Summary: This is a rapid-fire, high-level exploration of how to model socio-economic-environmental interventions that could enable low-carbon, entrepreneurial cities using the MIT-Kendall Square district as the case study. We will focus on two questions:
- What would be required for MIT-Kendall Square to achieve zero-carbon in 20 years?
- Can social performance be simultaneously increased to create a model entrepreneurship community?
Motivation: With cities generating more than 70% of current global CO2 emissions, and with 90% of future population growth occurring in urban areas, it is a societal imperative that cities rapidly transition to a low-carbon future. In addition, a rapid transition to a hybrid form of work that emphasizes entrepreneurship will impact how we conceive of central business districts, office buildings, housing, public spaces, and services.
Urban Interventions: Student teams will select one of the following systems for mid-term and final projects:
- Live-work symmetry. Ideally, available jobs in a district would be matched to appropriate and affordable housing. What are the optimal configuration and mix of places of living and work to create high-performance, livable, entrepreneurial urban communities and how can this be achieved?
- Local amenities access. Few U.S. communities provide the assets required for daily living in close proximity to where people live (shopping, schools, culture, healthcare, daycare, recreation, etc.). How can amenity proximity be measured and how can local access be achieved by government policy and/or market forces?
- Local food production. Significant CO2 emissions are from food-related supply chains and meat-based diets. What food products can be produced near the point of consumption and how might new developments in industrial-scale hydroponic/aeroponic food production, cultured meats, and other innovations dramatically lower CO2 emissions?
- Community mobility. A large percentage of urban CO2 emissions is from commuting. Market forces and current approaches to public policy do not typically lead to diverse and affordable housing near places of employment. If live-work symmetry and local amenity access are achieved for net-zero commuting, how can we re-imagine local mobility networks and vehicles?
- Fusion-ready cities. Power to the grid in MA is almost 80% fossil fuel. What innovations in distributed high-density power could result in zero-carbon power to the district (micro-nuclear, small nuclear reactors, fusion) - and how can this be achieved?
- Compact-high-performance-transformable housing. How high-performance buildings can reduce CO2 emissions with new models for housing?
Experience: Students will gain hands-on experience with the collection and analysis of data, basic python scripts, and simulation tools. Students will have an opportunity to evaluate the potential of a range of current and emerging urban interventions.
Enrollment: This class seeks highly motivated students with a background in data analytics, engineering, architecture, urban planning, public policy, business, and entrepreneurship. Programming experience is useful but not required (small-team assignments may pair, for example, a designer with a programmer).
Final Project: Students will select a backend module to develop that could later be integrated into an urban simulation tool, and write a research paper for a conference. See references to CityScope:
Repeatable for credit with permission of instructor.
Prerequisites
permission of instructor
Can Be Repeated for Credit
Yes
