Issue 30 Research Horizons

Pioneering research from the University of Cambridge

Research

Horizons

Issue 30

Spotlight

Future of cities

Feature Rejuvenating organs for transplant

Feature

Linguistic time travelling

www.cam.ac.uk/research

Contents

4 – 5 Research news

6 – 9 Earth,windandflyer:themovesofDiscoTonyandfriends 10 – 11 Behindthe“honeypot”headlines 12 – 13 Flushedwithsuccess 14 – 15 Fingerprintingrareearthelementsfromtheair 16 – 17 House 18 – 19 Timetravellingtothemothertongue

20 – 21 UncoveringtheafterlifeofancientEgypt

22 – 23 Theriseandfallandriseofcities 24 – 25 Wouldyouliveinacitymadeofbone? 26 – 27 Waterworld 28 – 29 HappyMondays(andeveryday) 30 – 31 Howdoesyoursmartcitygrow? 32 – 35 Livingontheedge

News

Features

Things

Spotlight: Future of cities

2 ContentsIssue30,June2016

Welcometothe30thissueofResearch Horizons, in which we focusonthefutureofcities,atopicofincreasinginterestacrosstheUniversity. Today,overhalftheworld’spopulationlivesinurbanareas;in30years,itwilllikelybethreequarters.That’swhythinkingaboutthefutureofourcitiesreallymatters. Ofcourse,eachcityfacesitsownuniquefutureofpressuresandopportunities.Buttherearecommonissues.Thepastfewyearshaveseenanincreasingfocusbypolicymakers,academiaandbusinessonwhatcanbedonenotjusttomitigatechallengesbutalsotomakecitiesthriveandworkwell. Ourhealthandwellbeing,theeconomyandtheenvironment,socialcohesionandsecurity,thelongevityofourinfrastructure:allarefacetsofthefutureofcitiesthatrequireproactiveandinnovativesolutions.Thesearetheareaswehavefocusedon inthisissue. Findingwaysofmaximisingurbansustainabilityholdsparticularresonanceforearly-careerresearcherPatrickO’Hare.InhisExtremeSleepoverarticle,hedescribestheworkoffamilieswhorecyclevaluablematerialsdiscardedinUruguay’slargestlandfill.Withpredictionsthatthetotalvolumeofglobalwastegeneratedwilldoublein10years,thinkingaboutwasteasarecoverableresourceisbecominganincreasingpriority. Otherarticlesinthisissuedescribeanewmethodthatisincreasingthenumberoftransplantableorgans,howtheAmericanhomeisdepictedinfilm,theexperiencesofEUmigrantsworkingintheUK,the‘shape’oflanguagesounds,andthesearchforrareearthelementsfromtheair.Allthisandaprojectthatfollowsthemovesofacuckoonamed‘DiscoTony’.Areflectionofourdiversityinresearch! Professor Chris AbellPro-Vice-ChancellorforResearch

36 – 37 NudgeNudge

38 – 39 LivingbesideUruguay’s‘MotherDump’

Inside out

EditorDrLouiseWalsh Editorial advisorsProfessorDougCrawford-Brown,ProfessorLordRobertMair, ProfessorKoenSteemers Design TheDistrict Contributors BeckyAllen,CraigBrierley,AlexBuxton,SarahCollins, FredLewsey,LouiseWalsh T +44(0)1223765443 E [email protected] cam.ac.uk/research

Welcome

Copyright©2016UniversityofCambridgeandContributorsasidentified.ThecontentofResearch Horizons, with theexceptionofimagesandillustrations,ismadeavailablefornon-commercialre-useinanotherworkunderthetermsoftheCreativeCommonsAttribution-Non-Commercial-ShareAlikeLicence(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/),subjecttoacknowledgementoftheoriginalauthor/s,thetitleoftheindividualworkandtheUniversityofCambridge.ThisLicencerequiresanynewworkwithanadaptationofcontenttobedistributedandre-licensedunderthesamelicenceterms.Research HorizonsisproducedbytheUniversityofCambridge’sOfficeofExternalAffairsandCommunications.

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News

19.04.16Newresearchshowsa20%fallinnewcasesofdementiaintheUKovertwodecades,mainlyinmen.

15.04.16Britishsteelcouldbesaved,iftheindustryiswillingtotransformitself,claimsanewreport.

News in brief More information atwww.cam.ac.uk/research

4 News

Maxwell Centre opensNew Centre brings together physics research and the needs of industry.

Funded by government and business, the £26 million Maxwell Centre will enable University researchers and industrial collaborators to work together to translate ‘blue skies’ research into products vital for industry. The Centre is sited at the Cavendish Laboratory and will focus on research in areas such as efficient energy generation, storage and use, photovoltaics, refrigeration, lighting and ICT, as well as advanced scientific computing, materials science research, nanoscience and biophysics. “New research opportunities are often revealed by industrial activity,” explains Professor Sir Richard Friend, its new Director. “Their solutions require transfer of ideas and techniques often from fields well away from the industry. “This will not be conventional research or ‘business as usual’, but a major effort to go beyond the boundaries of traditional physical science concepts. We will combine work on the specific challenges facing collaborators with research into areas at the edges of current conception – the ‘unknown unknowns’.” The Centre will also house two Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Centres for Doctoral Training and the SKF University Technology Centre.

First performance in 1,000 years‘Lost’ songs from the Middle Ages have been brought back to life after being ‘reconstructed’ by a Cambridge researcher.

The11th-centurymanuscriptleafwasremovedfromacollectioncalledtheCambridge Songsbyalight-fingeredvisitingscholarinthe1840sandonlyrediscoveredbyaccident142yearslaterinGermany.ItfeaturesmusicsettopoetrywrittenbyRomanphilosopherBoethiusduringhis6th-centuryimprisonment,beforehisexecutionfortreason. Butitsrediscoverywasonlypartofthestory.Thetaskofperformingancientworkstodayisnotassimpleasreadingandplayingthemusicinfrontofyou.Athousandyearsago,musicwaswritteninawaythatrecordedmelodicoutlinescalledneumes,butnot‘notes’astoday’smusicianswouldrecognise. Ittookpart-detective,part-musicaltimetravellerDrSamBarrett,fromtheFacultyofMusic,

Image RediscoveredleafoftheCambridge Songs

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twodecadesofpainstakingworktoreconstructthemelodies,furtheringunderstandingofhowmedievalmusicwascomposedandperformed. Barrett’sscholarlygroundworkinvolvedgatheringtogethersurvivingnotationsfromtheCambridge Songs andothermanuscriptsaroundtheworld,andthenapplyingthemtotheprinciplesofmusicalsettingduringthisera. “Thetracesoflostsongrepertoiressurvive,butnottheauralmemorythatoncesupportedthem,”explainsBarrett.“Weknowthecontoursofthemelodiesandmanydetailsabouthowtheyweresung,butnottheprecisepitchesthatmadeupthetunes. “TherehavebeentimeswhileI’vebeenworkingonthisthatIhavefeltlikeI’minthe11thcentury,whenthemusichasbeensocloseitwasalmosttouchable.”

Hear the music: http://bit.ly/1rwhHJS

13.04.16 Thefirst‘bigdata’investigationofgraduateearningsrevealsvariationsdependingonbackground,degreeanduniversity.

06.04.16 SirDavidAttenboroughopensanewcampusinCambridgeforthelargestgroupingofconservationorganisationsandresearchersintheworld.

22.03.16 Cambridgewillleadamajornewresearchprojecttostudythebenefitsofmultilingualismtoindividualsandsociety.

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Green goldA unique facility will test ways of turning algae into fuel and food. Algaehavelongbeenconsideredasapotentialbiofueltoreplacefossilfuels–theyconvertsolarenergyintochemicalenergywithhighefficiency,theygrowfast,andtheyliveinwaterandsodon’ttakeuplandthatmightbeusedforfoodcrops.Eventheirby-productsareusefulasvaluablesourcesofproteinforfishandanimalfeed. However,makingthemostofthis‘greengold’needsmanyaspectstobeoptimised,inparticulartoavoidconsumingmoreenergyduringalgalproductionthanisgenerated. TheaimofthenewlyopenedAlgalInnovationCentre(AIC)inCambridgeUniversity’sBotanicGardenistofacilitatenewinnovationsingrowingandharvestingalgaeatscalethatarebotheconomicallyfeasibleandenvironmentallysustainable. Workingwithindustrialpartners,theAICwillalsotestwhetheralgaecanbeusedasasourceofproteinandnutraceuticals,foravarietyoffoodandbeautyproducts. ProfessorAlisonSmith,fromtheDepartmentofPlantSciences,explains:“It’sauniquefacilityfortheUK.Thegoalistoconnectbenchresearchthroughtomarket-placeproducts.” TheAICisfundedbytheUniversityandtheEuropeanUnion’sINTERREGEnAlgaeproject,whichaimstoreducerelianceonfossilfuelsinNorthWestEuropebydevelopingalgalbiofueltechnologies.

Inside informationThe wealth of untapped academic talent inside the criminal justice system has been illuminated by a ground-breaking project.

AninnovativeprojectinwhichCambridgestudentsandprisonersstudiedtogetherataCategoryBprisoninBuckinghamshirehasbrokendownprejudicesandcreatednewpossibilitiesforallofthosewhotookpart. TheLearningTogetherinitiativewasfundedbytheUniversity’sTeachingandLearningInnovationFundandtheBritishAcademyandconsistsofcarefullystructured,12-weekcoursesinvolvinggraduatesstudyingfortheMPhilinCriminologyattheUniversityofCambridgeandstudentsfromtheprisonitself.Alloftheparticipantsco-operateonequalterms,sharingexactlythesamestudymaterials,andworkingtogetherinsmallgroupsessions. Basedonfindingsfromtheproject,theorganisersDrRuthArmstrong(InstituteofCriminology)andDrAmyLudlow(FacultyofLaw)arguethatmoreshouldbedonetodevelopinclusive,empoweringand

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sociallytransformativeapproachestolearninginbothuniversitiesandprisons.Theycallforthedevelopmentofanapproachthatis“moreporous”intermsofitscreativeengagementwiththeoutsideworld,onethatconsidersprisonersaspotentialassetstosocietyratherthanpeoplewhomerelyrequirecorrection. Gareth,oneoftheparticipantsfromHMPGrendon,haswrittenareviewofanacademicbooknowpublishedinapeer-reviewedjournal.Inhisgraduationspeech,Garethsaid:“Foralargepartofmysentence,whoIamhasbeenentirelysynonymouswiththereasonsIendedupinprison.Reflectingontheinitiative,itseemsthattheoverwhelmingproductwasthatIwasremindedofbeingsomeoneotherthanthepersonwhocommittedtheseoffences. “Iamsomeonewhohasvalidandusefulopinions,Ihaveaninterestinhowsocietyworksandtheconnectednesswefeelwiththeotherpeoplewhowesharethisworldwith.IamdevelopingasensethatnotonlydoIwanttohelppeople–IamstartingtobelieveIcan.”

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1 July 2015: Disco Tony sighted in a Welsh bog.

27 July 2015: traced in France, Italy and Libya.

21 August 2015: south of the Sahara.

9 October 2015: in an unprecedented move, he veers west towards Chad, Nigeria and Cameroon.

13 January 2016: Gabon, west coast of Africa.

07 March 2016: now heading for Wales, he’s got a long way to go.

iscoTonyhastravelledover5,000miles.Heisgreywithayellowringaroundhiseyes.He

isacuckoo,butnotjustanycuckoo.Heisoneofaveryspecialgroupofbirdswhoseeverymoveisbeingmonitored. Earlierthisyear,TobySmithfollowedthemovesofDiscoTonyandhisfellowcuckoos–ajourneythattookhimtotheforestsofGaboninWestAfricaandthefringesoftheBatékéPlateaugrasslands. Asaphotojournalist–andfirstLeverhulmeartist-in-residenceattheUniversityofCambridgeConservationResearchInstitute(UCCRI)–hisaimwasbothtophotographthelandscapeandtotalktothelocalvillagersandhunterswithwhomthecuckoossharetheirhome. Theresultisaremarkableseriesofimagesthatisprovidingbirdresearcherswithacomprehensiveideaoftherurallandscapesinwhichthecuckoosoverwinter. Thecuckoosallcarrytinylightweightdevicesthattransmitasatellite-trackablesignalastheymaketheirarduousjourneyfrombreedinggroundsintheUKsouthtoAfrica.Overthepastfiveyears,thesignalsofaround50cuckooshavebeenhelpingateamofresearchersattheBritishTrustforOrnithology(BTO)gainthefirstinformationonwhathappenstoAfrica-boundmigrantbirdsaftertheyhavelefttheshoresoftheUK.TheBTO’shopeisthatthiswillhelpsolvethemysteryofwhythecuckoopopulationhashalvedintheUKinthepast20years. DrChrisHewson,wholeadstheBTOproject,explains:“Beforewestartedthework,allweknewwasthatwewereseeingacontinualdropincuckoonumbers.Wedidn’tknowwhetherthiswasaresultofchangesintheUKbreedinggrounds,oroffatalitiesonthemigrationroutesorinAfrica.But,bytrackingthebirds,wenowknowwhichroutestheytakeandtherelativecostsofeachintermsofmortality,whichhasledustobegintounderstandsomeofthecausesofthedecline.”

Earth, wind and flyer: the moves of Disco Tony and friends

These images are part of the first photo-narrative of the African landscapes in which the globally dwindling cuckoo population spend their winter months away from the UK. They were taken by Toby Smith, artist-in-residence at the University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute.

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Infactthecuckooisnotaloneinfacinganuncertainfuture,saysJulietVickeryattheRSPB’sCentreforConservationScience:“Around70%oflong-distantmigrantbirdspeciesthatwinterinsub-SaharanAfricaaredeclining.Formostwedon’tunderstandwhy,butthecausesarelikelytobecomplexastheyfacelossofhabitat,throughhuman-anddrought-relatedlandusechange,huntingandclimatechange,rightacrosstheflyway.” “Weexpectbirdslikecuckoos,swallows,swiftsandnightingalestorockuphereeverysummerbutwhatiftheydon’tarrive?”addsProfessorBillAdamsfromtheDepartmentofGeography.Fouryearsago,heteamedupwithVickery,HewsonandresearchersattheDepartmentofZoologytoreviewalloftheinformationavailableonthefateofthebirdsinaprojectfundedbytheCambridgeConservationInitiative. Itbecameclearthatreallyverylittlewasknown.Inparticular,therewerefewcomparativestudiesontheeffectsoflandusechangeinregionsinAfricafrequentedbymanyofthe2.1billionbirdsthatmigratefromEuropeduringthenon-breedingseason. “Theseregionsareareaswherepovertymakesthewelfareofurbanandruralpeoplethepolicypriority,”addsAdams.“Often

inphotographsthathelpusunderstandwoodlandmanagementandagriculturalpracticewasveryattractive.” Actuallyspottingacuckoo,however,wasunlikely,asSmithexplains:“Thetrackingdataisaccurateenoughtopinpointwherethecuckoosaretowithin500m,butthere’sadelaybetweenthesignalbeingtransmittedbythebird’stagandbeingaccessibletousinthefield,andtheforestterrainisvast. “Seeingabirdwouldhavebeenepicbut,fromavisualperspective,itwouldn’thavetoldusanythingnew.Iwasn’tthereasabirdwatcher,Iwasthereasadocumentaryphotographer.Iwasmoreinterestedinexperiencingandengagingwiththenaturalandsociallandscapeofthesebirds.Verylittlescientificattentionhadbeenpaidtothisarea–evenGabon’smostprolificbirderhadn’tbeentherein35years.” AndsoinJanuary2016,TobySmithandMalcolmGreen,anoralstoryteller,arrivedinGabonwithhammocksandapetrolstove,hiredanoff-roadvehicleandsetofftobush-campforalmosttwoweeks.TheirtripwasfundedthroughFlightLines(ajointprojectbetweentheBTOandtheSocietyofWildlifeArtists),theEconomicandSocialResearchCouncilImpactAccelerationaccount,andSmithandGreenthemselves.Theyspoketohuntersandvillagers,askingwhattheyknewofthecuckoo–“weusedphotographsandbird-songrecordingstohelpidentifyanyinteractions”–andSmithphotographedthecuckoo’shabitatofforestmarginsandgrasslandsontheBatékéPlateau. Backhome,heopeneduphisphotoeditingandcuratingprocesstoconservationspecialistslikeChrisHewsonandotherpartnersintheCambridgeConservationInitiative–auniquecollaborationbetweentheUniversityofCambridgeandbiodiversityconservationorganisationswithinthenewlyopenedDavidAttenboroughBuilding. “Conservationistshaveaspecificaestheticinterpretationofpictures,andsoChrisandothersneededtobereallyinvolvedintheprocessofselectingwhichimagestoldanimportantpartofthecuckoo’sstory. “Generally,whatIfoundinGabonwasencouraging.Thedensityofpeopleissothinthatevenifthebirdwashuntedwithin40kmofeachvillagetherearestillhugeareasavailable.It’sanareaofgreatbiodiversityandthevillagers

ImagesLandscapeswithtransitionsbetweenwoodland,scrubandgrasslandsuitthecuckoo

whatisgoodnewsforpeople–adaptinglandtocreateworkandfood–isbadnewsforbirdsunlessthereisasophisticatedunderstandingoftheimplicationsofhabitatrequirements.Onlythencanwehopethatdecisionmakingcansupportnaturetoo.” AdamsandothersviewAfricaasamajorgapinknowledgeaboutlanduseandbirds:“InEuropeweknowalotabouthowandwhypeopleuseruralland,andwhatthismeansformigrantbirds.Butwedon’tknowmuchaboutruralAfricanlandscapesinwhichbirdsspendthewinter.” However,afewmonthsago,anideabegantotakeshapethatcouldprovideasteptowardsbridgingthisknowledgegap. Smithhadjusttakenuphisroleasartist-in-residenceatUCCRI.SpeakingtoAdamsandHewsonaboutthefateofthecuckoos,hewasfascinated:“IwonderedwhetherIcouldfollowthecuckoostoAfrica.No-onereallyknowswhatthecuckoofindsthere–howpeoplefashionalandscapethat’seitherfriendlyorunfriendlyforcuckoos.Iwantedtocontributetotheresearchprojectbyproviding‘eyesontheground’attheirjourney’send.” “Themostimportantelementinlandusechangeinthisregionistheruralhousehold,”explainsAdams.“Andtheopportunitytopresentthelandscapes

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arenothugelyawareofthecuckooamongthegeneralfloraandfauna. “Therewasanincrediblemosaicofgalleryforestwherethewatertableisaccessiblebeneaththesand.Andtherewereabrupttransitionsbetweensavannahlandscapeandforestedlandscape–there’salotofforestedge.FromwhatweknowaboutcuckoobehaviourthissuitsthemtoaT.” “However,futurelandusechangeintheGabonislikelytoaccelerate,”saysHewson.“TohaveToby’seye-witnessaccountnowisreallyimportant.Evenfindingthatpeoplerarelyseecuckoosthereisinstructiveforus–itshowswhatwearegoingtobeupagainstwhenwegooutthere.Ithelpsustopiecethistogetherwithknowledgeofmigrationroutes,toprovideamorefullyformedideaofwhathappenstothecuckooforthemajorpartofitsannualcycle.” Recently,theBTOtrackingprojecthasshownforthefirsttimethatcuckoosusetwodifferentroutestoreachAfrica(throughItalyandacrosstheSahara,andthroughSpainandaroundtheedgeofWestAfrica)andthattheSpanishrouteisassociatedwithgreatermortality.Theteamhasfoundthattheuseofthisroutewithinlocalbreedingpopulationscorrelateswithpopulationdecline.InanarticlerecentlypublishedinNature Communications,theresearcherssuggestthatthismightbelinkedtoseveredroughtsinSpain,suchasin2012,andraiseconcernsthatamorerecentdroughtinItalymighthavefurtherrepercussionsforthedecliningcuckoopopulation. “Ultimatelymoreresearchisvital,”saysAdams,whohasajointprojectwithVickerystartingnextyearinGhanatolookatthedriversoflandusechangeandtheimpactonbirds.“MyhopeisthatToby’sworkwillcontributetowardsacommonunderstandingbetweenornithologicalresearchersanddevelopmentresearchersaboutthewaypeopleandbirdssharelandscapes.” Meanwhile,asofMarch2016,andafternosignalforsevenweeks,DiscoTony“poppedbackup”accordingtotheBTO’sblogofeachofthecuckoo’swhereabouts.TracedtotheCentralAfricanRepublic,hehasbegunhislongjourneybacktotheboginWales.

