Drexel University Launches Engineering Cities Initiative
Drexel’s Office of Research has established the Drexel Engineering Cities Initiative - a major multi-disciplinary research initiative that will view the engineering of city infrastructures, the design of infrastructure policy, and the creation of environmentally sustainable, resilient and humane urban habitats through Drexel’s use-inspired research lens.

Drexel Engineering Cities Initiative (DECI) combines the talent and research interests of faculty from each college and school in the university to create innovative solutions to building and managing urban areas that are safe, resilient, environmentally sustainable, and aesthetically valuable. The initiative coordinates high impact, problem-driven research activities among faculty from across the university whose interests touch on urban systems. DECI Director and Head of the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Charles Haas notes, “we anticipate that the research outcomes and training provided as part of this initiative will forever change the way cities are understood, planned, engineered, governed and managed.  Drexel is uniquely positions to approach this problem from technical, policy and aesthetic dimensions.”

DECI has already established several broadly defined research task groups that will tackle issues in urban agriculture, urban systems management, sustainability and green design, disaster and emergency preparedness, public health and health systems, and urban systems modeling. The initiative will take a particular interest in the impact of climate change on urban systems, and will explore the notion of a “smart neighborhood” as a component in a sustainable, resilient city, while partnerships with regional governmental agencies and NGOs will engage important urban stakeholders into DECI’s research efforts.

For further information, contact Jennifer Britton, Program Manager, at 215 895 2552 or jenbritton@drexel.edu.