Despite the increasing fame of (urban) resilience, which is almost unanimously identified as an inherently positive guiding principle in the (flood) risk reduction policy field, limited attention is paid to how the resilience of a place is built in practice by actors embedded in complex, polycentric governance structures. In particular, the meaning and role of learning are not clearly framed in urban resilience literature nor in risk governance and management studies, which pay limited attention to how capacities for reflection, collaboration and action develop in the face of risk-related problems. This research is an attempt to study post-flood reorganisation processes through a resilience-building lens, investigating whether learning dynamics emerge and how they affect risk reduction practices. The study specifically explores institutional actions supporting flood risk reduction within selected flood-prone cities. Accordingly, it discusses how learning dynamics unfold and on how they affect the capacities of institutional actors to cope with flood risk and to enhance mitigation and preparedness. In order to investigate resilience building pathways, the research proposes to look at how risk-reduction oriented strategies and measures emerge, develop and are translated into actions on the ground. In particular, it focuses on the identification of political, organisational, relational and discursive dynamics that shape spaces for reflection and action. More specifically, the study aims to uncover some of the mechanisms through which risk-reduction oriented processes succeed or fail in enhancing the inherent and adaptive resilience of a place and in producing ‘learning loops’ that feed-back into policy actions. The research draws on empirical materials collected and analysed through the combination of different qualitative methods, which include semi-structured interviews, longitudinal media analysis, review of policy and planning documents, thematic content analysis and problem frame analysis. Additionally, the thesis proposes a ‘learning-sensitive’ analytical framework through which resilience-building processes could be observed and deconstructed. This tool is developed through methodological bricolage, i.e. putting together materials discussed in an interdisciplinary literature review and the results of an exploration of post-events reorganisation processes taking place in two flood-prone cities, i.e. Kingston upon Hull and Leeds (UK). Selected contributions from social and organisational learning theories and from interpretative policy analysis complement those insights. The framework is then tested through the analysis and interpretation of inter-flood reorganisation attempts carried out to face the recurrent flooding of the Seveso Torrent in Milan (IT). Results from the Milanese case highlight the existence of a reflective and operational deadlock affecting risk reduction and resilience building dynamics. The analysis shows that (reflective) action is mainly hampered by the impossibility to amend “historical mistakes” in decision-making and the irreversible outcomes they generated, as well as by patterns of spatial, discursive and governance fragmentation. The thesis takes a social process perspective approach towards flood risk reduction. It contributes to the urban resilience debate, disentangling some conceptual nexuses between resilience building and learning. In addition, the thesis discusses how learning dynamics (eventually) taking place can be captured and framed. It therefore provides methodological insights for the exploration of complex, dynamic and inherently political resilience-building processes.
Nonostante la crescente fama del concetto di ‘resilienza urbana’, che è stato assunto quale principio guida intrinsecamente positivo nell’ambito delle politiche per la riduzione del rischio, si è prestata scarsa attenzione a come questa venga ‘costruita’ nella pratica da attori che fanno parte di reti di governance policentriche e complesse. Nello specifico, il ruolo e il significato assunto dall’apprendimento in questi processi non sono propriamente discussi né nella letteratura su resilienza urbana né dagli studi su gestione e governance del rischio, che prestano scarsa attenzione a come le capacità di riflessione, collaborazione e azione si sviluppino a fronte di problemi legati al rischio. Questa ricerca guarda ai processi di riorganizzazione post-alluvione attraverso una lente attenta alla ‘costruzione di resilienza’, cercando di cogliere l’emergere di dinamiche di apprendimento e di capire come queste influiscano sullo sviluppo di pratiche di riduzione del rischio. Nello specifico, lo studio esplora azioni istituzionali atte a supportare la riduzione del rischio alluvionale in città particolarmente vulnerabili. La tesi discute quindi su come forme di apprendimento si sviluppino e su quanto queste contribuiscano a migliorare la capacità degli attori istituzionali coinvolti di far fronte al rischio, anche in termini di mitigazione e prontezza. Nell’investigare i processi di costruzione di resilienza, la ricerca propone di osservare come strategie e misure per la riduzione del rischio emergono, si sviluppano, e si traducono in azioni sul campo. Nello specifico, la tesi mira a svelare alcuni dei meccanismi attraverso cui processi orientati alla riduzione del rischio alluvionale influiscano sulla resilienza ‘inerente’ e ‘adattativa’ dei luoghi, e producano ‘learning loops’ nel contesto dello sviluppo di azioni di policy. La ricerca si basa su materiale empirico raccolto e analizzato combinando diversi metodi di ricerca qualitativi, che includono interviste semi-strutturate, analisi longitudinale dei media e dei documenti di policy e di