Spatial justice and climate vulnerability: Evaluating the relationship between urban expansion patterns and flood risk

Urban flooding remains a critical hazard for rapidly urbanizing coastal cities, with climate change intensifying both its frequency and severity. This article summarizes and contextualizes the findings of our published study on spatial justice and flood vulnerability in Alexandria, Egypt, which examined 28 years of urban growth patterns (1995–2023) using remote sensing, GIS, and socio-economic data. The analysis identified three forms of urban expansion—infilling, edge expansion, and leapfrogging—and revealed that unplanned infilling increases flood risk far more than other growth types, disproportionately affecting marginalized, low-income neighborhoods. These findings present a replicable framework for risk-informed urban planning, with clear implications for equitable zoning, targeted infrastructure investment, and the adoption of nature-based solutions. The societal impact stems from redefining flood risk as both an environmental and social justice issue, offering decision-makers actionable, evidence-based strategies to mitigate hazard exposure.