Engineering the Future of Our Cities

Imagine a society where everyone has access to safe public spaces, an affordable place to live, reliable transportation, and the benefits of a diverse economy. To many, this may sound like wishful thinking, but engineers across the globe endeavor to make this ambition a reality.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) issued a grade for America’s infrastructure. As of 2021, America’s infrastructure has been assigned an overall grade of C minus, with schools, transit systems, waste disposal, and public parks receiving a grade of D. These issues are ones that are found worldwide in urban settings, and with a recent, rapid increase in urbanization, these problems will only worsen without adequate solutions (ASCE, 2021).

University of Illinois researchers discovered that outdoor greenery resulted in a stronger sense of community amongst neighbors, along with lower stress levels, and reduced crime rates. However, many current public spaces appear to be having the opposite result (City Parks Forum Briefing Papers, 2003). The Project for Public Spaces (PPS), a non-profit organization dedicated to building stronger communities through improved planning, describes ways that engineers can design parks to discourage crime and increase the utilization of public spaces through a simple change in layout. This can be done by, among other things, proper selection of location to increase visibility and optimized light placement. While many of these may seem like minor changes, they can have a significant impact on one’s decision on whether to make use of public spaces (PPS, 2008).

The key components of optimal construction technologies are: increased affordability, energy efficiency, and structural integrity. Dr. Michael P. Johnson, Professor and Chair in the Department of Public Policy and Public Affairs at The University of Massachusetts, Boston, describes engineers' usage of computer simulation methods to compare predictive energy savings from new designs to actual results. Engineers optimize space usage through the use of architectural techniques to maximize solar exposure as well as implementing compact floor plans. Application of these strategies to a specially-designed house resulted in a 46% decrease in energy usage compared to the U.S. average (Johnson, n.d.).

Increased energy efficiency can be achieved in public parking spaces, as well. Alicia Asin and David Gascón are co-founders of Libelium, a company that uses radar technology to detect open parking spaces with 99% accuracy through nodes installed underground. By reducing the average time searching for a parking spot, carbon emissions decrease, urban mobility (one aspect of which is the efficient movement of people from one location to another) increases, and traffic volumes are reduced. Elsewhere in Ontario, Canada, engineers also looking to increase urban mobility, created Starfinder, a program used to manage public transportation and create real-time locations to increase transit efficiency (Engineering for Change, 2020).

However, every solution to a current problem introduces a potential set of new problems that need to be addressed. Fifty percent of the world’s population live in cities and that number is drastically increasing, with these cities accounting for 75% of the planet's carbon footprint. To combat this, engineers are working to find renewable and sustainable resources. The City of Hillsboro, Oregon, recently implemented “In-PRV,'' a new technology that produces carbon-free energy through excess water pressure in pipes. Eric Hielema, P.E., an engineer manager who worked on the project describes this pressure as potential energy. As this energy builds in the pipes, it is typically released before the water continues to homes and businesses. However, the In-PRV converts this pressure to electricity. Not only does this provide carbon-free energy, but it also has the potential to lower the cost of water systems as it is self-sustainable (Cardno, 2021).

Rapid urbanization continues to challenge the quality of life in cities, even more so due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Civil engineers are dedicated to the task of improving living conditions and securing affordable, sustainable, and efficient quality living spaces for the benefit of generations to come.

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