Abstract:

Texas City is a highly socially vulnerable neighborhood whose population is 70% minority, 30% in poverty, 11% unemployed, 40% obese, 41% having high blood pressure, and receives less than $17,000 per year per capita. Further, the city is only comprised of 2.4% park space. In response to these issues, researchers designed a nature-based, resilient master plan for a 245-acre site in Texas City, TX that is vulnerable to flooding and contamination from nearby industries using a design standard known as the 3|30|300 approach. The 3|30|300 approach is an evidence-based guideline to increase community green infrastructure accessibility which specifies that 1) each resident should be able to see at least three trees from their home, 2) at least 30% of the neighborhood should be covered by tree canopy, and 3) the distance to high-quality public green space for each resident should be less than 300 meters. The results of two SWAT-Delft3D coupled model simulations – one with the master plan and one without – are used to evaluate performance of the proposed Texas City plan. The Delft3D model incorporates a particle tracking algorithm that was used here as a possible proxy for contaminant transport from nearby facilities. These particles (termed “drogues”) represented a possible contaminant spill at each facility. When the flood or hurricane surge reached the facility, the drogue would begin to move, and would thereafter follow the predominant flow pattern.