Infrastructure Ecology

People are moving from rural to urban landscapes at unprecedented rates. Cities are complex collections of infrastructure elements which, when they interact with each other, the local environment, and human social structures, exhibit the emergent properties of ecological systems. We contend that the best path toward urban sustainability lies within the understanding of urban infrastructure as an "Infrastructure Ecology." This new discipline will re-engineer urban infrastructures to maximize the production of comfort and wealth, while reducing the system-wide use of resources and generation of wastes, and increasing their sustainability and resilience to shocks.

Visit our related site dedicated to the topic of Gigatechnology - gigatechnology.org.

Spatial Variations and Periodic Changes in Heavy Metals in Surface Water and Sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Li Lin, Chao Li, Wenjun Yang, Liangyuan Zhao, Min Liu, Qingyun Li, John C. Crittenden, 2020, Chemosphere, 240, 124837, DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124837.
The Synergistic Mechanism of NOx and Chlorobenzene Degradation in Municipal Solid Waste Incinerators

Lina Gan, Yu Wang, Jianjun Chen, Tao Yan, Junhua Li, John C. Crittenden, Yue Peng, 2019, Catalysis Science & Technology, 9, 4286–4292, DOI: 10.1039/c9cy01157a.
Can Virtual Water Trade Save Water Resources?

Xi Liu, Huibin Du, Zengkai Zhang, John C.Crittenden, Michael L.Lahr, Juan Moreno-Cruz, Dabo Guan, Zhifu Mi, Jian Zuo, 2019, Water Research, 163, 114848, DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.07.015.
Research Development on Sustainable Urban Infrastructure From 1991 to 2017: A Bibliometric Analysis to Inform Future Innovations

Huibin Du, Diyi Liu, Zhongming Lu, John C. Crittenden, Guozhu Mao, Shuai Wang, Hongyang Zou, 2019, Earth’s Future, 7, DOI: 10.1029/2018EF001117.
Three- dimensional Electrode Interface Assembled from rGO Nanosheets and Carbon Nanotubes for Highly Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction

Jinming Luo, Liming Yang, Tong Li, Lixia Yang, Xubiao Luo, John C. Crittenden, 2019, Chemical Engineering Journal, 378, 122127, DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2019.122127.
Interactions between Nano/Micro Plastics and Suspended Sediment in Water: Implications on Aggregation and Settling

Yang Lia, Xinjie Wang, Wanyi Fu, Xinghui Xia, Changqing Liu, Jiacheng Min, Wen Zhang, John C. Crittenden, 2019, Water Research, 161, 486-495, DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.06.018.
Presentation - The Water-Energy Nexus: Technology and Policy

John C. Crittenden, Osvaldo A. Broesicke, Junchen Yan, presented at the 4th Annual IWA Summit on Urban Water, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, P.R. China, November 25-27, 2018. Download PDF (2.8 MB)
Life Cycle Assessment of Small-Scale Greywater Reclamation Systems Combined with Conventional Centralized Water Systems for the City of Atlanta, Georgia

Hyunju Jeong, Osvaldo A. Broesicke, Bob Drew, John C. Crittenden, 2018, Journal of Cleaner Production, 174, 333-342, DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.10.193.
Presentation - Summary of Sustainability Work of the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems

Junchen Yan, Thomas Igou, Osvaldo Broesicke, Yongsheng Chen, John C. Crittenden, presentation, August 9, 2018. Download PDF (2.6 MB)
Analyzing Spatio-temporal Changes and Trade-offs to Support the Supply of Multiple Ecosystem Services in Beijing, China

Xiao Sun, Zhongming Lu, Feng Li, John C. Crittenden, 2018, Ecological Indicators, 94, 117–129, DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.06.049.
Gigatechnology: Developing Sustainable Urban Infrastructure to Solve Gigaton Problems

John C. Crittenden, presented at the South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China, June 3, 2018. Download PDF (6.6 MB)
Market Potential for Smart Growth Neighbourhoods in the USA: A Latent Class Analysis on Heterogeneous Preference and Choice

Zhongming Lu, Frank Southworth, John C. Crittenden, Ellen Dunham-Jones, Urban Studies, 2014, 52 (16), 3001-3017, DOI: 10.1177/0042098014550956.
Towards Automating the Development of Federated Distributed Simulations for Modeling Sustainable Urban Infrastructures

