A NEW DECISION MAKING METHOD TO SELECT PRIORITY INTERVENTIONS AFTER EXTREME EVENTS

Abstract eng:
This study proposes the implementation of decision making tools in quantifying and ranking resilience initiatives. The objective of this study was to build a flexible model capable of assessing and ranking any resilience dimension, like initiatives, projects and indices. The model used is in the study is called Simple Multi-Attribute Technique (SMART), the simplest form of Multi-Attribute Utility Theory. SMART offers a simplified and easy to use approach. The benefit of the SMART model lies on how simple the scoring criteria of alternatives and weights of these criteria are established. They can be defined by the decision maker by building a hierarchy and then assign scores to each of them. Otherwise, a set of formulas exist to compare or help the decision maker asses these weights based on the same hierarchy (importance) he previously built. Three criteria were used in the SMART model: Time (the amount of months required or planned to complete a project), Cost (budget for each intervention) and Phase (if the project is either completed or still in planning, design or construction). After evaluating these projects with the SMART model, a comparison was made by assessing the same projects through their functionality curve, which is described by the drop in functionality (the cost of projects was used to describe this value) and the time required to complete a specific project. The study highlights the difference between these two seemingly similar models and their different results to then add a third component of calculation, the Social Impact of these projects. This dimension was added because it was recognized that the output of the previous models only took into consideration their performance, and not their impact in the quality of the urban space they are surrounded by. The case study for this approach was New York City and its ongoing recovery projects post Hurricane Sandy. The projects are part of four main Initiatives: Infrastructure, Buildings, Coastal Defense and Neighborhoods.

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