uptown | The Data Center, 2018) The demographic distribution is within the neighborhood is very similar to that in the other parishes.47 % of the and population are between the age of 18 and 49.21% are between 10 and 17 years of age.

100.00% 50.00% 0.00% Less than 10 years

10-17 years old Uptown

18-49 years old

50-64 years old More than 65 years

New Orleans

Fig.3: Comparison of population distribution across age groups in Uptown and New Orleans. (Uptown | The Data Center, 2018)

Uptown is an extremely affluent and wealthy neighborhood.

The average income in the neighborhood is $134,775 which is almost double when compared to $65,386 in the rest of the parishes. However, the wealth is not equally distributed across the entire neighborhood, Spatially, lower economic households are clustered at the north end of the neighborhood. (New Orleans, Louisiana (LA) income map, earnings map, and wages data, 2018) The median income in region 1 is $38,990 and in region 8 is $51,929. This is significantly less than the average median household income of $72,137.

Fig.4: Median income. (New Orleans, Louisiana (LA) income map, earnings map, and wages data, 2018) Another distinct characteristic of the community is its racial profile. The community is predominantly white in contrast to the rest of the city. African American household are distinctly clustered together at the North end of the neighborhood.

Fig.5: Neighborhood racial profile. (Uptown | The Data Center, 2018) In summary, compared to the other Parishes, Uptown is a wealthy and predominantly white neighborhood with no longterm impact caused by Hurricane Katrina.

4. Assessment to Vulnerability This section of the paper focuses on assessing vulnerability to two potential climate stressors- heat and flooding due to sea level rise. In this context, vulnerability is seen as a function exposure, susceptibility and adaptive capacity.

Exposure refers to the degree to which the neighborhood is physically exposed to the hazard. Exposure can be affected by hazard factors (e.g., magnitude, persistence, distribution), amplifying factors (e.g., buildings that retain heat, urban heat islands), and protective factors (e.g., air conditioning, exposure avoidance).

Susceptibility (or sensitivity) relates to the impact of exposure, and is influenced by host characteristics such as demographics and underlying health status.

Adaptive capacity is the ability to make protective changes to reduce burden, in response to actual or expected hazards. These factors can be influenced and driven by climate variability, urban form, occupational conditions, infrastructure, and interventions that might include warnings, surveillance, and education. (Tran et al., 2013)

4.1 Vulnerability to Heat 4.1.1 Exposure New Orleans is located in the humid subtropical zone. This is characterized by short, generally mild winters and hot, humid summers. The months between June to September are the hottest months, the temperature ranging between 89 to 90 degrees on average. However, heat hazards are likely to occur even earlier in the season when the body is not acclimatized to the heat. For instance, the historic average temperature for the month of February is 65 degrees however, in 2018 the temperature was in the eighties for 4 consecutive days. On the whole, 5 new record highs were registered in the month of February 2018. Events similar to this is likely to exacerbate heat related illnesses and episodes.

Fig.5: Monthly exposure to heat. (New Orleans February Weather, 2018) and (Disharoon, 2018).

At the neighborhood level, a satellite image from Landsat TM 5 was used to study surface temperature. By analyzing the image, parcels with high surface temperature was identified. It is likely that, with increased exposure to heat hazards, these parcels are the most vulnerable.

Fig.6: Parcels that are likely to be impacted by heat related incidences.

Parcels with comparatively low surface temperature (between 32.21 to 33.87 degree Celsius) are located along St Charles Avenue. This is largely due to the tree canopy along the right of way.

Three clusters of parcels stand out as parcels with comparatively high surface temperature. This is largely due to dense residential construction, parking areas and no pervious surfaces.

Most of the parcels are between 33.87- 35.62 degrees Celsius.

4.1.2 Susceptibility

Fig.7: Vulnerable places and characteristics of the community.

Young children and the elderly are highly susceptible to heat related illnesses, particularly those with preexisting chronic conditions. In 2010, it was estimated that 879 children lived in the neighborhood. Of this, 80 children are below the age of 4. Approximately 856 elderly people live in the community. Close to 70% of them live in family households. However, the remaining 30% live alone. This group is even more vulnerable since they lack familial networks. (Uptown | The Data Center, 2018).