Ajitesh Jain, Richard Fujimoto, John C. Crittenden, Mengmeng Liu, Jongchan Kim, Zhongming Lu, Proceedings of the 2015 IEEE Winter Simulation Conference, 2668-2679, Huntington Beach, CA, USA, December 6-9, 2015, DOI: 10.1109/WSC.2015.7408374.
Index of Network Resilience for Urban Water Distribution Systems

Arka Pandit, John C. Crittenden, 2016, International Journal of Critical Infrastructures, 12 (1-2), 120-142, DOI: 10.1504/IJCIS.2016.075865.
Application of Silica-Based Monolith as Solid-Phase Extraction Sorbent for Extracting Toxaphene Congeners in Soil

Xiaodong Ma, Mengying Zhao, Fengjun Zhao, Hongwen Guo, John C. Crittenden, Yanying Zhu, Yongsheng Chen, 2016, Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology, 80, 87–95, DOI: 10.1007/s10971-016-4054-8.
Fractal Dimensions of Metropolitan Area Road Networks and the Impacts on the Urban Built Environment

Zhongming Lu, Hong Zhang, Frank Southworth, John C. Crittenden, 2016, Ecological Indicators, 70, 285-296, DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.06.016.
Mass Balance-Based Regression Modeling of Cd and Zn Accumulation in Urban Soils of Beijing

Chi Peng, Meie Wang, Weiping Chen, Andrew C.Chang, John C.Crittenden, 2017, Journal of Environmental Sciences, 53, 99-106, DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2016.05.012.
Water Transfer Through Interprovincial Trade within China: From the Perspective of Value Chain

Xi Liu, Huibin Du, Zengkai Zhang, Guozhu Mao, John C. Crittenden, Juan Moreno-Cruz, Meeting the Energy Demands of Emerging Economies, 40th International Association for Energy Economics International Conference, Singapore, June 18-21, 2017.
An Integrated Framework for Managing the Complex Interdependence Between Infrastructures and the Socioeconomic Environment: An Application in Metropolitan Atlanta

Zhongming Lu, John C. Crittenden, Frank Southworth, Ellen Dunham-Jones, 2017, Urban Studies, 54 (12), 2874-2893, DOI: 10.1177/0042098016652555.
Infrastructure Ecology: An Evolving Paradigm of Sustainable Urban Development

Arka Pandit , Elizabeth A. Minné, Feng Li, Hillary Brown, Hyunju Jeong, Jean-Ann C. James, Joshua P. Newell, Marc Weissburg, Michael E. Chang, Ming Xu, Perry Yang, Rusong Wang, Valerie M. Thomas, Xuewei Yu, Zhongming Lu, John C. Crittenden, 2017, Journal of Cleaner Production, 163, S19-S27, DOI:10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.09.010.
Air Pollutant Emissions from Economic Sectors in China: A Linkage Analysis

Yuan Wang, Nan Lai, Guozhu Mao, Jian Zuo, John C. Crittenden, Yi Jin, Juan Moreno-Cruz, 2017, Ecological Indicators, 77, 250–260, DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.02.016.
Water, Air Emissions, and Cost Impacts of Air-Cooled Microturbines for Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power Systems: A Case Study in the Atlanta Region

Jean-Ann James, Valerie M. Thomas, Arka Pandit, Duo Li, John C. Crittenden, 2016, Engineering, 2, 470-480, DOI: 10.1016/J.ENG.2016.04.008.
Data-enabled Public Preferences Inform Integration of Autonomous Vehicles with Transit-Oriented Development in Atlanta

Zhongming Lu, Rundong Du, Ellen Dunham-Jones, Haesun Park, John C. Crittenden, 2017, Cities, 118–127, DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2017.01.004.
DNA Damage in Euonymus japonicas Leaf Cells Caused by Roadside Pollution in Beijing

Tianxin Li, Minjie Zhang, Ke Gu, Herman Uwizeyimana, John C. Crittenden, Zhongming Lu, 2016, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(7), 742, DOI: 10.3390/ijerph13070742.
Mass Balance-Based Regression Modeling of Cd and Zn Accumulation in Urban Soils of Beijing

Chi Peng, Meie Wang, Weiping Chen, Andrew C. Chang, John C. Crittenden, 2016, Journal of Environmental Sciences, DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2016.05.012.
Assessing the Potential for Growth and Innovation at the Nexus of Food, Energy, Water, and Transportation Systems

presented at the National Science Foundation Expert Workshop by Osvaldo A. Broesicke, John C. Crittenden, Michael Chang, organized by the BBISS, Arlington, VA, February 11, 2016. Download PDF (~3.4 MB)
Environmental Impacts of China’s Urbanization from 2000 to 2010 and Management Implications

