Evolving city functions through optimisation of system behaviours: physical and environmental system interactions

Cities are continually evolving entities made up of both socio-technical and socio-economic structures that influence and govern city function and activity. The systems that support activity (such as energy and transport) are designed to provide effective and efficient service provision, but do so under many operational and design constraints. Demands on infrastructure change as a result of city and technology development, so creating a need for existing urban systems to be redeveloped or expanded. The intention of any such development would be to improve/maintain/expand service provision, but the physical, technical, environmental, and economic constraints dictate development before consideration of optimising system behaviour.

This project looks to understand how the constraints placed on system development and operation can influence functionality and ask questions such as:

(i) How do city systems evolve under different constraints and criteria for development?

(ii) What would be the implication of an optimal city system to the form and design of an urban environment?

The project will look to characterise urban systems that relate specifically to energy use and will visualise spatial system development for comparison with mapping of existing urban systems. External factors such as new technology development and environmental conditions will also be considered to understand the implication of such factors on system performance and development.