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Today 54% of the worlds population lives in a city and that is continuing to rise. We urgently need to learn more about our cities and the natural environment so we can plan them better to improve our standards of living and make them more resilient to natural disasters and avoid man made disasters. Newcastle is at the forefront of "Smart City" research, improving traffic flow, understanding how cities impact on our health and the environment. Join us for 2 exciting talks discussing how scientists are discovering more about the urban environment and how it will make a difference to society.
Smart Cities? Lessons from the frontline of urban monitoring
Phil James
(Senior lecturer in GIS, runs the Urban Observatory at Newcastle University)
Using data from the Urban Observatory I will explain how the city operates over time and sectors and how this can provide evidence for change.
Earthquakes: How do we make buildings better?
Dr Sean Wilkinson
(Reader in Structural Engineering)
Earthquakes can happen any time, almost any place (including the UK) and although they generally last less than a minute their aftershocks can last months and the disruptions to our societies; years. An earthquake in a field may not be much of a worry - as long as you don't hurt yourself falling over! However, when structures, buildings, roads etc. are involved, earthquakes can cause collapses, fire, landslides and tsunamis that can cost billions of dollars as well as tens of thousands of human casualties and deaths.
How do we minimise this loss of life and damage that Earthquakes cause?
How do we minimise this loss of life and damage that Earthquakes cause?
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