Bridging the gaps across sustainable urban spaces

在全球气候变化的背景下，规划、设计和管理可持续城市是21世纪面临的一些最大挑战。这些问题的大小和规模范围从分析非线性、复杂的城市系统和现象（如当地气候系统、分布式能源和水系统以及人类流动性）到开发和应用新系统和过程建模工具（以加强可持续城市基础设施的设计和管理）。因此，需要一个多学科的方法。伦敦大学学院的研究人员在工程和城市规划领域设计应对城市可持续性和气候变化挑战的新方法方面处于世界领先地位。然而，许多可能对这一研究工作做出重大贡献的不同研究学科（如数学和计算机科学）目前并没有关注甚至没有参与这一研究领域。我们建议建立可持续城市空间计划，通过使用新的方法将规划和设计专业知识与物理、数学和计算机科学结合起来，解决这些缺点。该方案将建立长期关系，以解决城市可持续性的紧迫问题。该方案有三个主要目标。首先，它将开发方法来克服不同学科话语之间误解的普遍障碍，这导致研究人员跨越目的而不是寻求解决方案。将采用各种方法，包括开放空间活动、交流项目（人员和设备）、研究学生奖学金和共享的硕士课程。其次，它将促进时间和机会的研究人员见面，探索新的想法和发展联系。方法包括系列研讨会、开放日、一对一访问和启动活动。最后，物理错位的障碍（分散在伦敦市中心的独立部门）将通过使用在线协作工具来克服。该方案将由一名方案管理员（负责方案支出、活动和产出的全面协调、监测和评价）和一名方案干事（作为方案的主要知识中间人、方案网络的中心联络点和行政支助）管理。该方案将在方案委员会的指导下进行，其活动将集中在三个主要组：网络活动（为研究人员创造机会彼此见面并建立可能导致未来合作的新关系），员工和学生活动（促进对其他部门研究的学习，相互挑战并发展建立持续合作所必需的关系）和项目活动（将想法和伙伴关系转化为成功的研究项目）。

Planning, designing and managing sustainable cities in the context of global climate change pose some of the greatest challenges for the 21st century. The size and the scale of these problems range from the analysis of non-linear, complex urban systems and phenomena (such as local climate systems, distributed energy and water systems, and human mobility) to the development and application of new systems and process modelling tools (to enhance design and management of sustainable urban infrastructure). Therefore, a multi-disciplinary approach is required. UCL researchers are world leaders in devising novel responses to the challenge of urban sustainability and climate change in the fields of engineering and urban planning. However, many disparate research disciplines which might make a significant contribution to this research effort (such as mathematics and computer science) are not currently focused on or even engaged in this research area.We propose to establish the Sustainable Urban Spaces Programme which will address these shortcomings by using new ways to bring together planning and design expertise together with physical, mathematical and computer science. The Programme will establish long-term relationships to address pressing issues of urban sustainability.The Programme has three primary objectives. First, it will develop methods to overcome the universal barriers of misunderstanding between different disciplinary discourses, which leads to researchers talking across purposes rather than towards solutions. A variety of approaches will be used including open space events, exchange programs (staff and equipment), research student fellowships and shared MSc programs. Second, it will promote the time and opportunity for researchers to meet and explore new ideas and develop connections. Approaches include seminar series, open days, one-on-one visits, and launch events. Finally, the barriers of physical dislocation (separate departments dispersed throughout the centre of London) will be overcome through the use of online collaboration tools.The Programme will be managed by a Programme Manager (responsible for the overall co-ordination, monitoring and evaluation of the programme spending, activities and outputs) and a Programme Officer (who acts as the primary knowledge broker for the programme, the central contact point for the programme networks and administrative support). The Programme with be under the advice of the Programme Board and its activities will be focussed in three main clusters: networking activities (creating opportunities for researchers to meet one another and establish new relationships which may lead to future collaboration), staff and student activities (to promote learning about research in other departments and to challenge one another and to develop the relationships necessary for establishing ongoing work together) and project activities (transforming ideas and partnerships into successful research projects).