Urban Futures

This initiative investigates advances in the sciences, engineering, business, architecture, design, and law to ensure smart, equitable, sustainable, and healthy cities. Topics include hard and soft infrastructure; digital technologies; transportation systems; clean, sustainable, and secure energy storage and distribution; climate change resilience; efficient and reliable water systems; landscapes and ecology; urban agriculture; financial systems; and security. The complexity of these issues requires multidisciplinary efforts that address the human factors, social issues, and public policy and management, with the goal of achieving positive social impacts.

Featured Urban Futures Research

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A research team that includes Stuart School of Business and Institute of Design Associate Professor Weslynne Ashton recently published a paper that highlighted an assessment that the team developed to quantify the contribution of different types of capital in the sustainability of a system, which will inform decision-making by a variety of entities.

Cordless Charging

Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Lin Cai is exploring environmentally friendly ways to recharge small electronics that would eliminate the need for the traditional charging pad.  

A student points to a location on a map of the U.S.

“We can make the future power grid more stable and more sustainable by operating power electronic converters, which interface renewables, storage systems, and flexible loads with the grid as virtual synchronous machines."

Gongkang Fu Wins Alfredo Ang Award

Bridge expert Gongkang Fu, who has contributed to research on the structural analysis, design, and infrastructure management of spans across the globe, has won the 2020 Alfredo Ang Award on Risk Analysis and Management of Civil Infrastructure.