"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Engineering
How Infill Development Can Build Climate Resilience
03/02/20
“How can infill development lead to increased climate resilience?”
Infill development is a wonderful solution to densify the urban core without (at least directly) causing any displacement. This increased density also has the added effect of protecting from sprawl and branching out into unsafe zones that could be subject to wildfires and floods. This is How Infill Development Can Build Climate Resilience.
Infill Development
03/01/20
“How can we build in an urban area that’s already in use?”
The global housing crisis is one of the largest social and infrastructure problems right now. One course of action that holds great promise is to convert a space in an urban area that’s currently not in use or underutilized (such as a decaying factory) into something new using Infill Development. Infill development not only holds the potential to increase the amount of housing and infrastructure available in a city but also combat sprawl by allowing for cities to not have to spread out to accommodate for new development.
Image credit http://www.prologis.com
Why Natural Disasters Are Not Natural
02/29/20
“Why are natural disasters never really natural?”
When a massive hurricane, flood, or wildfire hits an area, it often gets described as a natural disaster. However, the factors that make these disasters such as economic devastation, infrastructure loss, and community displacement, are not from natural factors. Rather, these are from the results of years, decades, and in some cases centuries of bad planning, corrupt leadership, and systematic discrimination.
Take New Orleans during Katrina as an example. While the city was built in an area that was safe from flooding, it was surrounded by floodplain wetlands. When it expanded under U.S control, the Army Corp of Engineers made sure to build levees to protect it. In the 20th century, the government built a wide variety of levees and dams to protect coastal cities, which ended up devastating the sediment carrying process and destroying many natural flood barriers. This was further compounded by the U.S Army Corp of Engineers miscalculating sea-level rise and rate of subsidence for the new levee which caused it to sink 5 ft further into the ground. Combine this with the fact that more vulnerable populations were placed closer to harm’s way and the impact of global warming gon making hurricanes stronger, and you get a very unnatural Hurricane Katrina Disaster. This is just one illustration of Why Natural Disasters Are Not Natural.
Why Weather Forecasting Will Become More Important for Society With the Advent of Climate Change
02/28/20
“Why will weather prediction become critical for future climate resilience?”
Climate change is going to make extreme weather events much more common. And since disasters can occur with a short-term notification, the ability to forecast and respond quickly can make a humungous difference. For example, people learning about an upcoming heavy rainfall can plan ahead and give themselves the proper protection, or if emergency responders can monitor how dry and windy weather conditions will be then they can prepare for a potential wildfire. These are just two of the many reasons Why Weather Forecasting Will Become More Important for Society With the Advent of Climate Change.
Wildfire Resilience Retrofit
02/27/20
“How can we make older houses more resilient to wildfires?”
Housing built to newer standards tends to be more resilient against wildfires than older models. However, these older homes can upgrade their capacity through a retrofit, which could range from replacing building material to upgrading air filtration systems. This is why Wildfire Resilience Retrofits are so important.
Image credit http://www.buildinggreen.com
Why Is Bronze Harder Than Stone?
02/24/20
“Why is bronze stronger than stone?”
The transition from stone to bronze marked humanity’s transition from the caves to civilization. This was brought by the ability to use this stronger material allowed for the creation of more complex machinery and structure. But what makes bronze stronger than stone? Well, it all comes down to the fact that it has a more compact molecular structure, giving it more strength! This is Why Bronze Is Harder Than Stone.
How Urban Sprawl Can Lead to Flooding Vulnerabilities
02/23/20
“How can urban sprawl lead to flooding vulnerabilities?”
Urban sprawl is infamous for causing an untold amount of problems in cities. When cement is poured over floodplains, the local area loses its water absorption capacity and becomes more prone to runoffs and flash floods. An example of this was the massive damage inflicted upon the city of Houston in late 2017 from Hurricane Maria, much of it exacerbated from its urban sprawl. This is How Urban Sprawl Can Lead to Flooding Vulnerabilities.
Sea-Level Rise and Urban Planning
02/22/20
“Why does sea-level rise need to be included in urban planning?”
Sea-level rise from climate change is becoming an increasing concern for urban planners and officials. Because of this, all new urban designs must factor in how their plans will adapt to sea-level rise, whether it be using seawalls or sponge cities. This is how Sea-Level Rise and Urban Planning are connected.
Image credit http://www.wlrn.org
Fire-Resilient Communities
02/20/20
“How can we build communities resilient to wildfires?”
Climate change is causing wildfires to become more frequent and deadly. However, communities in the Wildland-Urban Interface and build and grow to adapt to this, whether it be creating defensible spaces, using strict fire-hardening building codes, and having well-defined evacuation routes. All of these can combine to create Fire-Resilient Communities.
Image credit http://www.fs.usda.gov
