Equity in Evacuation Planning and Mitigation: Implications of Transportation Infrastructure and Social Vulnerability

Zhongqi Zheng and Alan T. Murray

Growth and Change, 2026, vol. 57, issue 2

Abstract: This research addresses a critical but underexamined challenge in disaster preparedness: the identification of neighborhoods where evacuation is hardest to accomplish based on physical infrastructure constraints as well as inherent social vulnerability. Existing evacuation approaches emphasize the flow of traffic and the capacity of roads, but typically presume equal capability for people to evacuate, neglecting the aggregate barriers faced by socially vulnerable populations. Closing this gap, the research proposes an equity‐informed approach aided by spatial optimization to identify population clusters with evacuation bottlenecks. In collaboration with local community groups and emergency response agencies in Santa Barbara County, this research informs inclusive evacuation strategies that foster resilience and lessen structural disparities in disaster response.

Date: 2026
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