Date and Time
Cities have been the crucibles for experimentation for centuries. In response to the 1793 yellow fever outbreak, garbage removal and sanitation departments took hold in cities. The 1850's cholera outbreak helped spur the development of public health and urban planning. Now here we are in 2020, a year that has thrown so much in the way of our municipal leaders. In addition to a pandemic, the US has seen a movement for racial justice that parallels that of the 1960's. This seminar will discuss how 2020 has already begun to shape and accelerate trends in the built environment, from an increase in quality public spaces to shifts in mobility and automation to a need to rethink building design with health and a connection to nature at the forefront. This seminar will answer: which of the previously identified trends are cities turning to meet the confluence of crises and how can engineers play a role in this conversation?