Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
STEM
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
STEM

Engineering Cities to Survive Extreme Weather

Wednesday, October 7, 2015, By News Staff
Share
College of Engineering and Computer Scienceresearch

Extreme weather events can cripple crucial infrastructure that enables transit, electricity, water and other services in urban areas. This leaves cities and their inhabitants cut off and in danger. With weather extremes becoming more common—from devastating hurricanes and flooding to record drought and heat waves—it will be increasingly important to develop urban infrastructure that is more resilient, sustainable and equitable.

A flooded city

A flooded city

That is the idea behind a new Urban Resilience to Extreme Weather-Related Events Sustainability Research Network (UREx SRN), recently funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). College of Engineering and Computer Science Associate Professor David Chandler,  who teaches in the civil and environmental engineering department, has joined a team of 50 researchers from 15 institutions in nine cities spanning North and South America. The NSF awarded the network $12 million over five years through its Sustainability Research Networks program, which focuses on urban sustainability.

“The goal is to analyze information pertinent to sustainability and impacts of extreme climate events—mostly extreme precipitation or extreme heat. Syracuse will focus primarily on the issue of flooding and we will be teaming up with Valdivia, Chile, as they have many of the same challenges related to rain and snow.”

The team will be working with Esri, an extremely detailed geographic information system tool, to develop 3D, interactive models for all of the cities in the project.

When streets flood with disease carriers and waste, it isn’t just unhealthy—it’s dangerous. Aging infrastructure and flooding issues tend to be more of an issue in low-income neighborhoods, meaning that this project needs to assess more than just the physical infrastructure of these cities.

The team will evaluate the social, ecological and technical systems data related to infrastructure. This includes recognizing the values of all stakeholders, from city decision makers to the people who will use and be affected by infrastructure, understanding the natural environment in which infrastructure operates and evaluating available infrastructure technology. The result will be a suite of tools supporting the assessment and implementation of urban infrastructure that is resilient, “safe-to-fail” and tailored to a particular city.

In addition to Syracuse University’s team, the UREx SRN includes teams based in Phoenix; Baltimore; Miami; New York; Portland; Hermosillo, Mexico; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Valdivia, Chile.

 

  • Author

News Staff

  • Recent
  • Important Information Regarding Proof of Eligibility for and Access to the COVID Vaccine
    Saturday, January 16, 2021, By News Staff
  • COVID-19 Update: Vaccination | Testing | Important Reminders | Zoom Sessions
    Friday, January 15, 2021, By News Staff
  • Important Update: Spring 2021 Pre-Arrival Testing Requirements (Students from New York State and contiguous states)
    Thursday, January 14, 2021, By News Staff
  • Important Update: Spring 2021 Pre-Arrival Testing and Quarantine Requirements (Students from all states non-contiguous to New York State and international locations)
    Thursday, January 14, 2021, By News Staff
  • Students and Families Invited to Participate in Zoom Sessions to Discuss Return to Campus Planning
    Thursday, January 14, 2021, By News Staff

More In STEM

The Role of Digital Forensics and Tracking Down US Capitol Riot Criminals

With just under a week left before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony, investigators and law enforcement agencies across the country are working speedily to identify as many of the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot offenders as they can. Knowing exactly…

A&S Researchers Awarded $2.1M Grant to Study Causes of Congenital Heart Defects

Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect, affecting nearly 1 percent of births in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors have been unable to lower that number…

$1.5 Million NIH Grant Funds ALS-Linked Research

The human body is made up of trillions of cells. Within each cell are proteins which help to maintain the structure, function and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs. When cells are under stress, as in response to heat…

Professor Shikha Nangia Selected as Associate Editor for ACS Applied Bio Materials Journal

Biomedical and chemical engineering Professor Shikha Nangia was selected as the associate editor for the ACS Applied Bio Materials journal. ACS Applied Bio Materials is an interdisciplinary journal publishing original research covering all aspects of biomaterials and biointerfaces including and beyond…

It’s Getting Hot In Here: Warming World Will Fry Power Plant Production in Coming Years

There’s no doubt the Earth’s temperatures are going up. According to a December report by the World Meteorological Organization, 2020 is on track to be one of the three hottest years on record, already within the warmest decade to date….

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2021 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.