Why the name Disco Tony? The Welsh bog in which he was tagged was a particularly challenging environment to work in, with high tussocky grass. To reach the captured cuckoo, bird-ringer Tony Cross had to do a hopping, balancing, disco dance of a run. Naming the cuckoo Disco Tony seemed only appropriate.

www.bto.org/science/migration/tracking-studies/cuckoo-tracking/disco_tony

“Toby’s work will contribute towards a common understanding between ornithological researchers and development researchers about the way people and birds share landscapes”

Professor Bill [email protected]

Dr Chris [email protected]

Toby SmithUniversityofCambridgeConservationResearchInstitutetoby@shootunit.com

Dr Juliet VickeryCentreforConservationScienceRSPBJuliet.Vickery@rspb.org.uk

Credit:Alejan

droAran

goonflickr

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es,Tob

ySm

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laims that the UK has become a “honeypot” nation for European Union (EU) migrants attracted

by the country’s welfare system have become a key issue in the debate about the UK’s membership of the EU. But what are the experiences of EU migrants working in the UK, and their attitudes to employment and social security, ask researchers in the Faculty of Law? InhislettertothePresidentoftheEuropeanCouncilon10November2015,DavidCameronoutlinedplanstocurbEUmigrationtotheUKby“reducingthedrawthatourwelfaresystemcanexertacrossEurope”.

ThePrimeMinisterisreferringtowhatoneDaily Mail headlinedescribedastheUK’sbenefits“honeypot”:theideathatthiscountry’swelfaresystemattractsmigrantsfromacrossEurope,whoexportbenefitsandclaimtaxcreditstosupplementlowfamilyincomesbackhome,attheexpenseoftheUKtaxpayer.

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Barbara,interviewedfortheEUMigrantWorkerProject,hastwoUniversitydegreesbutherprospectsinSpainaresuchthatshefeelsitnecessarytolookforworkelsewhere

fromthe‘UKinaChangingEurope’programmerunbytheEconomicandSocialResearchCouncil,theresearchershavesetabouttalkingtothosewhomovedfromthecontinenttomaketheUKtheirhome.

Bycombininginterviewswithnewmethodologiesforanalysingwhatavailabledatathereis,BarnardandLudlowhopetobuildasignificantbaseofevidenceaboutEUmigrants’experiencesof,andattitudestowards,Britain’semploymentandsocialsecuritysystems.

Sofar,fieldworkhasinvolvedvisitingvenuesasdiverseasfurthereducationcolleges,shops,churches,farms,andmotherandtoddlergroups,aswellascitizen’sadvicebureausandjobcentres,sittingdownwiththosewhohavejustarrivedandthosewhohavebuiltbusinessesandraisedfamilieshere.

TheresearchershaveconsultedwitheconomistsandheldroundtablediscussionswithcurrentandformerMPs.TheyarealsotravellingtoSpainandPolandtoshootshortdocumentaries,followingmigrants’journeystotheUKforworkandstudy.

“Theimageofthebenefits-scroungingmigrantispotent,butthereisnoevidencethatitiswidespread,”saysBarnard.“Todate,thepeoplewehaveintervieweddescribedthemainfactorsdrivingEUnationalstotheUKasworkandopportunitiesforpersonaldevelopment,includingthelearningofEnglish.Receiptofbenefits–thedetailsofwhichareoftenhazytomigrants–doesnotappeartofeature.”

However,theperceptionofmigrants“milkingBritain’sbenefits”castsalongshadow,notjustovertheEUmembership

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Cameron’sconsequentnegotiationofan“emergencybrake”onin-workbenefitsforEUmigrantshasdonelittletoquelltheheatedrhetoric.Thoseoneithersideofthe‘Brexit’debatecontinuetojumpontheissue–laudingCameron’s“clampdown”,ordecrying“benefittourism”inanation“creakingattheseams”–asJune’sEUreferendumapproaches.

However,criticsarguethatthegovernmenthasbeenconsistentlyunabletoprovidecompellingevidencethatthisisthecase.AresponsetoarecentParliamentaryquestionontheamountspentonbenefitstoEUmigrantswassimply:“theinformationisnotavailable”.

TworesearchersinEUlawfromCambridge’sFacultyofLaw,ProfessorCatherineBarnardandDrAmyLudlow,areaimingtofillsomeofthisknowledgegap.Oneofthewaystheyaredoingsoisbycapturingtheopinionsandexperiencesofthemigrantsthemselves.

FortheEUMigrantWorkerProject,launchedearlierthisyearwithfunding

Credit:KipLo

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Professor Catherine [email protected]

Dr Amy [email protected]

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makingitpossibleformigrantworkerstoenforcetheiremploymentrights.BarnardandLudlow’sanalysisofthelimitedavailabledata,combinedwithfieldwork,suggeststhatEUmigrantsuseUKemploymenttribunalsover85%lessthanwouldbeexpected,giventhesizeoftheworkforcetheyrepresent.

UndercurrentEUlaw,EUmigrantshaverightstoequaltreatmentintheirtermsandconditionsofemploymentasthoseofferedtodomesticworkers.However,thisexists“more‘onpaper’thaninpractice”,saytheresearchers.

Throughout2016,BarnardandLudlowwillcontinuetoexplorethehopes,fearsandexperiencesofEUmigrantworkerscomingtotheUK,andwhatitisliketolookforworkandbeemployedintheUK.“WehopetoincreaseourunderstandingofEUanddomesticlawasitworksinpractice,”addsLudlow,“andtoinformpublicopinioninanticipationofthereferenduminJuneandbeyond.”

www.eumigrantworker.law.cam.ac.uk

debate,butalsooverthelivesofthosewhohavesettledhere,saysLudlow.

“OnePolishnational,whomoved herealmosttenyearsagoafterherhusbandwasheadhuntedbyaBritishfirm,describedtomethemomentheryoungson’sfriendtoldhimhisschoolplaceis‘supposedtobeusedbyanEnglishchild’.”

Shesaysthisisjustoneexampleofthexenophobiareportedbymigrants,oftenfuelledbyinsecuritiesinthenativepopulation–whetheraroundjobs,housingorhealthcare–andstokedbythebenefits“honeypot”narrative.

Thisinsecurity,mixedwithBritain’sdeep-rooted‘islandmentality’,mightpartlyexplaintheUK’sfirmerresponsetoEUmigration,saysLudlow,thanthoseofmanyEUneighbours.SherecallsbeinginaSpanishtownrecentlyandencounteringasigninEnglishadvisingBritstoclaimbenefits,andhowtogoaboutit.“That’sjustnotsomethingyou’dseereportedinthepresshere.”

“TheideaofEUcitizenship,thatif IgotoanotherEUcountryIexpectto betreatedlikeacitizenofthatnation fromdayone,isapowerfulidea,but it’sanideathat’sstillaverylongwayoff inpolicyterms.”

Mostintervieweesexpressedtheideathatbenefitsshouldbeearnedthroughworkinthehoststate.TheresearchershavefoundareluctanceamongEUmigrantstoenforcetheirEUlawclaimstoexportablebenefits,suchaschildbenefit–practiceswhichtheyfeelare“abusive”.

Yet,claimingsocialrights,includingwelfare,canbeseenasanexpressionofcitizenship.Asoneintervieweeremarked:“Whensomeoneuses

thewelfarestate,theStategainsacitizen.Weusesocialrightstobecomeintegrated.Wedon’tbecomeintegratedandthenusesocialrights.”

Whilemediareportshavesuggestedaspikeinsalesofcitizenshiptextbooks,responsesfromthoseinterviewedhavebeenmixed.SomeEUmigrantsspokeofapplyingforcitizenshipoutofaconcernfortheirfutureifBrexitshouldoccur,butmanyhavenodesiretosevertieswiththeirhomeland,andresentfeelingforcedtochoose.

“TheUKisnotthelandofmilkandhoney,andmanymigrantswillsimplytaketheirskillselsewhere,”saysLudlow.Oneinterviewee,whoisreturningtoPolandfora“betterqualityoflife”,toldresearchers:“I’mnotinterestedinstayingintheUKjustbecauseit’spossible.”

AnotherEUmigrant,adentistworkinginEastAnglia,saidthatpeoplewillmovetowheretheyarewelcome.“Migrantsworkinginthefieldsandinlowerleveljobswillmoveon.ThereareplentyoffieldsinFranceandSpain.ButtheBritishbusinessesthatrelyonthemigrantswillclose.”

And,inagriculturealone,thosebusinessesareplentiful,saysLudlow.“Wespoketofarmmanagerswhosaidtheyneedaround£1.5millionoflabourannually,anditallcomesfromthecontinent.”

Theresearcherssaythereisapolicymismatchbetweenstoppingmigrantsfromclaimingbenefitsyetraisingthelivingwage,asitiswagesthatincentivisemigrants,notbenefits.

TheyalsoarguethatifwearereallyconcernedaboutEUmigrants‘undercutting’thedomesticworkforce,thereshouldbeagreaterfocuson

“Wespoketofarmmanagerswhosaidtheyneedaround£1.5 million of labour annually, and it all comes from the continent”

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here’s a nationwide shortage of suitable organs for transplanting – but what

if some of those organs deemed ‘unsuitable’ could be rejuvenated? Researchers at Addenbrooke’s Hospital have managed just that – and last year gave two patients an unexpected Christmas present. InaroomintheDepartmentofSurgery,akidneysitsinsideachamberconnectedtotubesandmonitors.Solutionsandgasesarepumpingthroughitandurineiscomingout.

Infact,thechamberinitselfisnotparticularlyspecial–it’sanoff-the-shelfmachineusedforcardiacbypasssurgeryinchildren:it’showithasbeenadaptedandthenewusesithasfoundthatmakeitsosignificant.Thismachineisabletorejuvenatekidneysdeemednotfitfortransplant,makingthemfitandhealthyagain–andsuitableforarecipient.

ProfessorAndrewBradley,HeadoftheDepartmentofSurgery,isquicktopointoutthatitishisteamatAddenbrooke’sHospital,partofCambridgeUniversityHospitals–particularlyProfessorMikeNicholsonandDrSarahHosgood–whoshouldtakeallthecreditforthismachine,whichtheyrefertoasanorganperfusionsystem.

Thereisachronicshortageofsuitableorgansfortransplantandsomethingneedstobedone.Tohelpaddresstheproblem,inDecember2015,WalesbecamethefirstcountryintheUKtomakeorgandonationan‘opt-out’system–inotherwords,doctorswouldremovetheorgansfromdeceasedindividualsandprovidethemforuseinsickpatientsunlesstheindividualhadexplicitlyrefusedconsentbeforetheirdeath.

Unfortunately,noteverydonatedorganissuitablefortransplant–inthecaseofkidneys,forexample,around15%aredeemedunsuitable.Thiscanbeforavarietyofreasons,includingtheageofthedonor,theirdiseasehistoryandthelengthoftimetheorganhasbeenincoldstorage.

“Gradingorgansisnotanexactscience–it’samixtureoffactorsaboutthecircumstanceinwhichitbecameavailable,itsstorageandhowitlookstoatrainedeye,”saysNicholson.“Thisisn’tgoodenough,particularlyifitmeanswe’relosingsomepotentiallysuitableorgans.”

Whatiftherewasawayoftakingtheseorgansandassessingthemsystematically?Andtotakeitastepfurther,couldsomeofthemevenberejuvenated?Beforecomingto

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hed with success

In a room in the Department of Surgery,

a kidney sits inside a chamber connected to

tubes and monitors

Professor Andrew [email protected]

Dr Sarah [email protected]

Professor Mike [email protected]

Professor Chris [email protected]

13 ResearchHorizons

NicholsonandHosgood’ssuccesshasspurredonothercolleagues.ProfessorChrisWatsondescribeshimselfas“piggybacking”ontheirworktodevelopatechniqueforperfusinglivers.Thesituationforlivertransplantsisevenmoreseriousthanitisforkidneys:asmanyasoneinfivepatientsonthewaitinglistwilldiebeforealiverbecomesavailable.

Sofar,histeamhastaken12livers,allbutoneofwhichhadbeenrejectedbyothercentres,andsuccessfullyresuscitatedandtransplantedthemusingasystemthatbuildsonthepioneeringworkofhistwocolleagues.

“There’sasceneintheWoodyAllenfilmSleeperwhereAllen’scharacterstumblesacrossa200-year-oldVolkswagenBeetleandmanagestostartitfirsttime,”hesays.“Theliverislikethat.Youtakeitoutofcoldstorageandexpectittostartfirsttime.Byfirstassessingitonourmachine,wecanbemoreconfidentitwillworkfirsttime.”

Insomeways,thishasprovedmoreofachallengethanitdidforkidneys,headds.“Withkidneys,youcanputtheminthemachineforanhour,resuscitatethemandthentransplantthem.Ifitdoesn’tworkimmediately,thepatientstaysondialysisuntilitpicksup.Withaliver,ittakeslongertoanalyseandresuscitatetheorgan,andifitdoesn’tworkit’sadisasterforthepatient.”

Nowthattheteamhassuccessfullyrevivedandtransplantedkidneysandlivers,thisisbynomeanstheendofthestory.Thereisstillmuchworktobedonetofurtherimprovetheorgan–andhenceimprovethefunctionandprolongsurvival,saysHosgood.

Oncetransplanted,organsfaceabattlewiththebody’simmunesystem,whichrecognisesitsnewoccupantasaforeignbody.Thisisonereasonwhytheperfusionsystemusesonlyredbloodcells,notwhite–todosowouldriskaninflammatoryresponsethatcoulddamagetheorgan.

“Ofcourse,assoonasyoutransplantthekidney,itwillfacea

Cambridge,NicholsonandHosgooddevelopedasystemwhileattheUniversityofLeicesterthateffectivelyrecirculatesessentialnutrientsthroughthekidney,bringingitbacktolife.

“Weuseacombinationofredbloodcells,aprimingsolution,nutrients,protectiveagentsandoxygen,”explainsHosgood.“Wepumpthisthroughthekidneywhilemaintainingatemperatureclosetoourbodytemperature.Itmimicsbeinginthebody.”

Astheperfusionsolutionisbeingcirculated,thekidneywillbegintofunctionandproduceurine.Byanalysingthecontentsofthisurineandmonitoringbloodflow,doctorscanseehowthekidneyisperformingandwhetheritmightmakeaviabletransplantorgan.Afterjusta60-minuteperfusion,thekidneysareresuscitatedandarepotentiallyreadyfortransplantation.

Thisisnolongerjustanexperiment:sincemovingtoCambridge,withfundingfromKidneyResearchUKandtheNationalInstituteforHealthResearch,theteamhasbeenabletotakekidneysrejectedfromothertransplantcentres,resuscitateandassessthem,thentransplantthem.InDecemberlastyear,twoindividualsontheorgantransplantwaitinglistreceivedtheperfectChristmaspresentcourtesyoftheCambridgeteam:anewkidney.

Sofar,theteamhastakenfivediscardedkidneysandmanagedtorescuethree.“We’rehopingtoprocessanotherhundredoverthenextfouryears,”saysHosgood,whoisalsoworkingwithcentresinNewcastle,EdinburghandatGuy’sHospitalinLondon,inthehopeofreplicatingtheirsuccess.