pianificazione, analisi tematica dei contenuti e analisi dei ‘frame’. Inoltre, la tesi propone un framework analitico sensibile all’apprendimento, volto ad osservare e decostruire i processi di costruzione di resilienza al rischio. Questo strumento è sviluppato attraverso un ‘bricolage metodologico’, mettendo insieme materiali raccolti attraverso una review interdisciplinare della letteratura e i risultati di un esercizio di mappatura volto ad esplorare processi di riorganizzazione post-evento in due città inglesi vulnerabili al rischio alluvionale: Kingston upon Hull e Leeds. A questi si aggiungono contributi selezionati da teorie dell’apprendimento sociale e organizzativo e dall’analisi interpretativa delle politiche. Il framework è poi testato attraverso l’analisi e l’interpretazione dei tentativi di riduzione del rischio portati avanti per far fronte alle esondazioni ricorrenti del Torrente Seveso a Milano. I risultati del caso milanese evidenziano l’esistenza di uno stallo riflessivo e operativo, che influisce su dinamiche di riduzione del rischio e di costruzione di resilienza nel contesto analizzato. L’analisi mostra come l’azione (riflessiva) sia ostacolata dall’impossibilità di rimediare ad un ‘errore storico’ nel processo decisionale e agli effetti che questo ha prodotto, nonché da una forte frammentazione spaziale, discorsiva e di governance. Questa ricerca assume una prospettiva legata ai processi sociali nel guardare alla riduzione del rischio alluvionale. Essa contribuisce al dibattito sulla resilienza urbana, decostruendo alcuni nessi concettuali fra apprendimento e costruzione di resilienza. Inoltre, la tesi discute su come l’apprendimento possa essere riconosciuto e inquadrato in relazione ai processi analizzati. Il lavoro fornisce quindi spunti metodologici per l’esplorazione di processi di costruzione di resilienza complessi, dinamici e intrinsecamente politici.
(How) do flood-prone cities build resilience? Towards a learning-sensitive analytical framework
BIANCHI, IRENE
Abstract
Despite the increasing fame of (urban) resilience, which is almost unanimously identified as an inherently positive guiding principle in the (flood) risk reduction policy field, limited attention is paid to how the resilience of a place is built in practice by actors embedded in complex, polycentric governance structures. In particular, the meaning and role of learning are not clearly framed in urban resilience literature nor in risk governance and management studies, which pay limited attention to how capacities for reflection, collaboration and action develop in the face of risk-related problems. This research is an attempt to study post-flood reorganisation processes through a resilience-building lens, investigating whether learning dynamics emerge and how they affect risk reduction practices. The study specifically explores institutional actions supporting flood risk reduction within selected flood-prone cities. Accordingly, it discusses how learning dynamics unfold and on how they affect the capacities of institutional actors to cope with flood risk and to enhance mitigation and preparedness. In order to investigate resilience building pathways, the research proposes to look at how risk-reduction oriented strategies and measures emerge, develop and are translated into actions on the ground. In particular, it focuses on the identification of political, organisational, relational and discursive dynamics that shape spaces for reflection and action. More specifically, the study aims to uncover some of the mechanisms through which risk-reduction oriented processes succeed or fail in enhancing the inherent and adaptive resilience of a place and in producing ‘learning loops’ that feed-back into policy actions. The research draws on empirical materials collected and analysed through the combination of different qualitative methods, which include semi-structured interviews, longitudinal media analysis, review of policy and planning documents, thematic content analysis and problem frame analysis. Additionally, the thesis proposes a ‘learning-sensitive’ analytical framework through which resilience-building processes could be observed and deconstructed. This tool is developed through methodological bricolage, i.e. putting together materials discussed in an interdisciplinary literature review and the results of an exploration of post-events reorganisation processes taking place in two flood-prone cities, i.e. Kingston upon Hull and Leeds (UK). Selected contributions from social and organisational learning theories and from interpretative policy analysis complement those insights. The framework is then tested through the analysis and interpretation of inter-flood reorganisation attempts carried out to face the recurrent flooding of the Seveso Torrent in Milan (IT). Results from the Milanese case highlight the existence of a reflective and operational deadlock affecting risk reduction and resilience building dynamics. The analysis shows that (reflective) action is mainly hampered by the impossibility to amend “historical mistakes” in decision-making and the irreversible outcomes they generated, as well as by patterns of spatial, discursive and governance fragmentation. The thesis takes a social process perspective approach towards flood risk reduction. It contributes to the urban resilience debate, disentangling some conceptual nexuses between resilience building and learning. In addition, the thesis discusses how learning dynamics (eventually) taking place can be captured and framed. It therefore provides methodological insights for the exploration of complex, dynamic and inherently political resilience-building processes.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/167473