%0 Book %A National Research Council %T Sustainable Critical Infrastructure Systems: A Framework for Meeting 21st Century Imperatives: Report of a Workshop %@ 978-0-309-13792-8 %D 2009 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12638/sustainable-critical-infrastructure-systems-a-framework-for-meeting-21st-century %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12638/sustainable-critical-infrastructure-systems-a-framework-for-meeting-21st-century %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Engineering and Technology %K Earth Sciences %P 82 %X For the people of the United States, the 20th century was one of unprecedented population growth, economic development, and improved quality of life. The critical infrastructure systems-water, wastewater, power, transportation, and telecommunications-built in the 20th century have become so much a part of modern life that they are taken for granted. By 2030, 60 million more Americans will expect these systems to deliver essential services. Large segments and components of the nation's critical infrastructure systems are now 50 to 100 years old, and their performance and condition are deteriorating. Improvements are clearly necessary. However, approaching infrastructure renewal by continuing to use the same processes, practices, technologies, and materials that were developed in the 20th century will likely yield the same results: increasing instances of service disruptions, higher operating and repair costs, and the possibility of catastrophic, cascading failures. If the nation is to meet some of the important challenges of the 21st century, a new paradigm for the renewal of critical infrastructure systems is needed. This book discusses the essential components of this new paradigm, and outlines a framework to ensure that ongoing activities, knowledge, and technologies can be aligned and leveraged to help meet multiple national objectives. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Pathways to Urban Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities for the United States %@ 978-0-309-44453-8 %D 2016 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23551/pathways-to-urban-sustainability-challenges-and-opportunities-for-the-united %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23551/pathways-to-urban-sustainability-challenges-and-opportunities-for-the-united %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 192 %X Cities have experienced an unprecedented rate of growth in the last decade. More than half the world’s population lives in urban areas, with the U.S. percentage at 80 percent. Cities have captured more than 80 percent of the globe’s economic activity and offered social mobility and economic prosperity to millions by clustering creative, innovative, and educated individuals and organizations. Clustering populations, however, can compound both positive and negative conditions, with many modern urban areas experiencing growing inequality, debility, and environmental degradation. The spread and continued growth of urban areas presents a number of concerns for a sustainable future, particularly if cities cannot adequately address the rise of poverty, hunger, resource consumption, and biodiversity loss in their borders. Intended as a comparative illustration of the types of urban sustainability pathways and subsequent lessons learned existing in urban areas, this study examines specific examples that cut across geographies and scales and that feature a range of urban sustainability challenges and opportunities for collaborative learning across metropolitan regions. It focuses on nine cities across the United States and Canada (Los Angeles, CA, New York City, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Pittsburgh, PA, Grand Rapids, MI, Flint, MI, Cedar Rapids, IA, Chattanooga, TN, and Vancouver, Canada), chosen to represent a variety of metropolitan regions, with consideration given to city size, proximity to coastal and other waterways, susceptibility to hazards, primary industry, and several other factors. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Underground Engineering for Sustainable Urban Development %@ 978-0-309-27824-9 %D 2013 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/14670/underground-engineering-for-sustainable-urban-development %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/14670/underground-engineering-for-sustainable-urban-development %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Engineering and Technology %P 246 %X For thousands of years, the underground has provided humans refuge, useful resources, physical support for surface structures, and a place for spiritual or artistic expression. More recently, many urban services have been placed underground. Over this time, humans have rarely considered how underground space can contribute to or be engineered to maximize its contribution to the sustainability of society. As human activities begin to change the planet and population struggle to maintain satisfactory standards of living, placing new infrastructure and related facilities underground may be the most successful way to encourage or support the redirection of urban development into sustainable patterns. Well maintained, resilient, and adequately performing underground infrastructure, therefore, becomes an essential part of sustainability, but much remains to be learned about improving the sustainability of underground infrastructure itself. At the request of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Research Council (NRC) conducted a study to consider sustainable underground development in the urban environment, to identify research needed to maximize opportunities for using underground space, and to enhance understanding among the public and technical communities of the role of underground engineering in urban sustainability. Underground Engineering for Sustainable Urban Development explains the findings of researchers and practitioners with expertise in geotechnical engineering, underground design and construction, trenchless technologies, risk assessment, visualization techniques for geotechnical applications, sustainable infrastructure development, life cycle assessment, infrastructure policy and planning, and fire prevention, safety and ventilation in the underground. This report is intended to inform a future research track and will be of interest to a broad audience including those in the private and public sectors engaged in urban and facility planning and design, underground construction, and safety and security. %0 Book %A Transportation Research Board %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %E Turnbull, Katherine %T Transportation Systems for Livable Communities %D 2012 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/22778/transportation-systems-for-livable-communities %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/22778/transportation-systems-for-livable-communities %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Transportation and Infrastructure %P 170 %X TRB’s Conference Proceedings on the Web 6: Transportation Systems for Livable Communities summarizes the results of an October 2010 conference that explored the challenges of incorporating livability into transportation programs and projects.The proceedings consist of presentation summaries from the opening sessions and panels, and summaries of key research needs and possible performance measures identified in the discussion groups.