Thecurrentkit,whichwasnotpurpose-builtfororganperfusion,isbulkierandclumsierthanideal,sotheteamiscurrentlyfundraisingtohelpdesignadedicatedmachine,incollaborationwithcolleaguesfromtheDepartmentofEngineering.“It’snotverymobile,sowecouldn’tuseittohelpresuscitateorgansintransittoothercentres.”

similarinflammatoryresponse,butbythenitshouldbeinanimprovedstateandabletocopebetterwithwhatthebodythrowsatit,”sheexplains.TheDepartmentisintheprocessofrecruiting400patientsforarandomisedcontrolledtrialtotestthistechnology.

Theperfusionsystemalsoenablestherapiestobegivendirectlytothekidney.Thisensuresoptimaldeliveryofthetreatmenttothetargetedorganandavoidsanysideeffectsinthepatient.Onepromisingavenueofresearch,incollaborationwithProfessorJordanPoberatYaleUniversity(USA),istheuseofnanoparticlesthattargettheendothelialcellsintheliningofthekidney.Thesecellsplayanimportantroleintheinflammatoryresponseaftertransplantation.“Thedeliveryofnanoparticlesinthiswaymayreducedamagetotheorganaftertransplantation,”sheadds.

Theshortageofsuitableorgansisnotgoingaway.NotevenaUK-wide‘opt-out’systemislikelytocompletelyeradicatetheproblem.Ifanything,thecrisisislikelytogetworse–theflipsideofgoodnewsstoriessuchasfewerroadtrafficfatalitiesandbettermedicinesthatreducethenumberofyoungpeopledyingearly.Theteamrecognisesthatthesystemaloneisnottheanswer,butitbringsanewrelevancetotheoldadage“wastenot,wantnot”.

“As the perfusion solution is being circulated, the kidney will

begin to function”

ital to many modern technologies yet mined in few V places, the ‘rare earth elements’ are in fact not that rare – they are just difficult to find in concentrations that make them economic to mine. Researchers from Cambridge University and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are investigating whether the remarkable properties of these materials can be used to track them down from the air.

Nexttimeyouuseyourmobilephone,spareamomentforthetinyyetvitalingredientsthatmakethisandmanyothertechnologiespossible–therareearthelements(REEs).

Used in computers,fibreopticcables,aircraftcomponentsandeventheanti-counterfeitingsystemineuronotes,thesematerialsarecrucialforanestimated £3trillionworthofindustries,withdemand

settoincreaseoverthecomingdecades.

Currently,morethan95%oftheglobaldemandfortheREEsismetbyasinglemineinChina.Thesecurityofthefuturesupplyofthese17criticalmetals,whichincludeneodymium,europium,terbium,dysprosiumand

yttrium,isamajorconcernforEuropean

governments,andtheidentificationofpotentialREE

resourcesoutsideChinaisseenasahighpriority.

Overthepastyear,DrsSallyGibson,TealRileyandDavidNeavehavebeenworkingtogetherthroughaUniversityofCambridge–BASJointInnovationProject(seepanel)onaremotesensingtechniquethatcouldaidtheidentificationofREEsinrocksanywhereintheworld.Theprojectbringstogetherexpertiseinremotesensing,geochemistryandmineralogyfrombothinstitutestotakeadvantage ofthepropertiesthatmakethemetalssospecial.

“Despitetheirname,therareearthelementsarenotparticularlyrareandareasabundantintheEarth’scrustaselementssuchascopperandtin,”explainsRileyfromBAS.“However,tobeextractableinaneconomicway,theyneedtobe

concentratedintoveinsorsediments.” It’stheidentificationofthese

concentrationsthatiscriticalforthefuturesecurityofsupply.REEsallhaveanatomicstructurethatcausesthemtoreacttophotonsoflightthroughaseriesofelectronictransitions.Thisgivesthemthe

magneticandelectricalpropertiesfor

whichtheyareprizedinplasmaTVs,windturbines

andelectriccarbatteries.Anditalsomeansthatforeveryphotonoflighttheyabsorb,theyreflectotherphotonsinauniqueway–itisthispropertythattheresearchershavelatchedontoasameansoftrackingthemdown.

“Thelighttheyreflectissospecificthatit’slikeafingerprint,onethatwecancaptureusingsensorsthatpickuplightemissions,”explainsGibson,fromCambridge’sDepartmentofEarthSciences.“Thedifficulty,however,isthatinnaturallyoccurringrocksandminerals,therareearthelementemissionspectraaremixedupwiththoseofotherelements.It’slikelookingatoverlappingfingerprints–thechallengewastoworkouthowtoteasethesespectralfingerprintsapart.”

Gibsonhasover20years’experience

14 Features

Fingerprinting rare earth elements

from the air

Microscopicimagesofrockshostinghighconcentrationsofrareearthelements

investigatinghowREEsaregeneratedduringthemeltingoftheEarth’smantle.“Collectiveunderstandingofthegeologicalmake-upoftheworldisnowgoodenoughthatweknowwheretolookfortheserocks–atsitesofacertaintypeofpasttectonicactivity–buteventhenit’sdifficulttofindthem.”

RileyistheheadoftheGeologicalMappingGroupatBAS–hisjobisto“maptheunmapped”areasofthepolarregiontounderstandthegeologicalevolutionofthecontinent.Muchofhisworkdependsonbeingabletodevelopnewwaysofinterrogatingsatellite-andaircraft-basedremotesensingdata.“Itbecameafrustrationthatwecouldcollectdataandsaygenerallywhatwasonthegroundbutthatwecouldn’tdefineindividualfingerprints,andsowedevelopedtheanalyticaltoolstodothis.”

GibsonandNeavegatheredrockscontainingREE-bearingmineralsfromaroundtheworld–sourcedfromminingcompanies,museumcollectionsanduniversities.OnesuchsourcewastheHarkerCollectionhousedintheUniversity’sSedgwickMuseumofEarthSciences.ThiscollectioncontainsspecimensofmineralsandrocksrichinREEsthatwerecollecteddecadespreviouslybygeologistswhowereunawareoftheireconomicimportance.

Neaveanalysedtheemissionspectrumofeachrockandrelatedthistoitsgross

andmicroscopiccomposition.Fromthisinformationhebegantountangletheindividualfingerprints,resultingin

what the researchers believeisthemostcomprehensive‘spectraldatabase’ofREEsintheirnaturalstate–inrocks.

Thenextgoalistousethisspectraldatabaseasareferencesourcetotrackdowndepositsfromtheair.“Althoughdatafromaircraftisnowgoodenoughtobeanalysedinthisway,wearewaitingfor

newsatellitemissionssuchastheGerman

EnvironmentalMappingandAnalysisProgram

(EnMAP)tobelaunchedinthenextfewyears,”explainsRiley.

Theplanwouldthenbetocarryoutreconnaissancesweepsofthemost

likelyterrainsandexplorethepossibilityofminingtheseareas.“Ourhopeisthatthisresearchwillhelptocreateaninternationallyuniqueandcompetitivecapabilitytomapthesesurprisinglycommon–yetdifficulttofind– materials,”addsGibson.

Dr Sally Gibson DepartmentofEarthSciences

[email protected]

Dr Teal Riley BritishAntarcticSurvey [email protected]

Dr Beatrix Schlarb-Ridley BritishAntarcticSurvey [email protected]

15 ResearchHorizons

Aurora Cambridge

The search for rare earth elements is one of a host of ongoing projects between the University and BAS. Like these, a new centre – Aurora Cambridge – will reflect the ethos that innovation developed for the Antarctic is transferable to a global setting.

AuroraCambridgeaimstogeneratenewresearchandentrepreneurialactivityfocusedonclimatechangeandchallengingenvironmentsthroughacademic,businessandpolicypartnerships.ItwillbelocatedatBASinCambridgeandhasbeenfundedbytheNationalEnvironmentResearchCouncilwithsupportfromtheUniversity. Thebuildingisduetoopenin2017;however,27UniversityofCambridge–BASJointInnovationProjectsarealreadyunderwaywithfundingfromtheHigherEducationFundingCouncilforEngland–includingthedevelopmentofmappingtechnologiesforrareearthelementsledbyDrsSallyGibsonandTealRiley. Otherprojectsincluderesearchoncold-adaptedenzymeswithpotentialapplicationsinthebiotechindustries,remotesensingforconservationofseabirdsandmarinemammals,andthemeasurementofcoastalvulnerabilitythroughsea-levelrise.ManyinvolveexternalindustrialpartnersandotherresearchinstitutionsaswellasresearchersfromBASand12Universitydepartments. “ThecollaborativeprojectsdemonstratenotonlytheimportanceofresearchtechnologytotheAntarcticbutalsotheirtransferabilitybeyonditsshorestoaglobalsetting,”explainsBASDirectorofInnovationDrBeatrixSchlarb-Ridley.“TheSPECTRO-ICEproject,forinstance,hasbroughtscientistsatBASwhoareconcernedwithmonitoringtheatmosphereabovetheicecaptogetherwithphysicistsandmathematicianswhoareworkinghardtoavoidseeingtheatmosphereintheirstudyofthestars–bothusesimilartechniquesandneedtooperateadvancedinstrumentsatdifficultlocations.” “Thisisjustthebeginning,”saysBASDirectorProfessorJaneFrancis.“Thenewinnovationcentrewillhelpustoextendtherangeoffruitfulpartnershipswithacademia,business,policymakersandthethirdsectortocreatetangiblebenefitsforsociety.”

www.bas.ac.uk/aurora-cambridge

Credit:Allimag

es,S

allyGibson

House

t’s black and white, silent and just short of ten minutes in length. But D.W. Griffith’s 1909 classic The

Lonely Villa inspired Dr John David Rhodes, Director of Cambridge’s new Centre for Film and Screen, to look at the role and meaning of the house in American cinema. The Lonely Villatellsthestoryoffourwomensubjectedtoaterrifyingbreak-inbyintruders.Awomanbarricadesherselfandherdaughtersintothehouseasherabsenthusband,alertedbyaphonecall,hastenstotheirrescue.Intheopeningshot,thevillainsareseenlurkingintheshrubberyofthehandsomeall-Americanhomethatstandsinsplendidisolation,aniconoftheproperty-owningdream.

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Rhodes’explorationofthehouseinAmericancinemahastakenhimdeepintothehistoryandtheoryofbothfilmandarchitecture,andwillresultinabookdueforpublicationin2017.HeisDirectorofthenewlylaunchedCentreforFilmandScreen,whichbringstogetherresearchersfromsubjectsasdiverseasEnglish,philosophy,historyofart,architectureandlanguages,andcontinuesatraditionofteachingandresearchonthesubjectoffilmsincethe1960s.

“Housesarebuilttobelivedinbutalsotobelookedat–andyouonlyhavetoswitchonyourtelevisiontoseehowmuchtheyfascinateus,”hesays.“Inwatchingcinema,too,weareforeverlookingatandintopeople’shouses.Cinema’spreoccupationwiththehousestemsfromcinema’sstrongrelationtorealismandtotherepresentationofhumanlives,alargeportionofwhichplaysoutindomesticinteriors.”

CentraltoRhodes’researchintofilmsthatrangefromMeet Me in St Louis and Gone with the WindtoPsycho and Citizen Kane is the idea ofpropertyandpossessionaswellastheiropposites–alienationanddispossession.It’sathemethatflowsthroughthecinematicexperiencerighttothetemporarypossessionoftheseatinwhichtheviewerwatchesafilmandenterstheintimatespacesofotherpeople’slives.“Propertyreignsinmanyaspectsofthecinemaexperience,”hesays.“Notjustinthedramaunfoldingonthescreenitselfbutalsointheprocessoffilm-making,practicesofproduction,distributionandexhibition.”

Rhodessuggeststhatthepleasurewetakeinimmersingourselvesinthevisualandsensualexperiencesofenteringotherpeople’sworldshasanantecedentincountryhousetoursand,mostspecifically,thecollectionsknownas‘cabinetsofcuriosities’.Objectsacquiredtodisplayandimpress,thesemuseum-likecollectionsareexamplesofbelongingand,bythesametoken,ofnotbelonging.“Attheheartofvisualpleasureisaconstantnegotiationofpropertyboundaries,”saysRhodes.“It’saquestionofminebutnotyours–ofinvitinginyetkeepingout.”

Revealedtoachosenfewguests,cabinetsofcuriositiesandtheirmodernequivalentsspeakpowerfullyoftheirowner’staste.AshortfilmtitledHouse: After Five Years of Living(1955)perfectlyencapsulatesthehouseasanobjectofdesireandasacontainerforcarefullycuratedpossessions.DirectedbydesignersCharlesandRayEames,itshowstheirmodernisthouse–onethey

“Houses are built to be lived in but also to be looked at – and you only have to switch on your television to see how much they fascinate us”

Features

Dr John David RhodesDepartmentofItalianFacultyofModernandMedievalLanguagesjdr42@cam.ac.uk

17 ResearchHorizons

fundamentaltoafeelingofownership.Thebungalowwasinitiallyseenasaspaceforeaseful,convenientliving–butthismodesthomequicklycametospellfailure,”saysRhodes.“Ifyouthinkaboutentrancesandexits,asuburbanhomewithahallwayallowsforagradualtransitionfromoutsidetoinsidewhileabungalowoffersnoneofthatdignity.Thecrampedspaceofthebungalowleadstotoomuchintimacyandtouncomfortableconfrontations.”

Dwellingplacesareobjectsofdesire–especiallysointheaffluentWesternworld.Ourhomesabsorbourmoneyandeatintoourtime:perhaps,intheprocessofacquisition,theyownusjustasmuchasweownthem.Asbackdropstoourlives,theytellstoriesaboutthekindofpeopleweareandwouldliketobe.Infilm,andonthescreen,housesconveymultiplemeanings–notjustaboutclassandstatusbutalsoaboutchildhoodandourrelationshipwithhistory.

Whenahouseisbrokeninto,adreamisshattered.InGriffith’sThe Lonely Villa,theruffiansarehamperedbythesolidityofthehouse’sdoorsandtheweightofthefurniturepushedupagainstthem.Allendswellwhenthemotheranddaughtersarerescued,justintime,bythemanofthehouse.Butpropertyisfragileand,inthefinalreckoning,allownershipisaquestionofcontrollingimpermanentandshiftingborders.

Centre for Film and Screen: www.mml.cam.ac.uk/film

designedthemselves–inaseriesofstillsthatveneratethislandmarkbuildinganditscollectionofmodernandfolkart,textilesanddesignobjects.Neitherofitsownersappearsyettheirpresenceispalpablethroughtheframing,shotbyshot,ofthehousetheycreatedtoworksobeautifullyinitsCaliforniancontext.

Ownershipisnotconfinedtobuildingsbutextendstothosewholiveandworkinthem.Rhodessaysthathisthesisisimplicitlyfeminist.Hisforthcomingbookwilldrawattentiontothewaysinwhich,infilmandinreallife,womenareforcedintouncomfortablycloserelationshipswiththehome,becomingpartofthesameparcelofownership.

Anevenmoretightlybindingrelationshipisplayedoutbetweenservantandhome,particularlyintherepresentationofAfricanAmericanslaveryintheAmericanSouthfollowingtheCivilWar.TwothirdsofthewayintoGone with the Wind,theservantgirlPrissylooksupatheremployers’newlyconstructedmansionandexclaims:“Wesureisrichnow!”Theviewerisapparentlyinvitedtolaughbothatherdelightandathernaivety,andinamannerthatonly

repeatsthefilm’sexplicitracism.Yetthespectatorisalsothebuttofthisjoke.

“Thisshotisakindof‘hallofmirrors’ofpropertyrelations,”saysRhodes.“ThecinemaaudiencelooksattheimagewhichwasMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer’sproperty.Insidetheimage,theservantsgazeupatthepropertyofthehouse.Butifwelookcarefullyweseethatthereisnohousethere:whattheyarereallylookingatiseitherapaintedbackgroundorelseamattpaintinginsertedinthepost-productionprocess.Whetherornottheimagewastherewhenthescenewasshot,whattheyarelookingatisa‘prop’.”

Thewordpropis,ofcourse,anabbreviationforproperty.Thehouse,astheultimateprop,takesmanyforms,itsphysicalformactingasapowerfulpointer.Themansionandthebungalow,theramblingshingleandstick-styleresidence,themodernisthomewithitspicturewindows:allconveymessages(aboutstatus,class,race,politics)andshapetheactionthattakesplacewithinthem.

“InmuchoftheUS,thepossessionofland,evenifit’satinystripofgrassseparatingonehousefromanother,is

he sounds of languages that died thousands of years ago have been brought to life again through

technology that uses statistics in a revolutionary new way. NomatterwhetheryouspeakEnglishorUrdu,WaloonorWaziri,PortugueseorPersian,therootsofyourlanguagearethesame.Proto-Indo-European(PIE)isthemothertongue–sharedbyseveralhundredcontemporarylanguages,aswellasmanynowextinct,andspokenbypeoplewholivedfromabout6,000to3,500BConthesteppestothenorthoftheCaspianSea.

Theyleftnowrittentextsandalthoughhistoricallinguistshave,sincethe19thcentury,painstakinglyreconstructedthelanguagefromdaughterlanguages,thequestionofhowitactuallysoundedwasassumedtobepermanentlyoutofreach.

Now,researchersattheUniversitiesofCambridgeandOxfordhavedevelopedasound-basedmethodtomovebackthroughthefamilytreeoflanguagesthatstemfromPIE.Theycansimulatehowcertainwordswouldhavesoundedwhentheywerespoken8,000yearsago.

Remarkably,attheheartofthetechnologyisthestatisticsofshape.

“Soundshaveshape,”explainsProfessorJohnAston,fromCambridge’sStatisticalLaboratory.“Asawordisuttereditvibratesair,andtheshapeofthissoundwavecanbemeasuredandturnedintoaseriesofnumbers.Oncewehavethesestats,andthestatsofanotherspokenword,wecanstartaskinghowsimilartheyareandwhatitwouldtaketoshiftfromonetoanother.”

