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.
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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)
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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).
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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)
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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.