Why Engineering Cities?

It is expected that within the next several years more than half of the world's population will be living in urban centers for the first time in human history. Driven by new economic opportunities, changing demographics, migration and immigration, cities worldwide are gaining over one million new inhabitants each week. Particularly striking is the emergence of "megacities," that is, cities with populations in excess of 10 million people. In 1950, only one such megacity existed (New York City). It is projected that by 2015 over twenty megacities will exist worldwide, including New York and Los Angeles, whose populations are expected to grow to 18 million and 15 million, respectively. While much of the world's urban growth is taking place in developing nations, the Unites States is by no means immune to increasing urbanization. After decades of decline, cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, and Memphis are seeing population gains, and many newer cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are growing at a record pace. It is apparent that in the 21st century the world will be more urban than at any other time in history.

The growth of cities offers many benefits for society, including increased access to economic opportunities and efficient delivery of government services to large populations. However, the rates of growth currently taking place pose an array of unique challenges to those who engineer the urban environment. Key among these challenges is developing and renewing the urban infrastructure, promoting sustainable growth and ensuring environmental quality, and protecting populations from natural and anthropogenic hazards. Engineers, working in diverse, multidisciplinary teams, will play a vital role in addressing these challenges in the coming decades. Serving as what former NSF director Joseph Bordogna termed "mas-ter integrators," (i.e., broadly trained, well educated engineers dealing with integrated, complex civil infra-structure systems), these individuals will serve a crucial function in ensuring the quality of the urban envi-ronment, and in consequence, the quality of life for urban dwellers.

Recognizing the need for qualified engineers who can address the unique challenges of urban growth, we are sponsoring a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site built around the theme of "Engineering Cities." The site will focus on research and education in five overlapping areas of ongoing study at Drexel University:

• Analysis and Mitigation of Natural and Anthropogenic Hazards
• Environmental Quality and Sustainability
• Civil Infrastructure Assessment
• Risk Analysis and Management
• Application of Advanced Technologies for Urban Engineering

The multidisciplinary REU site is being led by the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, and includes participation of faculty from Mechanical Engineering and Electrical En-gineering Departments, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Lebow College of Business. In addition to providing a meaningful research experience, the site will include a variety of enrichment and professional development activities that will allow students to better appreciate the inherent complexities of urban engineering and to explore the broader social and political implications of their work.