Awordsaidinacertainlanguagewillhaveadifferentshapetothesamewordinanotherlanguage,oranearlierlanguage.Theresearcherscanshiftfromoneshapetoanotherthroughaseriesofsmallchangesinthestatistics.“It’smorethananaveragingprocess,it’sacontinuumfromonesoundtotheother,”addsAston,whoisfundedbytheEngineeringandPhysicalSciencesResearchCouncil(EPSRC).“Ateachstage,wecanturntheshapebackintosoundtohearhowthewordhaschanged.”

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Features

Ratherthanreconstructingwrittenformsofancientwords,theresearcherstriangulatebackwardsfromcontemporaryandarchivalaudiorecordingstoregenerateaudiblespokenformsfromearlierpointsintheevolutionarytree.Usingarelativelynewfieldofshape-basedmathematics,theresearcherstakethesoundwaveandvisualiseitasaspectrogram–basicallyanundulatingthree-dimensionalsurfacethatrepresentstheshapeofthatsound–andthenreshapethespectrogramalongatrajectory‘signposted’byknownsounds.

WhileAstonleadstheteamofstatistician‘shape-shifters’inCambridge,theacoustic-phoneticandlinguisticexpertiseisprovidedbyProfessorJohnColeman’sgroupinOxford.

Theresearchersareworkingonthewordsfornumbersasthesehavethesamemeaninginanylanguage.Thelongestpathofdevelopmentsimulatedsofargoesbackwards8,000yearsfromEnglishonetoitsPIEancestoroinos,andlikewiseforothernumerals.Theyhavealso‘goneforwards’fromthePIEpenkwetothemodernGreekpente,modernWelshpimpandmodernEnglish five,aswellassimulatingchangefromModernEnglishtoAnglo-Saxon(orviceversa),andfromModernRomancelanguagesbacktoLatin.

“We’veexplicitlyfocusedonreproducingsoundchangesandetymologiesthattheestablishedanalysesalreadysuggest,ratherthanseekingtooverturnthem,”saysColeman,whoseresearchwasfundedbytheArtsandHumanitiesResearchCouncil.

Theyhavediscoveredwordsthatappeartocorrectly‘fallout’ofthecontinuum.“It’spleasing,notbecauseitoverturnsthereceivedwisdom,butbecauseitencouragesusthatwearegettingsomethingright,someofthetimeatleast.Andalongthewaytherehavealsobeenafewsurprises!”Themethodsometimesfollowspathsthatdonotseemtobeetymologicallycorrect,demonstratingthatthemethodisscientificallytestableandpointingtoareasinwhichrefinementsareneeded.

Remarkably,becausethestatisticsdescribethesoundofanindividualsayingtheword,theresearchersareabletokeepthecharacteristicsofpitchanddeliverythesame.Theycaneffectivelyturnthewordspokenbysomeoneinonelanguageintowhatitwouldsoundlikeiftheywerespeakingfluentlyinanother.

Theycanalsoextrapolateintothefuture,althoughwithcaveats,asColemandescribes:“Ifyoujustextrapolatelinearly,you’llreachapointatwhichthesoundchangehitsthelimitofwhatisahumanly

Time travelling to the mother tongue

FRENCHun

unoITALIAN

19 ResearchHorizons

reasonablesound.Thishashappenedinsomelanguagesinthepastwithcertainvowelsounds.ButifyouaskedmewhatEnglishwillsoundlikein300years,myeducatedguessisthatitwillbehardlyanydifferentfromtoday!”

Fortheteam,theexcitementoftheresearchincludesunearthingsomegemsofarchivalrecordingsofvariouslanguagesthathadbeengivenupfordead,includinganOldPrussianwordlastspokenbypeopleintheearly1700sbut‘borrowed’intoLowPrussiananddiscoveredinaGermanaudioarchive.

SPANISHsiete

setePORTUGUESE

ImagesSpectrogramsshowinghowtheshapeofthesoundofawordinonelanguagecanbemorphedintothesoundofthesamewordinanotherlanguage

Professor John [email protected]

Professor John ColemanOxfordUniversity [email protected]

Dr James [email protected]

Dr Carola-Bibiane SchönliebDepartmentofAppliedMathematicsandTheoreticalPhysicscbs31@cam.ac.uk

Medical imaging reshaped

The statistics of shape are not just being used to show how different languages relate to each – they are also being used to improve the analysis of medical images.

Justassoundwaveshaveashapethatcanbeanalysedusingstatistics,sodothepatternsofneuronsinteractingwitheachotherorthedimensionsofthesurfaceofatumour.Nowanewresearchcentrewilldeveloptoolsthatusethemathematicsoftheshapesfoundinmedicalimagestoimprovediagnosis,prognosisandtreatmentplanningforpatients.

TheCentreforMathematical andStatisticalAnalysisofMultimodalClinicalImaging,oneoffive‘maths’centresrecentlyfundedby £10millionfromEPSRC,isco-ledbyAstonandDrCarola-BibianeSchönliebfromtheDepartmentofAppliedMathematicsandTheoreticalPhysicsinCambridge.

“Thenewmethodologieswillallowclinicalmedicinetomovebeyondonepersonreadingsinglescans,toautomatedsystemscapableofanalysingpopulationsofimages,”explainsSchönlieb.“Asaresult,clinicianswillhavefargreaterscopetoaskcomplexquestionsofthemedicalimage.”

It’salreadypossibletoextractstatisticalinformationfromanimageofapatient’sthighbone,turnthedataintoatemplateforcomparisonwiththosefromotherpeopleinthepopulation,andthenaskwhetheraparticularshapeofboneismorepronetobeingbrokenthanothersintheelderly.

Mostorganscanssplittheimageintomanyelements,whicharethenanalysedvoxelbyvoxel.“Butcomplexstructuresliketheheartandthebrainshouldbeanalysedholistically,”explainsDrJamesRudd,fromtheDepartmentofMedicine,wholeadstheclinicalinteractionwiththeCentre.“Thetoolswearedevelopingwillenabletheanalysisoforganslikethebrainassingleobjectswithmillionsofconnections.”

TheCentrebringstogetherresearchersandcliniciansfromappliedandpuremaths,engineering,physics,biology,oncology,clinicalneuroscienceandcardiology,andinvolvesindustrialpartnersSiemens,AstraZeneca,Microsoft,GSKandCambridgeComputedImaging.

The longest path of development simulated so far goes backwards 8,000

years from English one to its PIE ancestor oinos

Theirworkhasapplicationsinautomatictranslationandfilmdubbing,aswellasmedicalimaging(seepanel),buttheprincipalaimisforthetechnologytobeusedalongsidetraditionalmethodsusedbyhistoricallinguiststounderstandtheprocessoflanguagechangeoverthousandsofyears.

“Frommypointofview,it’samazingthatwecanturnexcitingyethighlyabstractstatisticaltheoryintosomethingthatreallyhelpsexplaintherootsofmodernlanguage,”saysAston.

“Nowthatwe’vedevelopedmanyofthenecessarytechnicalmethodsforrealisingtheextraordinaryambitionofhearingancientsoundsoncemore,”addsColeman,“theseearlysuccessesareopeningupawiderangeofnewquestions,oneofthecentralbeinghowfarbackintimecanwereallygo?”

Credit:Allimag

es,Joh

nAs

ton

Things20

ThingsUncovering the afterlife of ancient Egypt

T his ‘recycled’ coffin bears an updated ‘cv’, a doodled eye and 3,000-year-old fingerprints, and is

one of the treasures revealing its hidden secrets thanks to new research at the Fitzwilliam Museum.

Goldenyellowandcoveredfromheadtotoeinbrighthieroglyphsinreds,greensandblues,thesetofcoffinsbelongingtoNespawershefytwasoneoftheveryfirstgiftstothecollectionattheFitzwilliamMuseum.ItwasgivenbytwomembersoftheUniversityin1822,justafewyearsaftertheMuseumwasfounded200yearsagothisyear. Theoutstandinglywell-preservedartefactscontainvaluablecluesastohowEgyptiancoffinsweremadeandtothemanwhocommissionedthem.Touncovertheirhiddensecrets,they’vebeenstudiedusingimagingtechniquesattheMuseum,theRadiologyDepartmentofAddenbrooke’sHospital,partofCambridgeUniversityHospitals,andtheDepartmentofEngineering. “Theresultswerestunningandyieldedahugeamountofinformation,”saysJulieDawson,HeadofConservationatthe

Museum.“Theinnercoffinboxismadeupofamultitudeofpiecesofwood,includingsectionsfromatleastoneoldercoffin.Woodwasapreciouscommodityandthecraftsmenwereincrediblyskilledatmakingthesecomplexobjectsfromsometimesunpromisingstartingmaterials.” Othersurpriseslayinwait:3,000-year-oldfingerprints,suggestingthatthecraftsmenmovedthelidoftheinnercoffinbeforethevarnishhaddried;newjobtitlesthatwereinscribedoveroldones,presumablyasNespawershefytroseinrankasaseniorofficial;andeventheodddoodleontheundersideofacoffinbox. Nespawershefytwasclearlykeentoprepareproperlyforhisafterlife.“Tous,thisseemslikeamorbidpreoccupation,”addsHelenStrudwick,EgyptologistattheMuseum.“Infact,itwasanobsessionwithlifeandanurgentwishtoensureitsperfectedcontinuation.”

The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge and is 200 years old this year.

www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

ResearchHorizons21Credit:Allimag

es,T

heFitzwilliam

Museu

m

ImageDifferentimagingtechniqueshavebeenusedtoanalyseNespawershefyt’scoffin

22

Why is Milton Keynes one of the most successful cities in the UK, and Dundee one of the least? What gives Leeds its economic edge over Liverpool? How

did London survive the 1990s recession, going from boom to bust and boom again? Researchers are asking these questions and many more in the largest ever analysis of what makes cities thrive.

Spotlight:Futureofcities

The rise and fall and rise of cities

rguably,everythingaboutMiltonKeynesisdeliberate:itssite,itstransport,itshousing,itsbusiness

sectors,itsjobs.Fromthemomentofits‘birth’in1967asoneofthecountry’s‘newtowns’,MiltonKeyneswasplannedasawhole.Overthepastthreedecades,ithasout-smartedeveryothercityintheUKintermsofitsannualaveragegrowthrateofoutputandemployment.

Meanwhile,mostofBritain’soldindustrialcities–Newcastle,Sheffield,Birmingham,GlasgowandLiverpoolamongthem–underwentadramaticslippageingrowthfromthebeginningofthe1980stothelate1990s.Althoughtheirdeclinehasslowed,theystilllagbehindthenationalaverageintermsofeconomicgrowth.

NotsoLondon.Afteryearsofrelativedecline,ithasexperiencedaturnaroundsincetheearly1990s,thankstoitsflourishingfinancialsectorandrapidlyexpandingbusinessservices.ItevenweatheredtherecentrecessionbetterthanalmostallotherpartsoftheUK.Ithasbecomeoneofthefastestgrowingpartsofcountry,andispredictedtopullfurtheraheadoftherestofthecountryinthenextdecade.

Thisstoryofa‘greatdivergence’openingupbetweencitiesisbeingplayedoutallacrosstheUK,aswellaselsewhereintheindustrialisedworld.IntheUSA,forinstance,thedownturninthefortunesofDetroitandClevelandstandinstarkcontrasttoboomcitieslikeSanFranciscoandBoston.RecenteffortsintheUKtorebalancetheeconomyhaveincludedthe‘NorthernPowerhouse’investmenttoboostManchester,Liverpool,Leeds,SheffieldandNewcastle.

“Citieshavealwayshadupturnsanddownturns.Butforthefirsttimeinhumanhistorymorethanhalfoftheworld’spopulationlivesincitiesandsonowmorethaneverit’simportanttounderstandwhatitisthatmakesacityflourish,”saysProfessorRonMartin.“Adaptabilityandresiliencemaybetoday’sbuzzwordsbutthisisthewaythatcities–andthosemakingpoliciesthataffectcities–needtothinktokeepthemworkingwell.”

Martinleadsamajorresearchprojectaimedatunderstandingtransitionsthroughboom,bustandausterityforUKcities,andthelessonsthatcanbelearnedfromthepast50yearsofeconomichistorythatmighthelpcitiesprepareforthedecadesahead.

Itwillbethelargesteveranalysisofthepost-industrialfortunesoftheUK’scities.ItbuildsonworkthatMartinandhisteamcarriedoutfortheUKGovernmentOfficefor

A

Professor Ron [email protected]

23 ResearchHorizons

14specialisms,withlifesciencescurrentlymovingintopoleposition.Thekeyistokeepbranchingintonewareas.”

Headds:“Thisshouldn’treallycomeasasurprise.It’sabitlikebuyingstocksandshares–youwouldn’tputallyourmoneyinonecompanybecauseyourisklosingeverything.Thesamegoeshere–youneedadiverseeconomicstructuretowithstandshockstothesystem.”

Beforethisstudy,however,thedatasimplywasn’tavailabletodrawthisconclusion.Martin’steamworkedwithCambridgeEconometrics,businessmanagementconsultants,whoarespecialistsinbuildingupcity-leveldatasetsfromlocaldata.

Now,withfundingfromtheEconomicandSocialResearchCouncil,theteamhasincreasedtoincluderesearchersattheUniversitiesofSouthampton,NewcastleandAston,andthedatasettheyarebuildingisthelargestofitskindeverconstructedfortheUK:thegrowth,employmentandeconomicstructureof75cities,forfourdecadesfrom1971,withhopeseventuallytolookbacktothemid-19thcentury.Tencitieshavebeenchosenforanin-depthanalysisoffirmdynamics,localgovernanceandpublicpolicy.

“Citieshavecometodominatehowwethinkandtalkabouteconomies,particularlyastheynavigatetheturbulentanduncertaincontextofausterityandeconomicreform,”saysMartin.“Thereislittledoubtthatcitiesfaceanunprecedentedandintensesetofeconomic,socialandenvironmentalchallenges.OurresearchaspartoftheFutureofCitiesprojectprovidedthefirstquantitativeevidencethatdifferentcitiesdemonstrateverydifferentcapacitiestocopewithandrespondtochallenges,andthattheseleadtodiverseeconomicoutcomes.”

It’stimely,headds,tobeconsideringwhatmakesacitythrive,giventheongoingdiscussionsbygovernmentonthebusinesscasefordevolvingcentralpolicydecisionsandbudgetstoregions.

“Inthiscontext,whilefiscaldevolutionisdesirable,differencesbetweencitiescouldassumegreatersignificance,”saysMartin.“Ifcitiesandregionstakemorecontrolofthepursestrings,theywillneedtoknowwherebesttoinvestresourcestohelpthemthrive.Thisresearchprogrammeisambitiousbutweareconfidentthatwewillbeabletoidentifyatleastsomeofthekeystocityeconomicsuccessandhowtomaintainthatsuccessovertime.”

Science(GoS)ForesightProjectontheFutureofCities–thebrainchildofGovernmentChiefScientificAdviser,ProfessorSirMarkWalport.

“CitiesmattertotheUK,”explainstheGoSFutureofCitiesproject.“TheyaretheconcentrationsoftheUK’spopulation,trade,commerce,culturalandsociallife.TheyarealsothesiteswheremostoftheUK’sfuturegrowth,bothpopulationandeconomic,isforecasttooccur.TheUK’sfutureisnowcloselylinkedtothatofitscities.”

Thefastestgrowingcitiesoverthepastthreedecadeshavebeenthoseinthesouthofthecountry,linkedwithadownturninmanufacturinginthenorthandanincreaseinserviceindustriesinthesouth.

“Manufacturingstillhappensofcourse,andisstillimportanttotheeconomyofmanyofourcities,”saysMartin.“Butthenumberofpeopleworkinginmanufacturinghasfallenoverthepast30yearsbecauseofincreasingefficiencyandproductivity,andtheriseofforeigncompetitors.”

“It’s a bit like buying stocks and shares – you wouldn’t

put all your money in one company because you

risk losing everything”

Theteam’sstudyfortheForesightProjectlookedat63citiesacrosstheUK.OnefindingwasthatthefastestgrowingcitiesoverthepastthreedecadeswerethenewtownslikeMiltonKeynesthathadbeendeliberatelyplannedanddevelopedthroughpost-warpublicpolicy.“Inthesecases,everythingtodowithanewsettlementcouldbethoughtaboutholistically–anargumentperhapsforfocusingonexpandedcitiesinthefuture.”

Butwhataboutoldindustrialisedcities?“There’sahugeinfrastructureinthesecitiesandalotoftalent,”saysMartin.“Wefoundthatwhereassomecitiesareexperiencingaworseningofeconomicinequalitiesandfailures,othershavemanagedtoreinventthemselvesbygrowingnewsectors–electronics,pharmaceuticals,finance,businesssupportservices.Thosecitiesthathadn’tmanagedtodiversify,reorientateandadapttheiremploymentsectorsfaredlesswell.”

MartincitesCambridgeasanexemplarofdiversification:“Cambridgeisinterestingbecauseitisoftenheldupasahigh-techclusterbutinfactyoucanidentifyaround

he cities of today are built with concrete and steel – but some T Cambridge researchers think that the cities of the future need to go back to nature if they are to support an ever-expanding population, while keeping carbon emissions under control.

Betweenthem,concreteandsteelareresponsibleforasmuchasatenthofworldwidecarbonemissions.Beforetheyeverreachaconstructionsite,bothsteelandconcretemustbeprocessedatveryhightemperatures–whichtakesalotofenergy.Andyet,ourcitiesarecompletelydependentonthesetwounsustainablematerials.

“IflybackandforthalotbetweentheUKandtheUS,andI’dbeenharbouringalotofguiltabouttheeffectthathadonmycarbonfootprint–I’dalwaysassumed,

asmanyofusdo,thatairtravelisahugecontributortocarbonemissions,”saysbioengineerDrMichelleOyenofCambridge’sDepartmentofEngineering.“Butthetruthis,whiletheemissionscausedbyairtravelaresignificant,farmorearecausedbytheproductionofconcreteandsteel,whichofcourseiswhatmostcitiesarebuiltfrom.”

