University of California Institute of Transportation Studies

This study develops guidance for public transit agencies in Los Angeles, California to better prepare for hazards and address challenges, including climate and safety concerns. Using a community-based participatory research methodology in partnership with the local non-profit organization Climate Resolve, we conducted three listening sessions with 26community members involved with the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory, a community-serving resilience hub that supports residents in accessing resources both during everyday conditions and extreme events, to explore theirexperiences related to public transit and how it could be better integrated with existing social systems to increase systems’ resilience to extreme weather disruptions. Based on several recurring themes drawn from the participants’ statements, we developed a framework named Cascading Vulnerabilities, Ascending Strengths to explore the connections between infrastructure systems’ vulnerabilities and strengths. We conclude with a reexamination of the traditional Four Rs of resilience framework, expanding these measures to include both physical and social infrastructure through a multisystemic resilience lens.