Researchers led by Chenbo Wang from UCL, focus on the ability of the TCDSE to help design pro-poor financial policies in expanding cities.

Previous research shows that instruments such as earthquake insurance, used around the world in countries such as the US and Japan, commonly fall short of their objectives due to a great disparity in the percentage of covered assets – mainly because their high cost makes them prohibitive for many – and the fact that they do not consider the needs of low-income groups. Other policies such as post-disaster cash transfers to disaster-affected people do not always have the desired effect, leaving the poorest without the necessary means to reconstruct their homes.

With that in mind, the study uses the TCDSE to develop a framework that facilitates the design and assessment of financial policies specifically aimed at residential properties in rapidly expanding cities and focused on the poorest citizens. Researchers used the virtual testbed Tomorrowville to demonstrate the application of the framework.

FInally, the last article currently available on the Special Issue focuses on physics-based simulations of multiple natural hazards. In it, reseachers present results of flood, earthquake, and debris flow simulation scenarios using Tomorrowville. Researchers led by Luke T.Jenkins from the University of Bristol show that simulations of multiple, independent hazards, can assist with the identification of developing urban regions that are vulnerable to potential multi-hazard events and that this information can direct further modelling to provide decision-makers with insights into potential multi-hazard events.

With four other articles focused on demonstrating how the various components of the TCDSE can be implemented in practice in real cities and one more on its technical details currently under review, this Special Issue will help guiding the implementation of the framework in the growing set of Global South cities that the Tomorrow’s Cities Hub supports.

“The TCDSE advances beyond the limits of current conventional risk models by placing knowledge co-production at the heart of risk-informed decision-making and explicitly recognising risk in terms that are meaningful to the life experiences of the poor and most marginalised.”

Gemma Cremen – Co-investigator Tomorrow’s Cities Hub

Lecturer in Risk and Resilience Engineering – University College London

About the TCDSE

Tomorrow’s Cities Decision Support Environment (TCDSE) is the Hub’s flagship framework to facilitate multi-hazard, risk-informed planning and decision-making aimed at reducing disaster risk in expanding cities. Using a collaborative approach, TCDSE facilitates risk-sensitive future urban planning owned not only by the planning authorities, municipalities, the government or the private sector, but also by the communities who will live in these future cities.