Sowhatdoesthatmeanforcitiesofthefuture,asmoreandmoreofusliveinurbanareas?Howcanwecontinuetobuildwhilereducingcarbonemissions?

Whereassomeresearchersareinvestigatingwaysofproducingsteelandconcreteinmoreenergy-efficientways,orfindingwaysofusingless,Oyenwouldratherturnthetablescompletely,andcreatenewbuildingmaterialsthatarestrong,sustainableandtaketheirinspirationfromnature.

“Whatwe’retryingtodoistorethinkthewaythatwemakethings,”saysOyen.“Engineerstendtothrowenergyatproblems,whereasnaturethrowsinformationatproblems–theyfundamentallydothingsdifferently.”

Oyenworksinthefieldofbiomimetics–literally‘copyinglife’.Inherlab,withfundingsupportfromtheUSArmyCorpsofEngineers,sheconstructssmallsamplesofartificialboneandeggshell,whichcouldbeusedasmedicalimplants,orevenbescaledupandusedaslow-carbonbuildingmaterials.

Liketherealthings,artificialboneandeggshellarecompositesofproteinsandminerals.Inbone,theproportionsofproteinandmineralareroughlyequal–themineralgivesbonestiffnessandhardness,whiletheproteingivesittoughnessorresistancetofracture.While

24 Spotlight:Futureofcities

bonescanbreak,itisrelativelyrare,andtheyhavethebenefitofbeingself-healing–anotherfeaturethatengineersaretryingtobringtobiomimeticmaterials.

Ineggshell,theratiosaredifferent:about95%mineralto5%protein,buteventhissmallamountofproteinmakeseggshellremarkablytoughconsideringhowthinitis.

Whenmakingtheartificialboneandeggshell,themineralcomponentsare‘templated’directlyontocollagen,whichisthemostabundantproteinintheanimalworld.“Oneoftheinterestingthingsisthatthemineralsthatmakeupbonedepositalongthecollagen,andeggshelldepositsoutwardsfromthecollagen,perpendiculartoit,”saysOyen.“Soitmightevenbethecasethatthesetwocompositescouldbecombinedtomakealattice-typestructure,whichwouldbeevenstronger–there’ssomeinterestingsciencetherethatwe’dliketolookinto.”

Inherlab,Oyenandherteamhavebeenmakingsamplesofartificialeggshellandboneviaaprocessthatcouldbeeasilyscaledup–andsincetheprocesstakesplaceatroomtemperature,thesamplestakeverylittleenergytoproduce.Butitmaybesometimebeforewe’relivinginboneandeggshellhouses.

Forone,thecollagenthatOyenneedstomakethesematerialscomesfromnatural(meaninganimal)sources.Oneofthethingsshe’scurrentlyinvestigatingiswhetheranon-animal-derivedorevensyntheticproteinorpolymercouldbeusedinsteadofnaturalcollagen.

“Anotherissueistheconstructionindustryisaveryconservativeone,”Oyensays.“Allofourexistingbuildingstandardshavebeendesignedwithconcreteandsteelinmind.Constructingbuildingsoutofentirelynewmaterialswouldmeancompletelyrethinkingthewholeindustry.Butifyouwanttodosomethingreallytransformativetobringdowncarbonemissions,thenIthinkthat’swhatwehavetodo.Ifwe’regoingtomakearealchange,amajorrethinkiswhathastohappen.”

DrMichaelRamagefromtheDepartmentofArchitectureisanotherCambridgeresearcherwhobelievesweneedtoexpandouruseofnaturalmaterialsinbuildings.Ramagehasseveralongoingresearchprojectsthatarelookingintotheuseofwood–oneoftheoldestbuildingmaterialswehave– fortallbuildings.

WorkingwithPLPArchitectureandengineersSmithandWallwork,Ramagerecentlydeliveredplansforan80-storey,300mhigh,timberskyscrapertotheMayorofLondon.Theproposalscurrentlybeingdevelopedwouldcreatemorethan1,000residentialunitsina1millionsquare-foot,mixed-usetowerandmid-

riseterraces,integratedintotheBarbicanincentralLondon.

Likeothernaturalmaterials,theprimarybenefitofusingwoodasabuildingmaterialisthatitisarenewableresource,unlikeconcreteandsteel.Ramage’sresearchisalsoinvestigatingotherpotentialbenefitsofusingwoodfortallbuildings,suchasreducedcostsandimprovedconstructiontimescales,increasedfireresistanceandasignificantreductionintheoverallweightofbuildings.

“IfLondonisgoingtosurviveanincreasingpopulation,itneedstodensify,”saysRamage.“Oneway istallerbuildings.Webelievepeoplehaveagreateraffinityfortallerbuildingsinnaturalmaterialsratherthansteelandconcretetowers.Thefundamentalpremiseisthattimberandothernaturalmaterialsarevastlyunderusedandwedon’tgivethemnearlyenoughcredit.Nearlyeveryhistoricbuilding,fromKing’sCollegeChapeltoWestminsterHall,hasmadeextensiveuseoftimber.”

Thetallesttimberbuildingintheworldatthemomentisa14-storeyapartmentblockinBergen,Norway,butRamageforeseesfuturecitieswheretimberskyscraperssitalongsidethosemade ofconcreteandsteel.

“Futurecitiesmaynotlookawholelotdifferent–youmaynotknowimmediatelyifyouareinatimber,steelorconcretebuilding,”saysRamage.“Butcitiesmightbeawholelotquieter,asmosttimberbuildingsarebuiltoffsite,andthenjustassembledonsite,anduseroughlyafifthasmuchtrucktrafficasequivalentconcretebuildings.Inotherwords,whatneedstobedeliveredinfivetrucksforaconcretebuildingcanbedeliveredinonetruckforatimberbuilding.That’sanincredibleadvantage,forcost,forenvironment,fortrafficandforcyclists.”

“Thematerialpropertiesofboneandwoodareverysimilar,”saysOyen.“Justbecausewecanmakeallofourbuildingsoutofconcreteandsteeldoesn’tmeanweshould.Butitwillrequirebigchange.”

Dr Michelle Oyen DepartmentofEngineering

[email protected]

Dr Michael Ramage DepartmentofArchitecture [email protected]

25 ResearchHorizons

“Just because we can make all of our buildings out of concrete and steel doesn’t mean we should. But it will require big change”

Waterworld

lash floods, burst riverbanks, overflowing drains, contaminants leaching into waterways: some of

the disruptive, damaging and hazardous consequences of having too much rain. But can cities be designed and adapted to live more flexibly with water – to treat it as friend rather than foe? InDecember2015,StormDesmondhitthenorthoftheUK.Initswakecamefloods,themiseryofmuddy,pollutedwatersurgingthroughhomesandthedisruptionofclosedbusinesses,schoolsandroads.

Rapidurbangrowthandprogressivelyunpredictableweatherhavefocusedattentionontheresilienceofcitiesworldwidenotjusttoextremeevents,butalsotoheavier-than-normalrainstorms,andraisedquestionsastohowfloodriskcanbemanaged.

Thereisofcourseno‘one-size-fits-all’strategy.Forsomeareas,defenceisapossibility.Forothers,retreatistheonlyoption.“Butforthoseunabletodoeither,weneedtofundamentallyrewritetherulebookonhowweperceivewaterasahazardtotownsandcities,”saysEdBarsley,PhDstudentworkingwithDrEmilySointheCambridgeUniversityCentreforRiskintheBuiltEnvironment(CURBE).Barsleybelievesthatadaptationand

26

F


planningforresiliencecanprovideauniqueopportunityforincreasingthequalityoftownsandcities(seepanel).

DrDickFennerfromtheDepartmentofEngineeringagreesthatresiliencetowatershouldberegardedpositively.HeispartoftheUK-wideBlue–GreenCitiesproject,whichisdevelopingstrategiestomanageurbanfloodriskinwaysthatalsopaydividendsinmanyotherareas,through‘greening’thecity.“Wewanttoturnrainfallintoawin-win-winevent,”hesays.

Whenitcomestodealingwithfloods,oneofthemajordifficultiesthatmanycitiesfaceistheimpermeabilityofthebuiltenvironment.Inacitythatispaved,concretedandasphalted,surfacewatercan’tsoakawayquicklyandnaturallyintotheearth.

Newcastlecitycentre,forinstance,isaround92%impermeable,andhassufferedmajorfloodinginthepast.“The‘floodfootprint’ofthe2012‘ToonMonsoon’causedaround£129millionindirectdamagesand£102millioninindirectdamages,ripplingtoeconomicsectorsfarbeyondthephysicallocationoftheevent,”saysFenner.

“Traditionally,citieshavebeenbuilttocapturewaterrun-offinguttersanddrains,tobepipedaway.Butwhereisaway?Andhowbigwouldwehavetobuildthesepipesifthecitycan’tcope

“we need to fundamentally rewrite the rule book on how we perceive water as a hazard”

Credit:Ed

Barsley

27 ResearchHorizons

now?”headds.Theprincipalbehinda‘Blue–GreenCity’istocreateamorenaturalwatercycle–oneinwhichthecity’swatermanagementanditsgreeninfrastructurecanbebroughttogether.

Citiesworldwidearealreadytakinguptheconceptof‘greening’,usingpermeablepaving,bioswales(shallowditchesfilledwithvegetation),streetplanting,roofgardensandpocketparks.Greeninfrastructurebenefitshealthandbiodiversity,andcanhelpcombatrisingCO2levels,heatislandeffects,airpollutionandnoise.

“Notonlydotheyalsoprovideaplaceforwatertosoakaway,”saysFenner,“theycanevencreateresourcesfromwater–suchasgeneratingenergyfromthewaterflowthroughsustainabledrainagesystemsandprovidingplacesforamenityandrecreation.”

Ed BarsleyCURBE,[email protected]

Dr Dick FennerCentreforSustainableDevelopmentDepartmentofEngineeringraf37@cam.ac.uk

Dr Emily SoCURBE,[email protected]

Flood risk as a driver for change

While the Blue–Green Cities project focuses on urban drainage at times of normal to excessive rainfall, Ed Barsley is more concerned with helping communities consider the consequences of extreme events.

“Floodsaredevastatingintheirimpactandfloodriskisoftenseenasaburdentobeendured,”saysBarsley,“butfutureproofingandplanningforresiliencecanandshouldbeusedasadriverforincreasingthequalityofbuildings,streetsandneighbourhoods–achanceforexcitingchangeinourcities.”

Asacasestudy,BarsleyisusingthevillageofYaldinginKent,whichhasenduredphysical,economicandpsychologicalimpactsasaresultofflooding.

Helookedathoweachhouseinthevillagepreparedforandwasaffectedbyitsmostrecentflood,itslocationandbuildingmaterial,andevenitsmillimetrethresholdheight;andthenhelookedatfuturefloodriskscenarios.Theresultisamethodologyforassessingresiliencethatcanbeusedtohelpinformandplanforadaptation,andistransferabletoothercommunitieslargeorsmallacrosstheUKandworldwide.

“Whenwecommunicatedtheriskstothecommunity,wefoundthatresiliencemeansdifferentthingstodifferentpeople.Understandingprioritiescanhelpthemtailortheirownstrategytobecontextuallyappropriate,”explainsBarsley,whoisspecialadvisoronfloodriskintheSouthEasttoGregClarkMP,SecretaryofStatefortheDepartmentforCommunitiesandLocalGovernment.

Forhomesinwhichresistancemeasureslikefloodbarrierswillbeovercome,oneoptionmightbetoregardthelowerfloorasasacrificialspace–anareathatcanbefloodedwithoutdisruptingwaste,powerorwater.InYalding,thereareexamplesofhomeownerswhohavedonejustthisandaddedanextrastoreytotheirhomes.

“I’dliketoseeresiliencerewardedandforustobegintolivewithwaterinadifferentmanner.Embeddinglong-termresiliencehashugepotentialforcreatingvibrantandenrichingspaces.”

www.edbarsley.com

“the city’s water management and its green infrastructure

can be brought together”

toexplicitlycommittoablue–greenapproach,asrecommendedbytheresearch.Thehopeisthatotherlocalandnationalorganisationswillfollowsuit.

Embracingresilience,astheseorganisationsaredoing,isvitallyimportantwhendealingwithnaturalhazards,saysEmilySo,wholeadsCURBE:“Weshouldrememberthatfloodingisanaturalprocessandahazardweneedtolearntolivewith.Itisoftenthedisjointedconfigurationofthebuiltenvironmentthatresultsinitbeingarisktothecommunities.Ouraimshouldbetodesigntoreducetheimpactof,andourrecoverytimefrom,thisnaturalhazard.”

Fenneradds:“Continuingtodeliveraneffectiveandreliablewaterandwastewaterservicedespitedisruptivechallengessuchasfloodingishard,butvital;itrequirescontinuousand

Allwellandgoodbutwithalonglistofpotential‘clue–green’choices,andanequallylonglistofbenefits,howdocitieschoosethebestoptions?

OneofthemajoroutputsoftheBlue–GreenCitiesinitiativeisa‘toolbox’forauthorities,planners,businessesandcommunitiestohelpthemdecide.UsingNewcastleUniversity’sCityCatmodel,theteamassessedhowwellgreeninfrastructuresperformedinholdingbacksurfaceflows,andusednoveltracertechniquestofollowthemovementandtrappingofsedimentsduringintensestorms.Thentheymappedthebenefitsinageographicinformationsystem(GIS)toidentifyphysicallocationsthatare‘benefithotspots’.

ThetoolsweredevelopedbyevaluatingtheperformancebenefitsofgreeninfrastructuregatheredfromsitesinboththeUKandUSA.Aspartofarecent12-monthdemonstrationstudyinNewcastle,aLearningActionAlliancenetworkwassetupwithlocalstakeholdersthathas,saysFenner,ledtonewopportunitiesthatreflecttheprioritiesandpreferencesofcommunitiesandlocalresidents.

Now,NewcastleCityCouncil,theEnvironmentAgency,NorthumbrianWater,NewcastleUniversity,ArupandRoyalHaskoningDHVhavecombinedtobethefirstorganisationsinthecountry

dramaticinnovation.Inthefuture,wewillseefullywater-sensitivecities,wherewatermanagementissogoodthatit’salmostasifthecityisn’tthere.”

The Blue–Green Cities project is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), involves researchers from nine UK universities and is led by the University of Nottingham. A parallel project, Clean Water for All, funded by EPSRC and the National Science Foundation, connects the team with researchers in the USA.

www.bluegreencities.ac.uk

Happy Mondays28

ife in towns and cities can grind you down, but putting health and wellbeing at the centre

of new housing and infrastructure developments could make for happier, healthier citizens. “WhenamanistiredofLondon,heistiredoflife;forthereisinLondonallthatlifecanafford,”saidSamuelJohnsoninthe18thcentury.ForJohnson,therichtapestryofLondonlifeandthemyriadculturalassetsclearlyoutweighedanydownsidesofcitydwelling.

Forothers,though,citylifeisagrind.Publictransportisovercrowded,housepricesaresoaring,trafficisatgridlockanddieselfumeshangalmostperceptiblyintheair.Littlesurprise,then,thatpeopledobecometiredofLondon,evenifnotoflifeitself.

Evenifissuessuchasairpollutionaretakenoutoftheequation,livinginacitycanbebadforyourhealth,whichisnotgoodnewsconsideringthattheWorldHealthOrganizationestimatesthatby2017themajorityofpeoplewillbelivinginurbanareas.

L Astudypublishedin2014byDrManjinderSandhusuggestedthatincreasingurbanisationofruralareasinsub-SaharanAfricamightleadtoanexplosionoftheincidenceofstroke,heartdiseaseanddiabetes.Yes,movingtotownsandcitiesprovidesbetteraccesstoeducation,electricityandhospitals,buttownandcitydwellersbecomelessactive,theirworkbecomeslessphysicalandtheirdietsworsen.

“Ifthispatternisrepeatedacrosstheglobe–whichwethinkitwill–thenwecouldfaceanepidemicofobesity,diabetesandotherpotentiallypreventablediseases,”saysSandhu.“Localandnationalgovernmentsneedtotakethisintoconsiderationwhenplanninginfrastructuretotryandmitigatesuchnegativeeffects.”

Asfaras‘healthy’citiesgo,Cambridgehasalotgoingforit.Itspopulationhashigherthanaveragelevelsofeducationandisphysicallyactive:Cambridgehasbeennicknamed‘thecyclingcapitalofBritain’–thesightofbicyclesleaningagainstwallsisasiconicasthatofpuntspassingunderthe

(and every day)

“Commuting is a part of everyday life where people could include a bit more physical activity without

having to think about it very much or make time for it”


ImageAccordia–wheretheprovisionofmorecommunalthanprivateoutdoorspaceencouragespeopletointeract

Dr Jamie [email protected]

Dr David OgilvieUKCRCCentreforDietand ActivityResearchMRCEpidemiologyUnitdavid.ogilvie@mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk

Dr Manjinder [email protected]

Professor Koen [email protected]

29 ResearchHorizons

fromthelightinginofficespaces,throughtoeducationalopportunitiesforyoungpeoplefromdeprivedcommunitiesandtherestaurantswithinthevenue.

HIAsarecurrentlyvoluntary,butaresettobecomemandatoryforsignificantdevelopmentsacrosstheUKin2017,andcanhelparchitectsanddesignersimprovetheirsubmissionsforplanningapplication.Howeffectivethey’llbeisunclear,warnsAnderson.“Youmighthavesomereallystrongevidence,butthefinaldecisionisablendofopinionfromvariousstakeholders,soyoucouldendupwithawatered-downversionofwhat’sneeded.”

Heremainsoptimistic,however:“We’removingintherightdirection.Bybuildingconsiderationofhealthandwellbeingintotheplanningprocess,itshouldraisethebarandhopefullywewillseemanymorecyclelanes,moreinvitingandbetteroptionsforactivetransport,andmaybefewerfast-foodshops.”

