The REACT project proposes a novel and comprehensive framework for assessing and enhancing the resilience of urban transport networks in the era of smart cities. Unlike conventional studies that focus on localized disruptions or specific network components, REACT takes a holistic approach by analyzing resilience at both strategic and operational levels. At the strategic level, it identifies the most critical elements of the network using graph-based indicators such as efficiency, vulnerability, and criticality. These components are then examined more closely at the operational level through simulation-based experiments. Particular attention is given to how CCAM-enabled traffic management strategies—such as V2V communication and rerouting policies—can influence the resilience of the network during adverse events. The framework is tested in real-world conditions using the Athens urban road network as a case study and applying realistic flooding scenarios from the 2017 Mandra and 2021 Athens events. A central challenge addressed by REACT is the development of a universal resilience index that is both theoretically sound and practically applicable. Existing approaches in the literature often deal with resilience either in isolated components or based on simplistic performance recovery models. REACT proposes a more integrated solution that combines graph theoretic metrics with demand-based characteristics. The result is a robust assessment methodology capable of identifying critical components within large-scale networks and evaluating their behavior under various disruption scenarios.
How We Contribute
Our contribution to the REACT project focused on four critical aspects that span from theoretical modeling to real-world simulation and validation. First, we carried out an in-depth quantitative assessment of the resilience of Athens’ inner-ring urban road network. Using graph theoretical and demand-based analysis, as well as statistical techniques, we analyzed the effect of the progressive removal of links and nodes; to evaluat the resilience of he network under expected and unexpected events. This analysis allowed us to proceed to the design of the Link Importance (LI) index, a novel composite indicator that integrates network efficiency, vulnerability, and criticality into a single quantifiable metric. Third, we simulated real-life flood scenarios affecting Athens and Mandra, incorporating microscopic traffic simulation using the SUMO platform. These simulations allowed us to compare multiple CCAM penetration levels and evaluate the impact of different Traffic Management Strategies (TMS). The results showed that V2V communication significantly improves performance metrics such as delay and travel time, especially when combined with dynamic rerouting. These findings support the argument that cooperative mobility can enhance resilience in real-time, data-driven traffic systems.