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Among existing research on social vulnerability, virtually no studies have considered homelessness as a variable in their vulnerability assessments. This study identified the relevance of homelessness as a key index in social vulnerability assessment to inform the public, policymakers and the broader body of literature of its impacts on shaping vulnerability patterns in cities. In this study, the 2018 Homeless data for Austin was disaggregated from the council district level to block group level using dasymetric mapping in Geographic Information System (GIS). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to group highly correlated demographic and socioeconomic variables into factors, which were normalized and summed to model social vulnerability with homeless index (SOVI_H) and without homeless index (SOVI) for each Austin Blockgroup. The result revealed significant differences in geographic patterns between SOVI_H and SOVI. SOVI_H showed hotspots of vulnerabilities in Downtown and East-Austin neighborhoods, depicting a slight shift of social vulnerability westwards of the city. This finding differs from past results of social vulnerabilities in Austin where it used to be predominant in the East. This study showed that incorporating homelessness in identifying social vulnerability can help researchers and other associated organizations identify the most vulnerable groups when conducting social vulnerability assessments.

San Antonio, Texas, the seventh largest city in the United States, has experienced steady population growth, since the “boom” of the 1960s. Projected water shortages due to this growth were realized as early as the 1970s by city leaders and south-central Texas regional development decision makers. To reduce dependence on the already over-taxed, Edwards aquifer, a solution, the Applewhite Dam and Reservoir Project, was developed with wide acceptance by federal, state, and city leaders who regarded the project as a necessary measure for regional growth and development. However, opposition by taxpayer and environmental groups led to referendums of 1991 and 1994 in which voters blocked construction of the dam and reservoir leaving the city with limited options for water provision. This case study investigated the factors which led to a clear mismatch in communication between decision makers—those who were aware of the actual and quantifiable risk to the region in terms of reduced water supplies—and the general public, a population that did not have complete and/or adequate knowledge of their actual risk regarding future water shortages, nor, of solutions being developed, such as the Applewhite project. The findings from this case study indicate that when municipal leadership fails to adequately communicate risk regarding resource shortage to an affected public, as well as, openly planned solutions, that voters are likely to underestimate future impacts of water shortages, heed last-minute opposition, and reject long-standing, publicly proposed projects. The intent of this research is not to support either side in the Applewhite controversy, but to shed perspective on the process of adequately and effectively communicating future water needs to an at-risk population. Decision makers in cities across the United States who are faced with solving problems of limited resources needed by a large populace may be informed by the results of this research.

The K-700 Power House area, initially built to supply power to the K-25 gaseous diffusion plant was shutdown and disassembled in the 1960s. This shutdown was initiated by TVA supplying economical power to the diffusion plant complex. As a result of world wide over production of enriched, reactor grade U{sup 235}, the K-27 switch yard and switch house area was placed in standby in 1985. Subsequently, as the future production requirements decreased, the cost of production increased and the separation technologies for other processes improved, the facility was permanently shutdown in December, 1987. This Site Characterization Report is a part of the FY-88 engineering Feasibility Study for placing ORGDP Gaseous Diffusion Process facilities in 'Permanent Shutdown'. It is sponsored by the Department of Energy through Virgil Lowery of Headquarters--Enrichment and through Don Cox of ORO--Enrichment Operations. The primary purpose of these building or site characterization reports is to document, quantify, and map the following potential problems: Asbestos; PCB containing fluids; Oils, coolants, and chemicals; and External contamination. With the documented quantification of the concerns (problems) the Engineering Feasibility Study will then proceed with examining the potential solutions. For this study, permanent shutdown is defined as the securing and/or conditioning ofmore » each facility to provide 20 years of safe service with minimal expenditures and, where feasible, also serving DOE's needs for long-term warehousing or other such low-risk use. The K-700 power house series of buildings were either masonry construction or a mix of masonry and wood. The power generating equipment was removed and sold as salvage in the mid 1960s but the buildings and auxiliary equipment were left intact. The nine ancillary buildings in the power house area use early in the Manhattan Project for special research projects, were left intact minus the original special equipment. During the late 1960s and 1970s, some of the abandoned buildings were used for offices, special projects, and storage. Some of the remaining electrical transformers contain PCBs in concentrations less than 500 ppm. Many of the steam and hot water pipes in the buildings are insulated with asbestos insulation, but none of the equipment or buildings have high counts of surface radioactive contamination. The general conditions of the buildings are from fair to poor. Many should be boarded-up to prevent personnel entry and in some cases demolitions would be the safer alternative.« less

Computer simulations of traffic sound levels were performed to evaluate the probable effectiveness of several hypothetical noise abatement scenarios in reducing residential exposure to traffic sound. These simulations were performed for 28 actual census tracts in six cities which were chosen to be representative of the urban United States. Results showed that neighborhood land use patterns have a strong influence on residential traffic noise exposure and thus constrain the potential effectiveness of any noise abatement strategy. Limits on the acceleration noise of new automobiles were calculated to have only a small effect on traffic noise exposure, while limits on truck acceleration noise were calculated to have a greater effect. A combination of noise barriers along freeways and nonresidential zoning along arterials was calculated to have approximately the same effect on residential noise exposure as severe constraints on both automobile and truck acceleration noise levels. Further calculations showed t...