Yu Tao, Feng Li, John C. Crittenden, Zhongming Lu, Xiao Sun, 2016, Environmental Management, 57 (2), 498-507, DOI: 10.1007/s00267-015-0614-x.
Regional energy rebound effect: The impact of economy-wide and sector level energy efficiency improvement in Georgia, USA

Xuewei Yu, Juan Moreno-Cruz, John C. Crittenden, 2015, Energy Policy 87, 250–259, DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2015.09.020.
Infrastructure Ecology: Developing the Gigatech Road Map for a More Sustainable and Resilient Future

Presented by John C. Crittenden at the University of Texas at El Paso, College of Engineering Distinguished Speaker Series, El Paso, Texas, USA, 10-14-2015. Download PDF (~6 MB)
A Survey of Soil Enzyme Activities along Major Roads in Beijing: The Implications for Traffic Corridor Green Space Management

Tianxin Li, Linglong Meng, Uwizeyimana Herman, Zhongming Lu, John Crittenden, 2015, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12, 12475-12488, DOI: 10.3390/ijerph121012475.
The Future of the Earth: The Need to Transform the Urban Infrastructure Systems

John C. Crittenden, presented at the first Shanghai International Urban Design Forum, Tongji University, Shanghai, China 6/4-6/2015. Download PDF (~6.4 MB)
Crittenden H2O Energy Nexus

BBISS Director, John Crittenden delivers a talk to the Georgia Tech Clean Energy Speakers Series on the Water/Energy Nexus. Video on YouTube.
The Future of Earth: The Need to Transform the Urban Infrastructure Systems and the Global Energy System

Crittenden, J.C., presented at the Fate of the Earth Symposium, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA, Apr. 2, 2015, Download PDF (~3.8 MB)
Grand Challenges for Energy Production in the 21st Century

presented at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2014 Annual Meeting, Pandit, A., Crittenden, J.C., Atlanta, GA, USA, Nov. 16-21, 2014. Download PDF (~4.2 MB)
Infrastructure Ecology: an Evolving Paradigm for Sustainable Urban Development

presented at World Engineers Summit 2013, Session Keynote: Environmental Engineering Education, Pandit, A., Bras, B., Minne, E.A., Dunham-Jones, E., Augenbroe, G., Jeong, H., James, J.-A.C., Newell, J.P., Weissburg, M., Brown, M.A., Chang, M.E., Xu, M., Begovic, M.M., Yang, P., Fujimoto, R.A., French, S.P., Thomas, V.M., Yu, X., Chen, Y., Lu, Z., Crittenden, J.C., Singapore, Sept. 9-15, 2013. Download PDF (~2 MB)
Water and Energy Savings, and Carbon Emission Reductions From Rain Water Harvesting, Combined Heat and Power, and Compact Residential Communities

presented at Green Prints 2013, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) Conference Center, Atlanta, Georgia, J. C. Crittenden, March 13, 2013. Download PDF (~6.5 MB)
Nexus of Energy, Water, and Land Use: A Blueprint for Sustainable Urban Systems

presented at the 12th National Conference on Science, Policy, and the Environment in Washington, D.C., J. C. Crittenden, 1/18-20/2012. Download PDF (~6.8 MB)
Water, Energy, Land Use, Transportation and Socioeconomic Nexus

delivered to the Third NSF EFRI-RESIN Workshop, November 17-18, 2011, Champaign, IL. Download PDF (~5.7 MB)
Some Technological Challenges for Sustainability

presented at the annual National Academy of Engineering Meeting, Beijing China, J. C. Crittenden, 6/12-13/2010. Download PDF (~3.5 MB)
Gigaton Problems Require Gigaton Solutions:

"Gigaton Problems Require Gigaton Solutions: Urban Systems and Technology Opportunities," delivered by John C. Crittenden, Download PDF (~7.4 MB).
Sustainable Infrastructure for Energy and Water Supply (SINEWS)

Sustainable Infrastructure for Energy and Water Supply (SINEWS), poster presented at the NSF EFRI grantees meeting, 3/16/10. Download PDF (~2.95 MB)
Messner Project Presentations

Many parrallels have been drawn between the current financial crisis and the Great Depression of the 1930's. We can also draw some lessons from how the U. S. federal government leveraged limited funds on large infrastructure projects to rebuild economic vitality. Encouraged by Mr. Michael Messner, Tech alum, partner of the Seminole Capital Partners and advisory board member of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, this project was conducted to explore how this might occur with the current and forthcoming rounds of federal stimulus funds.