Technology & Design Innovations |
RESEARCH OVERVIEW
Disruptive technologies can positively affect environment, health, wellbeing, and livability outcomes, but often only when supported by appropriate policy instruments. Similarly, innovative design can advance sustainability outcomes in urban areas, but it requires the successful coupling of social and infrastructure solutions integrated across home-, neighborhood- & city-regional scales.
The network’s research activities on technology and design innovation seek to understand how distributed infrastructures should be designed and implemented to maximize sustainability outcomes in a complex socio-technical world. Network researchers are designing integrated models of distributed infrastructure to tie user behaviors to the design of biophysical infrastructures across scales. These same integrated models can help us understand how disruptive infrastructure technologies (e.g., autonomous vehicles for personal travel) will affect sustainability outcomes.
The research seeks to yield design principles that can advance the science of designing coupled social-infrastructural solutions. Similarly, the research seeks to bolster capacity for technical innovation, business innovation, and environmental adaptation among infrastructure designers & operators.
OUR PRODUCTS
Advances and Challenges in Urban Green Infrastructure
- August 2019
- Journal Brief
- Author: Patricia Culligan
This brief reports findings from an article considering multiple years of green infrastructure (GI) work in New York City as a basis to review the role that GI systems can … Read more
Using Twitter to Measure Wellbeing in Parks and Urban Green Space
- August 2019
- Journal Brief
- Author: Richard Plunz et al.
This brief reports findings from a study offering an exploration of how social media, and in particular twitter, can be used to evaluate social behavior in public spaces. It tries … Read more
Renewable Energy Planning for Future with All-Electric Heating
- May 2019
- Podcast
In this 10-minute podcast from Minnesota Public Radio’s (MPR) Climate Cast, Anu Ramaswami, SHCN Director and professor at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, discusses the local … Read more
Do New Bike Share Stations Increase Member Use: A Quasi-Experimental Study
- March 2019
- Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Author: Jueyu Wang and Greg Lindsey
Wang, J. & G. Lindsey. (2019). Do New Bike Share Stations Increase Member Use: A Quasi-Experimental Study. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 121, 1-11. ABSTRACT: As the number … Read more
Future Energy Scenarios with Distributed Technology Options for Residential City Blocks in Three Climate Regions of the United States
- February 2019
- Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Author: Shengxi Yuan, Wendell Stainsby, Mo Li, Kewei Xu, Michael Waite, Dan Zimmerle, Richard Feiock, Anu Ramaswami, Vijay Modi
Yuan, S., Stainsby, W., Li, M., Xu, K., Waite, M., Zimmerle, D., Feiock, R., Ramaswami, A., & Modi, V. (2019). Future energy scenarios with distributed technology options for residential city blocks … Read more
Urban Tree Pit Design Factors for Stormwater Management Performance
- July 2018
- Journal Brief
- Author: Robert Elliott, Elizabeth Adkins, Patricia Culligan, Matthew Palmer
Street trees in the urban environment provide important ecosystem services including stormwater management, reducing pollutant discharges and flooding by lessening surface runoff. Does the design of an urban tree pit … Read more
Ecosystem Services in Life Cycle Assessment While Encouraging Techno‐Ecological Synergies
- March 2018
- Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Author: Multiple
Liu, X. & B.R. Bakshi. (2018). Ecosystem Services in Life Cycle Assessment while Encouraging Techno‐Ecological Synergies. Journal of Industrial Ecology. 23(2). ABSTRACT: Life cycle assessment (LCA) has enabled consideration of … Read more
Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Transitions in the ASEAN Region: A Resource Perspective (UN Environment and Sustainable Healthy Cities collaboration)
- February 2018
- Report
- Author: Multiple
The ASEAN nations are a hot spot for rapid urbanization over the next 30 years: Between 2015 and 2050, ASEAN cities are projected to add 205 million new urban residents … Read more
The Weight of Cities: Resource Requirements of Future Urbanization (International Resource Panel report with Sustainable Healthy Cities contributing authors)
- February 2018
- Report
- Author: Multiple
Over the next 30 years, an additional 2.4 billion people are likely to be added to the global urban population. This increase in population will result in a significant expansion … Read more
Stormwater Infiltration Capacity of Street Tree Pits: Quantifying the influence of different design and management strategies in New York City
- February 2018
- Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Author: Robert Elliott, Elizabeth Adkins, Patricia Culligan, Matthew Palmer
Elliott, R.M., Adkins, E.R., Culligan, P.L., & M.I. Palmer. (2018). “Stormwater infiltration capacity of street tree pits: Quantifying the influence of different design and management strategies in New York City.” … Read more
Public Funding for Energy Research and Development
- December 2017
- Podcast
- Author: Gabe Chan
Effective decision making to allocate public funds for energy technology research, development, and demonstration (R&D) requires considering alternative investment opportunities that can have large but highly uncertain returns and a … Read more
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