The neighborhood, receives foot fall from surrounding communities. While assessing vulnerability with in this floating population two groups stand out. There are 6 schools within the community. These are Isidore Newman School, Samuel Green Elementary, Academy of Sacred Heart - Mater Campus, Academy of the Sacred Heart - Rosary Campus, Sophie B. Wright Institute of Academic Excellence and De La Salle School. There is also a park which is an active outdoor event space and hosts events that are attended by people from the outside. Annually, the park hosts the NOLA book festival, which is attended by approximately 700 people. (New Orleans Book Festival, 2018).

Although this population is transient, it’s important to protect their health.

Fig.8: Baseline health condition within the neighborhood.

Heat related illnesses identified as priority include heat rash (frequently in children), heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat syncope (typically adults) and heat stroke. Associated with the problems of dehydration, studies show increased occurrence of kidney stones and renal failure for the elderly, children and adult workers engaged in physically demanding jobs in hot environments. (Nag & Nag, 2009).

Base health conditions were estimated by CDC for adults above the age of 18 with in the neighborhood. Spatially, there is a higher crude prevalence of chronic kidney deceases, coronary heart deceases and diabetes in the north part of the community (above St. Charles Avenue). High blood pressure is prevalent to the same degree through the entire neighborhood. (CDC, 2018) 4.1.3 Adaptive Capacity

Fig.9: Assets that increase adaptive capacity.

Several assets across the neighborhood helps increase its adaptive capacity and build resilience. Within the neighborhood there are 5 parks, 1 urban farm and 2 cemeteries. In case of extreme heat events, open spaces are in general cooler and breezy. They can possibly become spaces for rest and reprieve from the heat. The tree canopy cover within the neighborhood is mainly clustered along the main right of ways and does not adequately cover the schools or the residential areas. Through shade and evapotranspiration, tree cover can alter micro-climate by lowering temperature. The community has a public library and 4 places of worship. During extreme heat events, these spots become points of communication and indoor cooling spots.

4.2 Vulnerability to Flooding For this exercise, flooding is defined as a breach in the flood defense system in 2100. The projected sea level rise is 4.3 feet. The resultant flooding is analyzed below.

4.2.1 Exposure 90% of the neighborhood will experience flooding to some extent in case levee system fails under 2100 tidal conditions.

Only one row of blocks along Magazine Street is above 4.3 feet and will not flood. However, not all parcels will be flooded to the same depth. 50% of the parcels will be flooded to a depth of 1ft. If drained appropriately, this will not cause lasting damages to the properties- especially if buildings are elevated above grade level. 40% of the parcels located above St.Charles Avenue are likely to flood to a level of 2.3ft. The zoning code mandates a plinth level of at least 3feet above grade level. Hence if parcels are appropriately drained and there is no lasting stagnation, these parcels are not likely to suffer long term damage. 15% of the parcels are vulnerable to 4.3ft of flooding. At this level, water is likely to enter households and cause damage. Particularly this will render houses to be inhabitable if the houses do not have a second story. One parcel is likely to be flooded by 6.3 feet.

Fig.10: Parcels likely to flood and depth of inundation.

4.2.2 Susceptibility and Adaptive Capacity There are more paved and impervious spaces within the neighborhood than open spaces. This increases susceptibility since there isn’t sufficient space for infiltration and this encourages stagnation. Currently Uptown falls within the historic neighborhood district. There are 9 buildings that are designated as landmarks and registered in the nation al historic buildings registry. These buildings increase susceptibility to flooding as they, are not flood proof and expensive to renovate and rehabilitate post floods. In the long run, if this heritage is lost or destroyed, economic repercussions include impact on local tourism and loss of community history.

There are 18 restaurants and 5 grocery stores within the neighborhood. This enhances adaptive capacity as these resources help families and individuals rehabilitate post disaster. These resources particularly increase community’s access to food in the days that follow the flood event.

Fig.11: Susceptibility and adaptive capacity to flooding.

4.3 Combined Assessment Having mapped the exposure and susceptibility to flooding and heat waves within the neighborhood, a spatial trend emerges. The most critical area is zone1 and efforts for mitigation must be prioritized within this zone.

Recommendations tailored to each of these zones is presented in the following section.

Fig.12: Combined assessment to vulnerabilities.

