Studio project by Kevin Nagle, Spring 2014
Postindustrial cities face a number of economic, social, and ecological challenges. My work explores opportunities within these challenges to create smaller but better cities. Much of our conception of how to work with cities rests on their growth and land development. This contradicts the conditions of shrinking cities, but it also contradicts sustainability. In this way, postindustrial cities are a preview of conditions to come elsewhere, as pressures to define a new way of working in cities become greater. How do we redefine what it means to shape urban space, policies, or systems in a way that uses these conditions to improve quality of life and ecological function?
Neighborhood Microgrids: Replicability and Revitalization
Postindustrial cities share with other areas the challenge of the transformation to a post-carbon age. This includes the incorporation of clean energy and the dismantling/vacating of fossil-fuel infrastructure, profound impacts on the physical landscape and public acceptance at many scales. During 2015-2016, I led a study of opportunities for replicability of neighborhood microgrids (power systems) across New York state, and the potential for such microgrids to support economic revitalization efforts.
"Neighborhood Microgrids: Replicability and Revitalization" was sponsored by Syracuse Center of Excellence as a separate but related investigation to the NY Prize award assessing the feasibility of a community microgrid for Syracuse's Near Westside. The report below presents the findings of this study, including a process for identifying likely neighborhoods for replication of a model neighborhood's microgrid for revitalization, and results of this process as applied to the Near Westside. A brief executive summary precedes the full report; please click on the button to view both summary and report. A series of related articles for professional audiences is forthcoming.
"Neighborhood Microgrids: Replicability and Revitalization" was sponsored by Syracuse Center of Excellence as a separate but related investigation to the NY Prize award assessing the feasibility of a community microgrid for Syracuse's Near Westside. The report below presents the findings of this study, including a process for identifying likely neighborhoods for replication of a model neighborhood's microgrid for revitalization, and results of this process as applied to the Near Westside. A brief executive summary precedes the full report; please click on the button to view both summary and report. A series of related articles for professional audiences is forthcoming.
Related courses
studio | next: Building the Post-Carbon City
2.0: Spring '16 (Syracuse University School of Architecture) 1.0: Spring '14 (SUNY ESF, Syracuse)
Advanced design studios for architecture and landscape architecture students, tackling the emerging challenges of heat|neglect|data with innovative designs for the postindustrial city. Projects focus on clean energy, vacant land, material reuse, and aging infrastructure.
Click on the image for more information.
2.0: Spring '16 (Syracuse University School of Architecture) 1.0: Spring '14 (SUNY ESF, Syracuse)
Advanced design studios for architecture and landscape architecture students, tackling the emerging challenges of heat|neglect|data with innovative designs for the postindustrial city. Projects focus on clean energy, vacant land, material reuse, and aging infrastructure.
Click on the image for more information.