International Workshop on Delivering Sustainable Infrastructure; Auckland, New Zealand; December 15-17, 2008

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Sustainable infrastructure systems require a greater understanding of the complexity of those systems, including their dependence on environmental systems and services; their interdependence on other infrastructure systems, and on social, technical and economic systems; their dynamic behavior over time and space; and the need for the services they provide. This workshop will bring together a diverse blend of researchers to explore and form research initiatives within the theme of Delivering Sustainable Infrastructure for the Built Environment. It is scheduled for Dec. 15-17, 2008, following the Third International Conference on Sustainability Engineering and Science (Dec 9-12). The workshop objectives are to: 1) identify priorities and an action plan for research into Sustainable Infrastructure related to the urban built environment; and, 2) identify and prioritize collaborative research projects, including establishing research teams, identifying funding opportunities and outlining research objectives. The workshop outcomes will be: 1) an agenda for establishing a funding initiative and/or program to support research into sustainable infrastructure that serves the urban built environment; and 2) development of 3?]5 clearly outlined international collaborative research projects, including establishing research teams, identifying funding opportunities and outlining the research objectives. The 3 US workshop organizers are committed to recruiting 7 additional US researchers and 3 doctoral students for a group of 13 US participants that will be diverse in terms of discipline, area of expertise, gender, race, and career length. Also attending are 25?]30 additional international researchers and 7?]12 international doctoral students. These individuals will come from four countries (UK, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia) and their participation will be supported by their home governments. This workshop will provide fundamentals for the study and application of the science and engineering of sustainability and may affect the planning and management of future urban infrastructure that serves the built environment. The development of priorities for research and of specific interdisciplinary research projects will assist in directing resources into topics which are considered crucial in developing this field, both academically and professionally. The results will promote a better understanding of the role of various disciplines in developing socio?]technical systems and will enable a greater understanding of the risks inherent in the large, multiple?]scale, complex dynamic systems which comprise socio?]technical systems. Specifically, it should assist in developing better responses to climate change, increased urbanization, increasing use of resources, and implications of shortages of resources and management of aging urban infrastructure. The research projects resulting from the workshop that have a focus on globalization and sustainability should attract (and train) a more diverse, globally integrated, and competitive science and engineering workforce. International research collaboration will lead to innovation in course and curriculum development.