5. Recommendations A holistic approach to mitigation efforts comprises of preparation to reduce impact of any disaster, robust emergency response plan of action during the disaster and recovery strategies for short and long term. In the following section, this report will make recommendations to increase preparedness and emergency response for heat hazards and flooding

Fig.13: Different components of mitigation

5.1 Heat Adaptation 5.1.1 Preparedness Three major strategies can be adopted to decrease impact on the community 1) enhance vegetation 2) increase albedo and 3) decrease waste heat.

1) Enhance vegetation- Plant trees on Right of Way: It is upto 15°F cooler under tree canopies than the recorded temperature. Vegetation plays a significant role in altering micro climate. Being the most vulnerable areas, the right of ways within zone 1 and around schools should be prioritized for planting trees. The community can engage with local NGO partners such as SOUL, Parkway Partners and NOLA tree project.

Fig.14: Enhance vegetation and increase albedo.

2) Increase roof albedo- Adopt a Cool Roof Initiative: Since the neighborhood has a substantial building footprint a cool roof initiative will benefit the household and the community. Cities and building standards across the country have adopted varying requirements. Some of these are presented in the table below U.S. Code ASHRAE 90.2

Description U.S. national, model code for low-rise residential buildings

Cool Roof Requirement Allows reduced roof insulation if a cool roof of SR >0.65 and TE >0.75, or SRI >75 is used. This allowance is permitted in climate zones 1–3.

LEED Green Building Rating Leading voluntary green building Cool roofs (for flat roofs with an System standard in the U.S SRI >78 and sloped roofs with an SRI >29) = 1point Cool materials used on other impermeable surfaces = 1 point U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR ENERGY STAR is EPA’s energy Low-sloped roofs: efficiency product label. It includes labels initial SR >0.65, aged SR >0.50 for roofing products.

Steep-sloped roofs: initial SR >0.25, aged SR >0.15 Fig.15: Cool roof requirements in nationally recognized standards. (Global Cool Cities Alliance, 2012) Since the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana do not have any prescribed requirements, the neighborhood can adopt standards set by ASHARE, LEED or US EPA Energy Star. Since there are no incentives from the state or city, a voluntary initiative at the neighborhood level can be successful only through grass root advocation of its several benefits.

3)Decrease waste heat- Adopt building performance standards. The main source of waste heat in the community is heat from transportation and the building themselves. Waste heat generated from buildings can be reduced by adopting stricter building codes. Strategies include upgrading doors/ windows and changing to energy efficient appliances. The table below provides examples of building standard ordinances that other cities have adopted for residential areas. Indirectly, this will minimize waste heat.

Ordinance Focus Performance Standards for All new residential homes must meet the minimum requirements for Residential Developments certification as an Earth Advantage home, including an evaluation of energy (Ashland, OR 2006) usage, water usage, and air quality guidelines.

ENERGY STAR Requirements The following requirements are effective July 1, 2010: All new or substantially (Southampton, NY 2010) renovated residential structures must comply with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) New York ENERGY STAR-Labeled Home Program. At a minimum, homes less than 3500 ft2 must attain a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rating of 84; homes with 3501 to 4500 ft2 must attain a HERS rating of 87; homes with 4501 to 6500 ft2 must attain a HERS rating of 90; and homes over 6500 ft2 must attain a HERS rating of 93.

Sustainable Santa Fe Plan, Beginning July 1, 2009 all new applications for single-family residential Residential Green Building buildings in the city of Santa Fe are subject to the Residential Green Building (Santa Fe, NM 2009) Code. Home size determines the number of points needed to achieve each level of certification. Plan review and inspection of program elements will be fully integrated into the permitting and inspection process. The program is designed to coordinate with ENERGY STAR, utility incentive programs, and EPAct Home program.

Fig.15: Residential building performance standards included in city building ordinances. (Model Policies | Building Energy Codes Program, 2018) Once again, since these is no city or state-wide initiative to reduce waste heat in residential buildings, such an initiative requires grass root advocation.

5.1.2 Emergency Response The Heat Index is a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature. As an example, if the air temperature is 96°F and the relative humidity is 65%, the heat index--how hot it feels--is 121°F. The National Weather Service will initiate alert procedures when the Heat Index is expected to exceed 105°-110°F (depending on local climate) for at least 2 consecutive days. (Heat Index, 2018).

