The NSF Convergence Accelerator supports team-based, multidisciplinary efforts that address challenges of national importance and show potential for deliverables in the near future. The broader impact and potential societal benefit of this Convergence Accelerator project is to minimize economic and human losses from future urban flooding in the United States. Floods impact a series of interconnected urban systems (referred to in this project as the Urban Multiplex) that include the power grid and transportation networks, surface water and groundwater, sewerage and drinking water systems, inland navigation and dams, and other systems, all of which are intertwined with the socioeconomic and public health sectors. This project uses a convergent approach to integrate these multiple interconnected systems and merges state-of-the-art practices in hydrologic and hydraulic engineering; systems analysis, optimization and control; machine learning, data and computer science; socioeconomics; transportation and electrical engineering to develop an Urban Flooding Open Knowledge Network (UFOKN). The UFOKN is an information system that will empower decision makers and the general public by providing information not just on how much flooding may occur from a future event, but also to show the cascading impact of a flood event on natural and engineered infrastructure of an urban area, so that more effective planning and decision-making can occur.

Some of the major goals in Phase I of this project were to i) bring together a team of experts that can successfully tackle these multi-disciplinary issues related to urban flooding, ii) create a feasible sustainability plan beyond Phase II, and iii)  build partnerships that provide the team with real-life practical expertise in flood mitigation and planning as well as field data and product testing. To achieve these goals, the UFOKN team pursued an iterative human-centered approach, consisting of product prototyping, workshops, interviews and one-on-one meetings.

In November 2019, the team convened its first user workshop in Raleigh, NC and presented the UFOKN concept to prospective partners. The objective of this workshop was to identify the User Personas whose needs the UFOKN should solve. We mapped their daily journeys, conducted interviews and hands-on breakouts to draw out their interactions with the future UFOKN. A thematic analysis of user journeys identified 9 user personas representing urban planners, emergency responders, utility managers, private citizens, governmental agencies, academic researchers and private industry that informed Phase I prototyping , as well as the work plan for Phase II.

Following this workshop, the team started developing UFOKN1.0 – the system prototype. It coupled a select number of easily accessible sub-systems of the Urban Multiplex (surface and groundwater, stormwater and sewage systems, and some civil infrastructure such as transportation network, buildings and bridges) for the city of Houston. Houston was chosen because we had rich historical data from Hurricane Harvey, and a set of validated hyper- resolution hydrologic/hydraulic models in place. A second workshop was held in January 2020 in Houston, TX to demonstrate this prototype, solicit feedback, and discuss future avenues of partnerships in Phase II.

Last Modified: 10/08/2021
Modified by: Lilit Yeghiazarian