“Idon’tknowwhatmakesmestay/Thecitylifejustain’tthesame,”sangNewOrder,oneofFactoryRecord’sbestknownsignings,in2001.PerhapstheworkofCambridgeresearcherswillhelpmakecitiesattractive–andhealthy–placestostay.

BridgeofSighs.Butasthecityexpandsandhousepricesrocket,moreandmorepeoplearelivinginneighbouringvillagesandtowns,wherecyclingtoworkalongwinding,congestedcountrylanescanbelessappealingthandriving.

In2011,theworld’slongestguidedbuswayopened,connectingCambridgewithnearbyHuntingdonandStIvesalongaformerrailwayline.Anintegralpartofthebuswaywasacyclepathalongitsroute–andthisappearstohavehelpednudgepeopleintherightdirection.AstudyledbyDrDavidOgilviefromtheMedicalResearchCouncil(MRC)EpidemiologyUnitfoundthat,amongpeoplewhocommutedintoCambridgefromwithina30kmradius,thosewholivedclosertothebuswayweremorelikelytoincreasetheamountof‘active’commutingtheydid,particularlycycling.

“Commutingisapartofeverydaylifewherepeoplecouldincludeabitmorephysicalactivitywithouthavingtothinkaboutitverymuchormaketimeforit,”saysOgilvie.“Whennewinfrastructureintegratesopportunitiesforwalkingandcycling,weseepeopleshiftingtheircommutingbehaviour.”

Ogilvie’sresearchis,hesays,“contributingbricksofevidencetoawallthat’sslowlybeingassembledfromacrosstheworldofthehealthbenefitsofinvestingintothiskindofinfrastructure.”Whilesuchbenefitsareoftenalludedtoinbusinesscases,untilnowtheevidencetosupportthemhasbeenlimited.

Therearewaystointegratemorepedestrian-friendlyenvironmentsinexistinginfrastructure,hesays,citingexamplessuchasthoseintheNetherlands–nowbeingintroducedinsomeareasofLondon–wheretrafficisslowedtowalkingpaceandthedivisionsbetweenpavementandroadaredeliberatelyblurred,cuingdriverstosharethespace.

Withmorethoughtfulurbanplanning,Ogilviesays,itshouldbepossibletodesigntownsandcitiesasenvironmentsthatpromotenotjustphysicalactivity,butimprovedhealthandwellbeing–“inshort,aplacewherepeoplewanttolive”.

“Sprawlingcitieswithretailparksonthefringesarenotconducivetodoingyourshoppingonfoot,”hesays.“Peoplearemorelikelytowalkandcyclearoundtheirneighbourhoodifitissafe,wellconnectedandhasgoodlocalamenities.Andgettingpeopleoutonthestreetsnotonlygetsthemactive,italsoincreasessocialinteractionsandasensethatit’ssafetobeonthestreets.”

DrJamieAndersonfromtheDepartmentofArchitectureisalsointerestedintherelationshipbetweenthebuiltenvironmentandourbroader

wellbeing.AspartofhisPhDprojectwithProfessorKoenSteemers(Architecture)andProfessorFeliciaHuppert(DepartmentofPsychology),hedidastudyofanotherCambridgeinitiative,thehousingdevelopmentknownasAccordia.

Sincethefirstresidentsmovedintotheirhomesinthemid-noughties,Accordiahaswonnumerousprizes,includingtheRoyalInstituteofBritishArchitectsStirlingPrize,foritsinnovativemixingofprivateandpublicspaces.Yetsurprisingly,saysAnderson,noonehaddoneadetailedstudyoftheimpactonitsresidents.

OneoftheinterestingapproachestakenbyAccordiawastofocusoncommunalspacesratherthanprivategardens:onlyoneinfivehomeshasitsowngarden.GiventhestereotypeoftheBritishasaveryprivatepeople,howdidpeoplerespond?Didpeoplespendtimechattingoutdoorswiththeirneighbours,ordidtheyshutthemselvesawayanddrawthecurtains?

Theresults,explainsAnderson,weremixed.Whileonemiddle-agedcouplemissedhavingtheirowngardenandwerenowonalongwaitinglistforalocalallotment,onemotherdescribedthecommunalgardensas“cruciallyimportant”:shehadsufferedfrompostnataldepressionand,withherhusbandawayatworkallday,shetoldAndersonthatshe“wouldn’thavegotthroughherdepression”withouttheinteractionsthattheadjacentcommunalareasprovided.

“Intermsofbehavioursthatweassociatewithphysicalhealthandpositivementalhealth–sopeopleinteractingwitheachother,childrenoutplaying,forexample–wefoundclearpositiveassociationswithAccordia’soutdoorneighbourhoodspaces,”headds,“butwhenwelookedatpeople’ssubjectivewellbeing,itwasn’tasclearcut.”

WithAccordia,Andersonwasevaluatinganalreadyestablisheddevelopment,buthenowhasachancetoinfluenceaprojectattheplanningstage.PartoftheChancelloroftheExchequer’svisionofa‘NorthernPowerhouse’willseea£110millionculturevenueinManchesternamedTheFactoryaftertheeponymousrecordcompanybehindsuchiconicbandsasJoyDivisionandHappyMondays.

UnderafellowshipfromtheEngineeringandPhysicalSciencesResearchCouncil,Anderson,incollaborationwithengineeringfirmBuroHappold,iscarryingoutaHealthImpactAssessment(HIA)oftheproposednewsite,lookingatfactorsthatmightinfluencehealthandwellbeing,

“the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s vision of a ‘Northern Powerhouse’ will see a £110 million

culture venue in Manchester named The Factory after the eponymous record company”

30

The Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction is building on advances in sensing technology to learn

everything possible about a city’s infrastructure – its tunnels, roads, bridges, sewers and power supplies – in order to

maintain it and optimise its use for the future.

How does your smart city grow?

Spotlight:FutureofcitiesCredit:Crossrail

Dr Ruchi ChoudharyCSIC,[email protected]

Professor Lord Robert [email protected]

Dr Jennifer [email protected]

31 ResearchHorizons

havetobecompletelyreplaced,asiscommonpractice,whichnotonlysavedthecompany£6millionandsixmonthsinaddedprojecttime,butalsowonthecompanyasustainabilityprizeforavoidingpouringthemassiveamountsofconcreterequiredforcompletelynewpiledfoundations.

AnotherCSICprojectmaximisingthevalueofexistinginfrastructureisonethatislookingtoextracttheheatfromtheLondonUndergroundtoheatandcoolthebuildingsaboveit.ResearchersinDrRuchiChoudhary’sgroupintheDepartmentofEngineeringaremodellingtheamountofheatthatcanbeextractedfromtheTube,howmanybuildingscanbeheatedorcooled,andhowthatmightbeaffectedbyfutureclimatechange.Thesegeothermalsystemsofferapotentialenergy-efficientcoolingsolutioncomparedwithenergy-intensiveconventionalcooling.

“Acity’sinfrastructuregeneratesmanywastestreams:theheatgeneratedintheLondonUndergroundisaclassicexample,leadingtoseverelyoverheatedTubestations,”saysChoudhary.“Simulationmodelsallowustoquantifythewasteenergythatcanbeusefullyharnessedthroughgeothermalboreholes,whichmakesitpossibletodemonstratefeasibilityandthebenefitsofoperatingourinfrastructureinmoresynergisticways.”

“Ifthere’sonethingwereallyexcelatinthiscountry,it’smakingourVictorianinfrastructure–suchasthatdesignedbyJosephBazalgette–workwell,”addsSchooling.“Weneedtothinkaboutthevaluethatinfrastructurebringstoourcities,whichwillhelpusfigureoutwhereandwhenweshouldbemakingnewinvestments,andwhatimpactthatwillhaveonacity.Ifwereallyunderstandourinfrastructurethroughdata,there’sahugeopportunitytoreallymakeadifferencetohowourcitiesperforminthefuture.”

AddsMair:“Ourcitieswilldefinethefutureofsociety,andsmartcityinfrastructureequippedwithmodernsensorsisessentialtoachievetherequiredtransformationalimpact.”

tcanbetoughgettingpeopleexcitedaboutinfrastructurebecauseweoftendon’tnoticeituntilsomething

goeswrong.Weexpecttoturnonthetapandhaveclean,drinkablewatercomeout.Weexpecttheundergroundtowork.Weexpecttoflickaswitchandhavethelightscomeon.

ButjustthinkhowdifferentexpectationswereforpeoplelivinginVictorianLondon.The‘GreatStink’in1858,causedbyuntreatedhumanandindustrialwasteflowingdirectlyintotheThames,ledtonear-constantcholeraoutbreaks.Eventually,thesmellintheHousesofParliamentbecamesobadthatthewindowshadtobecoveredwithheavycurtains,whichgoadedthepoliticiansofthedayintoaction.EngineerJosephBazalgettecametotherescuebycreatingasewernetworkforcentralLondon,whichrelievedthecityfromcholeraepidemics.

Fast-forward150years,andLondon,andtherestoftheUK,isgenerallyinfairlydecentshapeinfrastructure-wise.However,literalandfigurativecracksarerapidlyappearing.TheLondonInfrastructurePlan2050,launchedin2014,statesthatthecapitalshouldbeabletoaccommodateitsgrowth,atleastuntil2025,withinexistingboundaries,butestimatesthat£1.3trillionwillneedtobeinvestedinthecity’sinfrastructurebetween2014and2050,anamountmorethanhalfoftheUK’scurrentGDP.

“Infrastructure,bothexistingandfuture,isofparamountimportanceforsupportingeconomicgrowthandproductivity–andsowemustanticipateandplaneffectivelyforthechangingneedsofsociety,”saysProfessorLordRobertMairofCambridge’sDepartmentofEngineering.

“Wecan’tjustbuildourwayoutofthis–wesimplydon’thaveenoughspace,”addsDrJenniferSchooling,DirectoroftheCambridgeCentreforSmartInfrastructureandConstruction(CSIC).“Wehavetousetheexistinginfrastructurewe’vegotandgetmoreandmoreoutofit,andwhenit’sappropriate,wecanbuildnewinfrastructurealongsidethat.”

CSIC,anInnovationandKnowledgeCentrejointlyfundedbytheEngineeringandPhysicalSciencesResearchCouncilandInnovateUK,workstobridgethegapbetweenUniversityresearchandindustryintheareaof‘smart’infrastructure.

Thankstotechnologicaladvancesoverthepasttwodecades,sensorscannowbeembeddeddirectlyintothefabricofourcities,providingvaluableinformationaboutthe‘health’ofaparticularroad,tunnel,bridge,building,

oranyotherpieceofinfrastructure.Thisinformationcanhelpidentifyproblemsbeforetheybecomeserious,andhelpgetthemostoutofexistinginfrastructure,whichisparticularlyimportantinasmall,crowdedcountryliketheUK.

CSICworkswithdifferentcompaniesandorganisationsthroughoutthecomplexinfrastructuresupplychain:fromownersandoperators,designersandbuilders,tocontractorsandmaintenancepersonnel,helpingthemmaximisethepotentialofsensingtechnologyand,byextension,thatoftheinfrastructurewerelyoneveryday.

Sinceitwasfoundedin2011,CSIChasbuiltupanetworkofmorethan40industrypartners,includingsomeofthebiggestcompaniesintheconstructionindustry,includingLaingO’Rourke,ArupandAtkins.IthasalsoworkedonsomeofthelargestinfrastructureprojectsintheUK,suchasCrossrailandtheNationalGridpowertunnels.

I

“Infrastructure is of paramount importance

for supporting economic growth and productivity”

“Becausetheconstructionindustryisjudgedonreliabilityandsafety,itisaconservativeone,andsowehavetoreallydemonstrateourtechnologiesandapproaches,toshowthattheywork,”saysSchooling.“Aconservativeindustryfindsitdifficulttograbholdofcomplexprojects,andsowe’veworkedreallyhardtodevelopconsistentmethodologiessothatwecantrainindustrytousethetechnologieswe’vedeveloped.”

OneofCSIC’smajorindustrypartners,theconstructionanddevelopmentcompanySkanska,hasrecentlyestablishedtheirowncompanythatwillmakeCSIC-developedtechnologyavailablecommercially,afterhavingsuccessfullyuseditonaprojecttheyrecentlyundertookinLondon.Thecompanywasdemolishinga12-storeybuildingtoreplaceitwitha16-storeybuildingincentralLondon,ontopofacomplexsubterraneanweboftunnels,transport,foundations,sewersandmore.

SkanskaworkedwithCSICtoembedfibreopticsinthebuildingpilefoundationsbeforeitwasdemolishedtodeterminewhethertheexistingpilescouldbeusedagainorhadtobecompletelyreplacedtosupportthenewbuilding.Thefibreopticdatashowedthatthefoundationsdidnot

32 Spotlight:Futureofcities

ities exist in a state of constant flux: not always ‘smart’ and successful, they can be

vulnerable, chaotic and seem on the edge of failure. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the shanty towns and slums. How can these informal settlements, and the wider city, be helped to succeed?

DrFelipeHernándezwasbornandraisedinCali,Colombia’sthirdbiggestcityandoneofthecountry’smostdangerous–rivenbyfightingbetweendrugtraffickinggangsandthegrindingpovertyofitsshantytowns.OneofthemostviolentneighbourhoodsisPotreroGrandealongtheCaucaRiver.“WhenIwasachildIneverwenttothesettlementsalongthebank,althoughtheywereonlynineortenmilesaway.Theyhadareputationforbeingdangerous.IttookseveralyearsandsomegeographicaldistanceformetoseehowdeeplydividedCaliwasthenandremainstoday.Asrecentlyas1997,thecity’smostprestigiousclubdeniedmembershiptoBlackpeople.”

C

Living on the edge

ImageForthoselivinginshantytownsandslums,neutralspaceslikethismakeshiftbasketballcourtcanofferplacesofsafetyinalifeofmultipledeprivations

thediversity.Planningandarchitecturehaveanimportantroletoplayinthis.” Hernándezagrees:“Itseemsclearthatcitieswillcontinuetoattractpeoplefromruralareasandthatpocketsofpovertywillpersist.Peoplewhoarriveatcitiesfrequentlyencounterafunctioningsystemtowhichtheyareperipheralandfromwhichtheyaremarginalised.Inevitably,thereareconflictsbetweentheestablishedpopulationandthenewarrivals.Andwhenpeoplefromdifferentcommunitiesarethrowntogetherinthesameslumconditions,theresultcanbeviolence.” “Infact,conflictisaspartofthehumanconditionascitybuilding,”addsPullan,whoisworkingonabookonthenatureofurbanconflictbasedonherresearchfundedbytheEconomicandSocialResearchCouncil. “Wehavetofindbetterwaysoflivingwiththeconflict–usingandchannellingitinaconstructiveway,ratherthanthinkingwecanremoveitorbanishit,”shesays.“Theurbantopography–thecity’sstreetsandcourtyards,roadsandrooftops,towerblocksandslums,andalloftheactivitieswithinthem–areasmuchapartoftheproblemastheyareapartofthesolution.Whenwedesigncitiesweneedtounderstandthesociopoliticalprocessesatplayandthepotentialforflashpoints.” WhenHernándezandhisteamlookedmorecloselyatthedynamicsofCali,theymadeanimportantdiscovery:“Wemappedtheinvisibleboundariesoftheseareasandwediscoveredthattherewereneutralspaces–thechurch,theschool,anadulttrainingcentreandsportsfields–whichsometimescutacrossthedivides. “Armedgangscontroltheneighbourhoods.OnSundays,however,thegangmembersputdownthegunsandplayedfootballtogether.” Hesuggeststhatcarefulplanningcancapitaliseonthesesafezones,creatingandconnecting“corridorsofconflictsuspension”toformalandscapewiththepotentialforsafermobility. HisteamworksinpartnershipwithpractitionersandresearchersinColombia,Mexico,IndonesiaandtheUSA.Oneofthecentraltenetsoftheprojectistheconceptofarticulation.“Weusetheterm‘articulatory’todescribeafluidapproachtotheinteractionbetweentheinformaleconomyandthedominantsystems,”hesays.“Intermsofplanningandarchitecture,thisapproachmightmeanlookingatthewaysinwhichpeoplebuildtheirhousesanduseland,anditalsomeansreflectingonhowproductiveactivitiescanbesupported.” ForHernández,aprojectundertakeninQuerétaro,Mexico,hadprovedasteeplearningcurvefortheirresearchinColombia.Heexplains:“I’dtakenateam

33 ResearchHorizons

VariousschemeshavebeeninitiatedtoregulatethedevelopmentofCaliandaddressthelevelsofviolenceinitsnotoriouspoorerdistricts.Althoughtheseschemeshavecommendableobjectives,andvaluableaspects,theyfailtotakepeople’slivedexperiences,especiallytheirsocialnetworksandproductivecapacity,intoaccount. AsHernándezsays:“Teachingmusictopoorchildrenisusefulbecauseitgetsthemoffthestreets.Butwhathappenswhentheygrowupandneedtoearnaliving?Howmanychildrenhavetheopportunitytofollowacareerinmusic?InacitycalledPereira,therewasaproposaltotrainacommunityincarpentry,butthepeoplewhomighthavebenefitedhavenotraditionofworkingwithwood,insteadtheywerefarmers.” Overthepastnineyears,Hernández,fromtheDepartmentofArchitecture,hasconcentratedhisresearcheffortsonpovertyandmarginalisationinLatinAmerica.In2013,heestablishedCitiesSouthofCancer–agroupdedicatedtoresearchingtheurbanenvironmentinthesouthernhemisphere.ItsparticipantsincludefourPhDcandidatesinCambridge,amongthemAngelaFranco,formerPro-ViceChancellorforResearchatUniversidaddelValleinCali,wholeftherpositiontoundertakeresearchinurbanredevelopmentsupervisedbyHernández. Hernándezhaslooked,inparticular,attheexpandinginformalsettlements–slumsandshantytownsonthemarginsofcities–whicharehometothedisempoweredanddispossessed.Whereyouliveplaysalargepartinshapingyourdestiny;hugestigmaisattachedtothetermsslumandshantytown.InthecourseofresearchingoneofthebarriosofMedellíninColombia,forexample,Hernándezdiscoveredthatresidentsoftendenythattheylivethere.Yetitisintheselargelyunplannedurbansettingsthatmillionsofpeoplehave,forgenerations,lived,workedandbroughtuptheirchildren.Globally,anestimatedonebillionpeopleliveinslumslackingbasicinfrastructure,andtheUnitedNations(UN)predictsthatthisnumbercouldrisetothreebillionby2050ascitiesgrowandthenumbersofnationalandinternationalmigrantsincrease. Informalsettlementsandtheinfluxofmigrantshaveoftenbeenseenasproblemstobesolved.However,diversityandafluxofpeopleisgoodforcities,saysDrWendyPullan,wholeadstheCentreforUrbanConflictsResearchintheDepartmentofArchitecture.“Citiesdemanddiversity.Itmakesthemrobustandflexible–placesthatcanthriveandprosper.Thequestionishowtosupporttheactivitiesofcommunitiesandencouragesocialcohesionwithoutlosing