When such an emergency advisory is broadcasted, a protocol and communication network is necessary to raise awareness. The following measures should be implemented to minimize damage.

• • • • •

Close down schools to limit exposure.

Recommend work at home.

Avoid out door tasks.

Provide 24/7 accessible community cooling centers. In the case of Uptown, this would be the 4 places of worship and the public library.

Reschedule outdoor events.

Other measures that can be adopted within the neighborhood includes • • •

Install LED screens with rolling updated temperature forecasts available to the community.

Purchase and distribute reusable soft plastic ice packs particularly to elderly people living alone.

Raise awareness on early signs and symptoms of heat related illnesses.

• •

Hold public meetings and charrettes to discuss how each person or family can modify their everyday behavior in response to heat waves.

Install community bird water bath and drinking water fountains in public spaces.

5.2 Flood Adaptation 5.2.1 Preparedness Update zoning ordinances: The current ordinance mandates a minimum plinth height of 3ft. This is insufficient in several parts of the neighborhood. Recommendation for higher plinth heights is proposed in the table below.

Flood proof building openings: Installing protectors at the base of openings is a cost-effective way to reduce property damage and keep the insides dry.

Blue green infrastructure: Although the blue green infrastructure cannot drain the water completely, it can prevent stagnation and inundation. This is particularly significant as it can improve quality of life immediately after the incident.

It will prevent the spread of vector borne deceases. And drain water away from buildings.

City wide ordinance to flood proof historic buildings: There are 9 designated historic landmarks within the community that is important to both the local economy and urban character. However, historic buildings are particularly vulnerable to flooding due to its age. They are also expensive to renovate and flood proof in a tasteful manner that doesn’t take away from its aesthetics. New Orleans will benefit from adopting a citywide ordinance to climate proof its historic buildings and funding it. Some recommendation made by FEMA to floodproof historic buildings are listed below: • • •

• • •

Relocate valuable contents to a safer location Create positive drainage around the building Remove modern finished materials from basements or other areas that are flood prone. Often historic structures are constructed from materials that are relatively flood-resistant. For example, basements often had stone or rubble walls and dirt floors.

Fill in the basement. For historic structures with basements, a simple solution to minimize flood damage and reduce the potential for structural damage is to abandon the basement.

The entire building is lifted and placed on a new elevated foundation (columns, piers, posts, or raised foundation walls such as a crawl space) In situations where it is possible to leave the exterior of the building the same, raise the interior floor of the building above the Base flood elevation. This may be an alternative for older stone buildings with high ceilings and elevated window sills. (FEMA, 2008)

Sub terrain wells: Sub-terrain wells are multi-functional. In times of flood, they hold water, they are functional urban spaces for people to gather and because they are below the ground and close to water, the temperature is lower than the outside temperature by at least 4 degree Celsius.

Fig.16: Measures to increase resilience to flooding.

5.2.2 Emergency Response From the time of the breach till water levels recede: Response to flooding is time sensitive. In the worst-case scenario, if there is no forewarning of the flood and the breach is unexpected, the entire community (and the floating population) will seek high grounds as a precaution, even before assessing the damage the flood may cause to their own property. Having an evacuation spot in zone 4 along Magazine Street that can accommodate the entire community is important.

Even after the water level recedes as water is pumped out, some places may be inundated with water. Having an evacuation space that can temporarily accommodate displaced residents is vital. For these reasons, having a community space with an open configuration such as a rec center in zone 4 is recommended. A rec center is a multifunctional addition to the community as there are 6 schools within the neighborhood that can benefit form this.

From the time water levels recede to neighborhood becomes occupiable: Even as water levels begin to recede, people require amenities to rehabilitate themselves. Access to groceries, food (in case there is no electricity), gas (in case they would like to evacuate), health clinic, pharmacy, hardware stores (make temporary fixes) etc. is vital.

Currently Zone 4 has grocery stores and restaurants. Incorporating additional amenities will greatly improve community resilience.

6. Conclusion In conclusion, adapting to flooding and heat hazards requires initiation from a top down and bottom to top efforts. Some recommendations such as cool roof ordinance, updated building codes, flood proofing historic buildings requires policy interventions at the city level in order to be effective. However, on the other hand, communication on risks associated to heat, information about cooling centers and evacuation spots can be advocated for at a grass root level.

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