S&CC-IRG Track 1: Connecting the Smart-City Paradigm with a Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Systems Framework to Advance Equity in Communities

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This project will investigate a smart urban infrastructure systems framework for advancing access and wellbeing in cities. With transformative new infrastructures (e.g., smart electricity grid, urban farms) on the horizon, this research will provide new perspectives on how the future spatial deployment of these new infrastructures in cities will shape wellbeing, health, and the environmental sustainability of outcomes in the different areas of cities. The project advances basic research in multiple disciplines including environmental and civil engineering, computer science, urban planning and public policy. It will create a unique public database, establish citizen science protocols, and advance the science of smart sustainable urban systems through knowledge co-production with cities engaged in infrastructure planning. The project will engage in educational activities through interdisciplinary training for graduate students and professionals in urban planning, policy and sustainability. Furthermore, a strong component of citizen science engagement is involved through K-12 teachers and students, particularly in schools with underrepresented populations.Environmental sustainability, human health and wellbeing outcomes in cities are significantly shaped by key physical infrastructure provisions of water, energy, food, shelter, transportation-communications, sanitation waste management and public spaces, as well as their interactions with the social, environmental and urban form parameters. The investigators will conduct an interdisciplinary, community-engaged research project in the cities of Minneapolis, St Paul, and Tallahassee. The research will engage four themes: (a) Develop the first comprehensive fine-scale intra-urban database of over 100 social-ecological-health and well-being parameters via novel citizen science/crowdsourcing campaigns using low cost sensors; (b) Develop advanced computational algorithms to uncover hotspots and spatial correlations in the data and evaluate data-driven as well as discipline-inspired access and wellbeing hypotheses; (c) Using outcomes from (a) and (b) develop connected multi-infrastructure futures scenario models with new infrastructures through shared scenario visioning exercises, and evaluate policy learning and value of information; (d) Focus on education and workforce development for middle-high schoolers, graduate students and sustainability professionals. Outcomes from this research will be useful for informing citizens and policymakers about smart infrastructure transition being planned in cities.