“When I was a child I never went to the settlements along the bank, although they were only nine or ten miles away. They had a reputation for being dangerous”

Credit:MarcinGab

rukon

flickr

34

ofundergraduateandPhDstudentsoutfromCambridgetoworkwithaMexicanarchitecturalgroup,TallerActivo.Together,we’dorganisedworkshopsinthelocalcommunityand,withlocalpeople,webuiltthreedifferentbuildingsinthesameneighbourhoodwiththeobjectiveofhelpingtoarticulatedifferentaspects,andareas,ofthecommunity.”Oneofthesebuildings–asharedresourcewithakitchen–wasparticularlysuccessfulandwonfirstprizeintheServiciosyAsistenciaPúblicacategoryofthe2014CEMEXAwards. Hebelievesthatacademiaoccupiesaprivilegedpositiontoaddressthesubjectofurbanprogrammesthataresustainedoverlongperiodsandareadaptivetomarginalisation.“Universitiesarevitallyimportantrepositoriesofknowledgeandexperience,largelyunaffectedbythepressurestogeneraterevenuethatdriveprivate-sectorparticipation.” Academicresearchcanprovidesustainedexpertadviceinthecontinuousprocessofbuildingcities.CitiesSouthofCancerhasalreadygeneratedasubstantialbodyofknowledgeonanumberofcitiesinthedevelopingworld,andamethodologythatcouldhelpmanyothersaroundtheworld. WorkingwithlocaluniversitiesinCaliandBogotáinColombia,histeamproducedamapofactivitiesthat,althoughtheymightoperateoutsideformalstructuresandnotpaytaxes,makea

positivecontributiontotheeconomy,andhaverealpotentialforgrowth.Researchofthiskindalsoquestionstheconventionalcategoriesofemployedandunemployed:peoplewhoareofficiallyunemployedmaywellbeparticipatinginproductiveactivitiesoutsidetheformaleconomy. OneexamplethatHernándezgivesforCaliissandextraction,anactivitythatprovidesalivingforlargenumbersofpeople.CommunitieslivingontheCaucaRiverhavebuiltmachinestoextractsandthatistransportedtoconstructionsites–whereitenterstheformaleconomy.Thesesamepeoplehaveestablisheddwellingsandbusinessesonafloodplainwherethereisdangerofinundation.Becausetheyhavebuiltsturdyhouses(concreteandbrick),oftenonstilts,drowningaccidentsarerare.Notsurprisingly,theownersofthesehousesandbusinessesdon’twanttobemovedawayfromtheriverastheywouldbeseparatedfromtheirworkplacesandtheirlong-standingcommunity. OntheperipheryofCali,peoplelivingalongtheCaucaRiver,inDistrict21,keepcows,pigsandgoatsformilkandmeat.Atpresent,meatfromthisareaentersthemarketsurreptitiously,andwasteisdisposedhaphazardlyintotheriver.Hernándezarguesthat,becausetheseactivitieshaveestablishedsocialstructures,theycouldbedevelopedrelativelyeasily:qualitycontrolscouldbeestablishedandtheenvironmentalfootprintcouldbereduced,maximisingbenefitsforthelocalcommunitiesandthecityatlarge. Similarly,animalsandplantationskeptbypeoplealongtheriverbankalsopresentanopportunity.Theentireseven-mileriverbankcouldbetransformedintoaproductivelinearpark,thusrecuperatingtheriverforthecity.Hesays:“Aparkofthiskindcouldbeaplacewherechildrengotobecomemoreinvolvedintheproductionoffoodandlearnaboutrearinganimals.Insteadofmaintainingcurrentsocioeconomicdivisions,thisformofurbanarticulationwouldbringtwo‘distant’communitiestogether,contributingtothesearchforpeace.” Here,thereisasubtleemphasisonbuildingthe‘urbancommons’–areas

“A productive approach is to support the positive activities that thrive in these settlements, and create ways of connecting them to the formal economy”

ImageMakingalivingwithsmallbusinessesinMedellín,Colombia


35 ResearchHorizons

ofcollectiveownershipandresourcemanagement–inwaysthatbenefitthepoor,signallinganapproachtoslumsthatisneitheraboutgutsysurvivalismnorabouthandouts.ThisapproachisdevelopedbyProfessorAshAmin,fromtheDepartmentofGeography,inhisnewbookwithProfessorSirNigelThrift,Seeing Like a City(Polity2016). Currently,arguesAmin,slumsandinformalsettlementstendtogetnarratedeitherasuncongenialspaceswherepeopleonverylowincomesfacemultipledeprivations–illhealth,insecurity,violenceandharassment–orasspacesofhardshipnegotiatedsuccessfullybyenterprisingresidentsandentrepreneurialcapability,fromwheretheruralpoormaybegintheirjourneytowardsbecomingmiddleclass. Slowly,however,arguesAmin,“anewlanguageoffacilitationisbeingusedbyinstitutionslikeUN-Habitat,whoseektoidentifyhowthepoorcanbeenabledtoparticipateinandderivebenefitfromtheurbangrowthmachineofthelargercity.Thismightbethroughimprovingaccesstogoodsandservices,jobsandopportunities,informationandknowledge,orskillsandcapabilities.” Aminthinksthatthislanguageoffacilitationshouldbepushedmuchfurtherthanthecurrentpolicyemphasisonharnessingthecapabilitiesofthepoorasawayofdealingwiththechallengesofslumlivinganddebilitatinginformality. “Thereisaneedforinternationalpolicyonpovertyreductiontostopromanticisingslums–counteringthehyperboleofblockbusterfilmslikeSlumdog Millionaire –andtogetbehindthe‘capabilities’ofthepoorinunderservedcitieslefttofendforthemselves,”saysAmin.“Whatthismeansisofferingthepoorasetofinfrastructuralrightsofaccesstothestaplesoftheurbancommons–water,electricity,basichealthcareandeducation,sanitation,andthelike–alongwithrightstobasicincome,sothatthegroundforthemoreactiveparticipationofmarginalisedcommunitiesincitylifecanbepreparedonasustainablebasis.” Inthisway,slums(andthosewhodwellinthem)canbeseenbygovernmentsandpolicymakersas‘enabled’spaces–much

inthesamewayascitiesareofferedtoelitesandmiddleclasses.Neitherneglectednorsweptawayinwholesaleclearances,butupgradedinwaysthatallowcollectivelifetoflourishatlowcostandwithconsiderablegains,accordingtoAmin. Hernándezarguesthattheformalandinformaleconomiesarenotseparateentitiesbutmeshedtogether–andthatthisfluidityrepresentsanopportunity.Hesaysthatamoreproductiveapproachistosupportthepositiveactivitiesthatthriveinthesesettlements,andtocreatewaysofconnectingthemtotheformaleconomy. SlumsmightnotexistinthedevelopedworldonthesamescaleasinthedevelopingworldbutinteractionbetweenformalandinformalactivitiesappliesasmuchinLondonorNewYorkasinBogota.“We’retalkingaboutthesamekeyissue,”explainsHernández,“ofpeoplefindingwaystomakealivinghowevertheycan.” “Itistheweavingtogetherincitiesofhumans,technologiesandinfrastructuresthatgivescitiestheirworld-makingpower,”addsAmin.“Inpastcities,leadershaveunderstoodthiscollectiveagency;contemporarypolicymakersneedtoreturntothequestionofhowthematerialandhumaninterdependenciesthatconstituteurbanprovisioningsystemscanbeharnessedforthemanyandnotjustthefew.Thecityisbrimfullofopportunitywhenitisorganisedasacommons.”

Professor Ash [email protected]

Dr Felipe Herná[email protected]

Dr Wendy [email protected]

“There is a need for international policy on poverty reduction to stop romanticising slums”

Credit:Alejan

droAran

goonflickr

rom wind turbines and solar photovoltaics to grey water recycling and electric vehicles,

technology is making it ever easier for us to be green – yet many of us are not. Now, Cambridge researchers are discovering that our personalities and communities have a major impact on our environmental decisions, opening up new ways to ‘nudge’ us into saving energy and carbon. Forthoseofuswhopayfuelbills,savingenergybyinsulatingourhomesorperhapsinstallingsolarpanelsseemstomakeperfectsense.Itsavesmoney,thereforeasrationalhumanbeingswhydon’twealldoit?

It’saquestionthatpreoccupiesDrFranzFuerstfromtheDepartmentofLandEconomy.“Ifyoujustfollowthebottomline,youshouldseealotmoreinvestmentinenergyefficiencypurelyfromaprofit-maximisingperspective.Andweshouldseeevenmoreifwetakethecostsofclimatechangeintoaccount.Whyit’snothappeningisapuzzlethatkeepsmeawakeatnight,”headmits.

Fascinatedtofindthefactorsatplay,FuerstandhiscolleagueAnteBusic-Sonticstartedsupplementingtheireconomicmodelswithinsightsderivedfrompsychology.

36

F Accordingtotheirnewlydevelopedtheoreticalframework,ourpersonalities–asdescribedbythe‘BigFive’personalitytraitsofOpenness,Conscientiousness,Extraversion,AgreeablenessandNeuroticism–haveamajorinfluenceonourdecisionsaboutinvestinginenergyefficiencybecauseofthewaytheyrelatetoourattitudestoriskandtheenvironment.

Toprovideevidenceforthetheory,theyanalyseddatafromtheUnderstandingSocietysurvey(previouslycalledtheBritishHouseholdPanelSurvey),whichsince2009hassurveyedsome50,000householdsand100,000individualseveryyear.“It’sarichdatasetthatcapturesallpossibleindicatorsforahousehold,includingenergyefficiencydecisionsandattitudesaswellaspersonalitytraits,”saysFuerst.

Theyfoundthatpersonalitytraitsmatterintermsofinvestmentdecisionsinenergyefficiency,evenwhencontrolledfordriverssuchasincome,genderandeducation,althoughsomepersonalitytraitsaremorestronglyassociatedwithinvestmentdecisionsthanothers.

“Makinganyinvestmentisalmostalwaysariskyundertaking.Thisisparticularlytrueformanyenergyefficiencyinvestmentsthatrequireupfrontcapitalexpenditurewhiletheactualenergysavingsandpayback

periodsoccuratalatertime,whichintroducesrisk.Butwhatisconsideredanacceptablelevelofriskdifferswidelyacrosspeopleandhouseholds.”

Thismakesattitudestowardriskaninterestingfactortoconsiderwhenexplainingenergyefficiencyinvestmentdecisions.“Openness,whichisgenerallyrelatedtolowerriskaversion,hasadistinctimpactoninvestmentbehaviourandisourstrongesttrait,”heexplains.“NeuroticismandAgreeablenessleadpeopletobemoreriskaverse,whileExtraversionhasapositiveassociationwithrisk.Conscientiousnessinsteadshowsonlyaweakimpactoninvestmentbehaviourthroughtheriskchannel.”

Theyalsofoundsizeabledifferencesbetweenpersonalitytraitsandenvironmentalattitudesandthesamepersonalitytraitsandactualinvestmentoutcomes.“Wefindthatwithrisingincome,personalitytraitsbecomemoreimportantasfactorsthatdeterminegreeninvestment.Yourpersonalitytraitsdon’tgetachancetomanifestthemselvesifyoulackthemoneytoinvest.”

Givenpolicymakers’limitedsuccessinencouragingmoreofustoinvestinenergyefficiency,understandinghowpersonalityaffectsthesedecisionscouldhelpusdevelopmoreeffectivepoliciesandincentives,Fuerstbelieves.


37 ResearchHorizons

“Becauseperceivedriskandriskaversionarethetwokeymediatingfactors,thereisscopefordevelopingmorebespokefinancialproductsthatareattractiveifyouhaveaverylowappetiteforrisk.”

Thereisalreadyarangeoffinancingoptionsavailablethatinvolvetransferringsomeoralloftheinvestmentriskfromthepropertyownertoaprivateorpublicsectorthirdpartybutthesearecurrentlyfocusedonlargerorganisationsandbusinessesandhaveyettoberolledouttohouseholdsonalargescale.Additionally,informationcampaignscanhelptoincreasetheawarenessamongtheriskaversethatthe‘donothing’optionisbynomeansrisk-freeandmightinfactbetheriskiestchoice.“Forexample,viathelargerexposuretofutureenergyprices,tighteningregulationsorapotentialdropinmarketvalueforpropertieswithpoorenergyefficiency,”hesays.

lookatwhat’sspecialaboutNWC,howenergyandcarboncanbesavedinadevelopmentlikethis,andlearnlessonsthatcanbetransferredtofuturesites.”

Takingarangeoftechnologies–fromsolarpanelsandwaterrecyclingtothedistrictheatingsystemandelectriccarchargingpoints–thatarebeingbuiltintoNWC,Oldismodellingwhichtechnologieswillbemostefficientaccordingtohowpeoplebehave.

ResidentshaveyettomoveintoNWC,sosheissurveyingequivalentdemographicgroupsinCambridge,suchaspostgraduates,keyworkersandfamilies,tofindoutabouttheirvalues,normsandattitudessothatshecanmodelhowtheyarelikelytousethegreentechnologiesonoffer.

“Wecanlookattheenergyimpactgivencertainscenarios,”sheexplains.“Forexample,if50%ofpostgraduatesare‘keengreens’andtheyallcycletotheirdepartments,themodelwilltellustheenergyimpact.”

Andbecausethemodelincludestheabilitytointerrogatedifferentscenarios,itallowsprojectmanagerstocalculatethecarbonsavingsassociatedwithencouragingcertaingroupstobemoreenvironmentallyconscious,openingupnewwaysofnudgingresidentstobegreener.

OldhopesthemodelwillhelpshapefuturephasesofNWC,aswellasothersustainablecitysitesandothersectors:“Whatwediscoverabouthowtoshiftpeoplebetweendifferentbehaviouralgroupsisimportantandcanbeusedinpolicyworkinmanysectors.Evensmallchangesinurbandesigncanmakeabigdifference.”

Professor Doug Crawford-Brown [email protected]

Dr Franz [email protected]

Professor Paul LindenDepartmentofAppliedMathematicsandTheoreticalPhysicsp.f.linden@damtp.cam.ac.uk

Rosalyn [email protected]

Smart city, MAGIC city

Nudging people to make sustainable lifestyle choices is one thing, but can a city be nudged towards energy-efficient investments, lower emissions and cleaner air?

Citiescopewithpollutionanduncomfortabletemperaturesbyclosingwindowsandinstallingunitsthatheat,ventilateandaircondition,whichthemselvesguzzleenergyandfrustrateeffortstodecarbonise.

Anewinterdisciplinaryresearchprojectaimstohaltthisunsustainabletrendbycreatingsolutionsthatmakecitiescleanerwithminimumuseofenergy.Thekeytoprogress,saysprojectleaderProfessorPaulLinden,intheDepartmentofAppliedMathematicsandTheoreticalPhysics,istostarttreatingthecityasacomplete,integratedsystem.

“Experienceoverthepasttwodecadessuggeststhatwheninfrastructureinvestmentworkscloselywithinnovativeurbandesignacrossacity,there’sashifttowardslowemissionsandlowercarbontravelthroughspontaneouscitizenchoices,”heexplains.

The£4.1millionManagingAirforCleanInnerCities(MAGIC)projectwilllinkdatafedfromsensorsmonitoringacity’sairtoanunderstandingofairflowinsideandoutsidebuildings,andinnovationsinnaturalventilationprocesses.Theideaistodevelopanintegratedsuiteofmodelstomanageairqualityandtemperature(and,consequently,energy,carbon,healthandwellbeing)–atthelevelofbuildings,blocksandacrossthewholecity.

Todoso,engineers,chemists,mathematicians,architectsandgeographersfrom12universityandindustryorganisationswillbeworkingtogether,withfundingfromtheEngineeringandPhysicalSciencesResearchCouncil.

Themodelandassociateddecisionsupportsystemwill,forexample,provideinformationonhowtrafficroutescanbeoptimisedtoreducepollution,andthecost-benefitsofintroducingcyclingroutesandgreenspaces.Butthemainvalueofunderstandingenergyuseandairflow,saysLinden,isthatacitycanmonitoritselfcontinuously–itcan,ineffect,becomeitsownnaturalairconditioner.

www.magic-air.uk

For those of us who pay fuel bills, saving energy by insulating our homes

or perhaps installing solar panels seems to make perfect sense...why don’t we all do it?

Environmentaldecisions,areaffectednotjustbypersonalityandattitudestorisk,butalsobyurbandesignandsocialconditions–factorsthatProfessorDougCrawford-BrownandPhDstudentRosalynOldareexploring.

