Resilience in multilayer transportation infrastructure networks: a review and conceptual framework for equity-based assessment

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a comprehensive review of resilience concepts, methodologies, metrics, and modeling techniques, and identifies key research gaps. These include the lack of multilayer network representations of transportation infrastructures when quantifying resilience, and insufficient metrics for assessing equitable outcomes. To address these gaps, we propose a conceptual multilayer framework for transporttaion infrastructure networks and develop equitable resilience metrics that incorporate socioeconomic and demographic variables. Using Pioneer Valley as a case study, we apply our framework to assess the resilience of transportation networks and demonstrate its utility in guiding resource allocation to enhance both the physical robustness and social equity of infrastructure. Our findings show that this approach significantly contributes to more informed and inclusive decision-making, fostering the development of resilient and equitable urban environments.

KEYWORDS:

• Equity
• transportation infrastructure system
• multilayer network
• resilience

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data used in this study are publicly available. Network data were obtained from OSMnx, acces- sible via their GitHub repository. Demographic information was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. These datasets are open for academic use, adhering to the original providers’ terms. All the code used in generating the results and figures in this paper are publicly available at https://github.com/narslab/equi-resnet.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mahsa Arabi

Mahsa Arabi is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She works as a graduate research assistant in the Networks for Accessibility, Resilience, and Sustainability (NARS) Laboratory.

Simos Gerasimidis

Simos Gerasimidis is an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst working on bridge engineering, infrastructure resilience, additive manufacturing, structural stability, and new architected metamaterials.

Camille Barchers

Camille Barchers is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she runs the graduate planning studio.

Jimi Oke

Jimi Oke is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he directs the Networks for Accessibility, Resilience and Sustainability (NARS) Laboratory