Societal Impacts of Earthquake Risk in San Francisco Using GIS Analysis of Building Characteristics

Presenter: Annalieka Mets

Faculty Sponsor: Jessica Boakye

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Civil Engineering

Session: Poster Session 4, 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM, Auditorium, A82

ABSTRACT

The county of San Francisco, California consistently faces the threat of seismic activity due to its distinct location along the San Andreas Fault system. Earthquakes pose a unique risk to the study of civil engineering, as their impacts are unpredictable but can be wildly damaging. Because earthquakes in this region are inevitable, the critical question is not whether they will occur, but how the city’s built environment will influence community resilience when they do. My research is concentrated on examining the societal impacts of earthquakes in San Francisco through a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis of building characteristics. Using data from the National Structure Inventory (NSI), this study evaluates 222,782 structures across 38 occupancy types, with a focus on 25 emergency-relevant categories such as residential buildings, schools, and healthcare facilities. Rather than concentrating solely on structural failure, my research focuses on how infrastructure performance and quality can significantly influence societal groups. Namely, this includes community access to housing, healthcare, education, and essential services. Building attributes such as construction material, age, occupancy type, structural value, and geographic location can also be analyzed to identify patterns of vulnerability across various neighborhoods. Finally, I will provide additional focus to Environmental Justice (EJ) communities, examining whether historically underserved and lower-income neighborhoods face disproportionate infrastructure risk in the face of natural disasters.

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