“Citiesareincreasinglyincorporatingsustainabilitymetricsinthewaybuildingsarebuilt,thematerialsandresourcesusedbyoccupants,andhowwasteisdisposedof,”Crawford-Brownexplains.“Buthowcanweensurecitieswillmeetthesemetricsandperformsustainably?Oneofthemostimportantchallengesistounderstandhowpeoplearemotivatedtoactsustainably,andhowthosemotivationsarestimulatedbythedesignandoperationsofcommunities.”

Tounderstandmoreaboutthetakeupanduseofgreentechnologies,OldisstudyingtheUniversity’sNorthWestCambridge(NWC)Development,anextensiontothecitythatiscurrentlybeingbuilt.“Housebuildersareunderpressuretoincludegreentechnologiesinnewbuildings,yetthetakeupanduseofthesetechnologiesisuncertain,”shesays.“Thisisagoodopportunityto

38 Insideout

Extreme sleepover:Living beside Uruguay’s ‘Mother Dump’

Credit:Pa

trickO’Hare

Patrick O’Hare describes his time with the clasificadores – the families who scour Montevideo’s pungent ‘wastescape’ to recover and classify anything that is valuable, usable or edible.

ReturningtoUruguay’slargestlandfill(cantera),‘FelipeCardoso’inMontevideo,toconductfieldworkformyPhD,IwasdelightedwhenlocalsocialworkerandmissionaryJorgetoldmethatIcouldliveathishome,inahousingco-operativeoverlookingthelandfill.

Ihadworkedasalabourerintheconstructionoftheco-operativein2010andknewthatmostoftheoccupantswererelocatedresidentsofaninfamousshantytownbuiltontopofanoldlandfill.

IcouldusethehouseasabaseforexploringMontevideo’sformalandinformalwastetrade,sincemanyneighbourswereurbanrecyclers,knownlocallyasclasificadoresorclassifiers.I’dbeabletoaccompanythemastheyleftinthemorningtorecovervaluefromthetrashatsitesnearby,oftenreturningintheafternoononmotorbikes,trucksorhorse-drawncartsladenwithanimpressivearrayofplastics,metalsandcardboard,aswellasfood,clothingandelectronicsfordomesticconsumptionorneighbourhoodsale.

Waitingtomoveinandimpatienttostartfieldwork,Ihadeagerlyacceptedwhenoneneighbourofferedtohostmetemporarilyinhisyard.Asittranspired,IlivedforaweekinthemostdenselypopulatedaccommodationIhaveeverexperienced.Now,though,Jorge’shousewouldbemyhomeforthefollowingyear.Initiallyitwasaconcreteblocklackingwindowsanddoors,butIsetaboutmakingithabitable,mostlyusingmaterialsscavengedfromthelandfill.

OfcourseIcoulddonothingaboutthesights,soundsandsmellsofthelandfillitself.Itroseoverthehorizon,thethirdhighestpeakoflow-lyingMontevideo;thebeepingofitsreversingcompacterscouldbeheardthroughoutthenight;andthestrangelysweetsmellofmixedurbanrubbishdriftedoverinthemorningmist.

Eachday,some60trucksrollintothecompoundfilledwithurbanrubbish.Atthelastcount(in2008,andlikelytobeanunderestimate),around5,000waste-pickingfamiliesweremakingalivingfromMontevideo’strash,attempting

torecoverallthatisvaluable,usableoredible.Theirroleinacitywherewastemanagementhasreachedcrisispointsinthepasthasbeenlaudedasalessontosociety:theyhelptoreducetheenvironmentalandfinancialcostoflandfillandfindvalueinsomethingthatmightbesurplustosomebutnotothers.

Likemyinterlocutorswhorecoveredmaterialsfromthere,Ihadambivalentfeelingsaboutthecanterawhich, becauseofitsreliableprovision,wasnicknamed“themother”.Ontheonehand,itwasanintriguingsiteforfieldworkwhere,underthesupervisionofDrSianLazar,Ifocusedontheprocessesoflabourformalisation,thesocioculturaldynamicsofthewasteandrecyclingwork,andthehistoryofwasteinfrastructureandaesthetics.Ontheotherhand,itwasalsoaplaceofhazard,policeviolenceandasmellthatlingeredonclothesandskin,gettingintohairandunderfingernails.

Ineversleptatthedumpbutthiswaspreviouslyacommonpractice:clasificadoreswouldcamptherefordaysorweeksatatime,alwaysatthemercyofthefearedmounted

police,whowouldsettentsalight,showinglittletoleranceforintruders.

TheclosestIcametotheapparentlyboisterousatmosphereoftheseencampmentswasjoiningclasificadoresoftheFelipeCardosorecyclingco-operativeastheyspentthelastnightsinabuildingthemunicipalityhadcededthemforfacilitiesbutwhichsomehadappropriatedasaresidence.WiththeexceptionofveteranworkerCoco,wholivedtherepermanently,thespaceseemedtofunctionasatemporaryrefugeformaleclasificadoreswhohadbeenkickedoutbytheirwives!Onthenightofmyvisit,wesatandplayedcards,listenedtocumbiamusic,drankintomysuppliesofScotch,anddiscussedtheimpendingclosureofthesiteandtheworkers’relocationtoaformalsectorrecyclingplant.

Withthemunicipalgovernment’sattemptedformalisationofMontevideo’srecyclingtrade,itispossiblethatthedaysofsuchprecarious,autonomous,clasificadorspacesarenumbered,tobereplacedbyhygienicandtechnologicallyprovisionedinfrastructures.Yetattheendofmyresearchtrip,many

Microgrids and other Local Area Power and Energy SystemsAlexis KwasinskiWayne WeaverRobert S. Balog

EnErgy and SpEctrum EfficiEnt WirElESS nEtWork

dESign

EnErgy and SpEctrum EfficiEnt WirElESS nEtWork dESign

EnErgy a

nd SpEctrum

EfficiEnt

WirElESS n

EtWo

rk dESign

guowang miao and guocong Song

miao and SongCovering the fundamental principles and state-of-the-art cross-layer techniques, this

practical guide provides the tools needed to design MIMO- and OFDM-based wireless networks that are both energy- and spectrum-efficient. Technologies are introduced in parallel for both centralized and distributed wireless networks to give you a clear understanding of the similarities and differences between their energy- and spectrum-efficient designs, which is essential for achieving the highest network energy saving without losing performance. Cutting-edge green cellular network design technologies, enabling you to master resource management for next-generation wireless networks based on MIMO and OFDM, and detailed real-world implementation examples are provided to guide your engineering design in both theory and practice. Whether you are a graduate student, a researcher, or a practitioner in industry, this is an invaluable guide.

guowang miao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communications Systems at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. After receiving his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, USA, in 2009, he spent two years working in industry as a Senior Standard Engineer at Samsung Telecom America. His current research interests are in the design and optimization of wireless communications and networking.

guocong Song is currently the Principal Research Engineer at ShareThis, Palo Alto, California. He has been working in wireless communications and networks for a decade, since receiving his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He received the 2010 IEEE Stephen O. Rice Prize for the best paper in the field of communications theory, and he is recently active in the area of data science and machine learning.

Cover illustration by Christian Hackenberger.

9781

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Matheus and Königseder

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Do you need to get up to date with the world’s most popular networking technology? With this resource you will discover everything you need to know about Ethernet and its implementation in the automotive industry.

Enhance your technical understanding and better inform your decision making process so that you can experience the benefi ts of Ethernet implementation. From new market opportunities, to lower costs, and less complex processes, this is the fi rst book to provide a comprehensive overview of Automotive Ethernet. Covering electromagnetic requirements and Physical Layer technologies, Quality of Service, the use of VLANs, IP, and Service Discovery, as well as network architecture and testing, this unique and comprehensive resource is a must have, whether you are a professional in the automotive industry, or an academic who needs a detailed overview of this revolutionary technology and its historical background.

Kirsten Matheus is a communications engineer who is currently responsible for establishing Ethernet-based communication in the industry. She also initiated and chaired the OPEN Alliance and helped establish the IEEE 802.3 Reduced Twisted Pair Gigabit Ethernet (RTPGE, 1000BASE-T1) working group.

Thomas Königseder is an electronics engineer and Group Manager for Communications Technologies at BMW. He was responsible for launching the fi rst ever serial car with an Ethernet connection.

Cover designed by Zoe N

aylor

9781107057289 Math

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Kirsten Matheus and Thomas Königseder

AUTOMOTIVE ETHERNET

R o beR t Y e at s

In a media interview in January 2010, scientist Robert Yeats sounded the alarm on Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as an “earthquake time-bomb,” a region at critical risk of major seismic activity. One week later, an earthquake of catastrophic proportions struck the city, leaving over 100,000 dead and triggering a humanitarian crisis. No one could have predicted the exact timing of the Haiti earthquake, but by analyzing its proximity to an active fault and its earthquake history, Yeats was able to point out the severity of the threat to Port-au-Prince. He forewarned that Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, was woefully unprepared for such a major quake.

Now, in a shocking and timely study, Yeats sheds new light on other earthquake hot-spots around the world and the communities at risk, including Caracas, Kabul, Tehran, and Jerusalem. He examines these seismic threats in the context of recent cultural history, including economic development, national politics, and international conflicts, and draws comparisons between the capacity of first-world and developing-world countries to prepare for the inevitable. The killer combination of mass migration to megacities coupled with poor building standards is explored, while descriptions of emerging seismic resilience plans from some cities around the world provide a more hopeful picture.

Earthquake Time Bombs is essential reading for policy-makers, infrastructure and emergency planners, scientists, students, and anyone living in the shadow of an earthquake. This book raises the alarm so that we can protect our vulnerable cities ... before it’s too late.

Yeats

“This book highlights the appalling reality of the threat to the world’s growing population that is exposed to earthquakes, especially those concentrated in vulnerable megacities. The recent calamities of the earthquakes in Haiti and Nepal are simply foretastes of what is to come, unless decisive action is taken. It is written by someone perhaps uniquely qualified to do so: an earthquake scientist whose long and personal engagement with many of the cities he writes about is accompanied by an extremely well-informed, up-to-date and widely respected grasp of his subject. It is written in an easy semi-populist, non-technical style that will make it accessible to non-specialists, but with the completely convincing authority and balance that accompanies an author who is utterly confident and secure in his knowledge. It is an impressive achievement to distil decades of global scientific effort into

a compelling narrative and call to action.”

Professor James Jackson, University of Cambridge

“An excellent and very timely book! Professor Yeats places the disaster potential of urban earthquakes within a varied context of history, local culture, public planning and politics, in a comparative manner. He presents a massive amount of information in a clear, concise, and readable style, which will be of interest to anyone working on mitigating the urban earthquake risk on a global scale. The book is also a must-read for policymakers, city administrators, risk managers,

emergency planners, scientists, and students.”

Professor Mustafa erdik, Bogaziçi University, Istanbul

“In Earthquake Time Bombs, Yeats provides the proverbial wake-up call for earthquake-prone major cities around the world. History, politics, economics, and seismology are interwoven in order to demonstrate the unique challenges each city faces, as well as the lessons to be shared with the others. This book should be required reading for both public- and private-sector leaders in these cities, heads of international development agencies and multi-national corporations, students and practitioners of earthquake science and engineering, and others who may implement existing solutions or develop innovative

approaches for defusing at least some of these bombs before it’s too late.”

Mark benthien, Director of Communication, Education, and Outreach at the Southern California Earthquake Center, and Global Coordinator of Great

ShakeOut Earthquake Drills

Robert Yeats is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Geological Society of America. He is senior consultant and partner in Earth Consultants International, an international firm focusing on earthquake hazards, and also an Emeritus Professor at Oregon State University, where an endowed professorship has been named in his honor. He has decades of experience in earthquake geology worldwide, including acting as chair of an active fault working group of the International Lithosphere Program for several years and writing four previous books: Geology of Earthquakes (with Kerry Sieh and Clarence R. Allen), Living with Earthquakes in California, Living with Earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest, and Active Faults of the World.

Jacket design: Andrew Ward

Printed in the United Kingdom

9781107085244

: Yeats: Jacket: C M Y K

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e tiMe boM

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Jacket illustration: PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI – FEBRUARY 26: Sherider Anilus, 28, and her daughter, 9-month-old Monica, sit on the spot where their home collapsed during last month’s 7.0 earthquake in the Fort National neighborhood, February 26, 2010, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Living in a shack with her husband and two children, Anilus returned to Fort National from a tent camp in downtown Port-au-Prince so as to escape the flash flooding that happens when it rains. Photo by Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images.

9781107624733 Go

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Ethics, Medicine, and Information

Technology

KENNETH W. GOODMAN

Intelligent Machines and The Transformation of Health Care

GO

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Techn

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Information technology is transforming the practices of medicine, nursing, and biomedical research. Computers can now render diagnoses and prognoses more accurately than humans. The concepts of privacy and confi dentiality are evolving as data moves from paper to silicon to clouds. Big data promises fi nancial wealth, as well as riches of information and benefi ts to science and public health. Online access and mobile apps provide patients with an unprecedented connection to their health and health records. This transformation is as unsettling as it is exhilarating.

This unique new book is essential for anyone who uses computers in health care, biomedical research, or public health, and cares about the ethical issues that arise in their work. With chapters spanning issues from professionalism and quality to mobile health and decision support, it establishes what will become the “core curriculum” in ethics and health informatics, a growing fi eld which encourages truly inter- and multidisciplinary inquiry.

Kenneth W. Goodman Ph.D. FACMI is Professor and Director, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy, Miami, FL, USA.

Other titles of interest:

Complex Ethics Consultations: Cases that Haunt UsEdited by Paul J. Ford and Denise M. Dudzinski (ISBN 9780521697156)

The Cambridge Textbook of BioethicsEdited by Peter A. Singer and A. M. Viens (ISBN 9780521694438)

Cover illustration: © skodonell/iStockphoto

Cover designed by Zoe Naylor

9781107099005 Cu

i, Hero

, Luo

o &

Mo

ura PPC

C M

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SHUGUANG CUI,ALFRED O. HERO III, ZHI-QUAN LUO,

AND JOSÉ M. F. MOURA

BIG DATA OVER

NETWORKS

CUI, H

ERO, LU

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Utilizing both key mathematical tools and state-of-the-art research results, this text explores the principles underpinning large-scale information processing over networks and examines the crucial interaction between big data and its associated communication, social, and biological networks.

Written by experts in the diverse fi elds of machine learning, optimization, statistics, signal processing, networking, communications, sociology, and biology, this book employs two complementary approaches: fi rst, analyzing how the underlying network constrains the upper layer of collaborative big data processing, and second, examining how big data processing may boost performance in various networks. Unifying the broad scope of the book is the rigorous mathematical treatment of the subjects, which is enriched by in-depth discussion of future directions and numerous open-ended problems that conclude each chapter.

Readers will be able to master the fundamental principles for dealing with big data over large systems, making it essential reading for graduate students, scientifi c researchers, and industry practitioners alike.

Shuguang Cui is Professor at Texas A&M University. He is a Fellow of the IEEE and was selected as a Highly Cited Researcher by Thomson Reuters, 2014.

Alfred O. Hero III is R. Jamison and Betty Williams Professor of Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with appointments in the departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering and Statistics. He is a Fellow of the IEEE.

Zhi-Quan Luo is Professor at the University of Minnesota. He has served as the Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing and is a Fellow of the IEEE, SIAM, and the Royal Society of Canada.

José M. F. Moura is Philip L. and Marsha Dowd University Professor at CMU with appointments in the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and, by courtesy, of Biomedical Engineering. He is a Fellow of the IEEE and the AAAS, a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Portugal, and a member of the US NAE.

Cover illustration: © 2015 Pixelagestudio/Shutterstock.com.Cover design by Zoe Naylor.

Future Cities Research from

Cambridgewww.cambridge.org/researchhorizons

To receive a 20% discount off these titles, please enter the code RHAPR16 at the checkout.

Offer available until 30 September 2016. Offer excludes eBooks.

39 ResearchHorizons

“it was a place of hazard, police

violence and a smell that lingered on

clothes and skin, getting into hair and under fingernails”

Patrick O’[email protected]

ofmyneighbourswerestillmakingtheirwaytothecanteratoclassifythetonsofwastedumpedtheredaily.

UruguayanpriestPadreCachooncedescribedclasificadoresas“ecologicalprophets”andIcanseewhathemeant–theyhavelongfunctionedas‘prospectors’,miningtheurbanwastestreamforvaluablematerialsthatconsumershavebeenhappytodiscard,andmunicipalgovernmentssendtolandfillorincinerate.

NowbackinCambridgeasaninternattheCentreforScienceandPolicy(CSaP),Iamhelpingtoorganiseaworkshoponthe‘circulareconomy’toexplorethewaysthatgovernmentandindustryareincreasinglyreconceptualisingwasteasarecoverableresource.Atagloballevel,itisimportantthatshiftsinpolicybenefitratherthandispossessinformalsectorrecyclers,thelong-time‘artisanalminers’ofthewastestream.

JustbeforeleavingMontevideo,theannuallandfillclasificadorChristmassocialaffordedmeanenduringimageofslumberamidstthescraps:anold,intoxicatedandwearyrecyclerlyingonarecoveredfloralmattress,hissweatedbrowrestingonalargefoldedrubbishbag,surroundedbythousandsofpesosworthofscrapmetal.

Patrick’s policy internship at CSaP is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council Cambridge Doctoral Training Centre.

T +44(0)1223765443 E [email protected] W cam.ac.uk/research f facebook.com/cambridge.university twitter.com/cambridge_uni youtube.com/cambridgeuniversity instagram.com/cambridgeuniversity

ContactResearchHorizonsOfficeofExternalAffairsandCommunicationsThePittBuilding,TrumpingtonStreetCambridge,CB21RP

CoverFloodingcanbeamiseryandaneconomicnightmare,butit’salsoanaturalhazard.Canwedesignandadaptcitiestolivemoreflexiblywithwater–totreatitasfriendratherthanfoe?Findoutmoreonp.26thisissue,aspartofourfocusonthefutureofcities.

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Barsley

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