INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS MIT-Harvard Mexico Negotiation Program Enhancing the tools and strategies available to government, private sector, and activists involved in water, energy, and environmental negotiations at the local, federal, and transboundary scales through in-depth negotiation teaching, research, and training programs. Place: Mexico Faculty: Bruno Verdini Partners: MIT Science Impact Collaborative & MITHarvard Public Disputes Program >> MIDDLE EAST
Industrial Urbanism: A New Model For Retrofitting Israeli Cities Aims to develop new urban models to integrate manufacturing into the built environment. Places: Israel Faculty: Eran Ben-Joseph Partners: Tel-Aviv University Optimizing Stormwater Infrastructure in Istanbul This project assess historical trends and projected changes in regional precipitation events in order to evaluate the future impacts of increased storm events on Istanbul’s existing drainage system and guide the design of more resilient infrastructure—including several large-scale stormwater wetlands. Faculty: Alan Berger, Jonah Susskind Partners: Bogazici University, Istanbul Municipality Designing Sustainable Neighborhood Typologies for Native Housing in Abu Dhabi This project used Emirati neighborhoods in Abu Dhabi, UAE as a case study to explore the potential for arid regions to reduce operational carbon emissions through technology adoption, better housing and landscape design, renewable energy transitions, and carbon sequestration from tree planting. Faculty: Alan Berger, Khaled Al Awadi Partners: Masdar Institute >> GLOBAL/MULTI-REGION
Displacement Research and Action Network A global network to build new theory and evidence on the increasing incidence of mass displacement around the world. Faculty: Rajagopal Balakrishnan Partners: ESCR-Net; United Nations Eminent Domains Examines the back-story and lasting legacy of iconic urban design interventions. Examples include, Haussmann’s Paris, the forced transition from Tenochtitlan to Mexico City, the invention of Shenzhen, China, and the”slum clearance” that led to Washington D.C.’s Federal Triangle, among other sites. Faculty: Larry Vale
High Speed Rail, Accessibility, and Agglomeration How does high speed rail impact urban and regional growth in terms of economic agglomeration, land cover change and policy growth? To what extent may capacity constraints influence the accessibility contribution by the high speed rail? This project aims to explore these questions using the high speed rail systems. Faculty: Jinhua Zhao Shrinking Cities Shrinking Cities research and studios explore the challenges of rebuilding once-thriving industrial cities characterized by abandonment, contamination, and decline. Faculty: Brent Ryan Trends and Cycles in Regional and City Growth Research project to explore factors of regional and economic growth. Faculty: Amy Glasmeier Partners: Cambridge University; Utrecht; and Queens, Canada Science Diplomacy Build methods and skills for PHD students engaged in STEM and social science fields to effectively translate scientific research into policy, political will, and action. Faculty: Larry Susskind, Paul Berkman, Maria Ivanova Partners: National Science Foundation; Tufts University, Harvard Law School Climate Change Adaptation in Megacities Analyzes how socio-economic values shape development and reception of planning responses to climate change in global megacities cities. Faculty: Janelle Knox-Hayes Subway Network and Urban Vibrancy program Explores comparatively the impact of rail transit investment on the amenity mix, real estate prices, and other urban vibrancy aspects of surrounding areas. It takes advantage of the higher availability of urban big data and open data platforms to dialogue with practitioners and real-world problems in a crosscontext perspective. Faculty: Siqi Zheng, Christopher Zegras Partners: Tsinghua University, Insper Urban Network Analysis Tools Developing spatial network analysis tools for modeling walkability and development impacts on pedestrian activity. Faculty: Andres Sevtsuk Partners: Various