Integrated Water Infrastructure Vulnerability Assessment and Economic Development for Climate Resiliency

This project continues Brockton’s commitment to better understand opportunities and threats associated with their urban waters.

Fuss & O’Neill is providing an updated hydrologic model and new hydraulic model that will provide an accurate understanding of risks associated with flooding events and climate change that threaten public safety (dwellings, evacuation routes, critical services, more), economic activities (retail operations, large employers, recreation, more), infrastructure (culverts, bridges, dams, roads, treatment facilities, more), and environment (21E sites, brownfields, landfills, more). The City, using the model data, will prioritize actions and response to residents, public infrastructure, and privately owned development. Modeling data will allow the project team to identify potential-nature based solutions to reduce flooding and enhance or restore the corridor along Salisbury Brook and the Salisbury Plain River. Focusing on the Westgate Mall and Kmart Plaza, this project also uses model data and stakeholder engagement to define resiliency and environmental mitigation opportunities that couple with the City’s economic development and redevelopment goals.

The top four hazards identified from the MVP Community Resilience Building workshop are severe storms, flooding, extreme temperatures, and drought.

Deliverables include public infrastructure and private development risk assessments that will categorize both the level of risk associated with a flood event and potential impacts on tax revenues and economic development (e.g.jobs) in the City.