SIRUE · Sustainable Infrastructure for Resilient Urban Environments

This fellowship aim is to identify how the use of underground space and its physical infrastructure (PI) influence, interact with and impact on sustainability, vulnerability and resilience of urban areas, both now and in the future. Three case study cities (Berlin, London, Saint Petersburg) will serve as a basis for analysis of present and future interaction of Urban Underground Infrastructure (UUI) with the urban environment.Analysis of the present UUI role in the city is based on previous research results of Dr. Bobylev, including environmental assessment of underground structures and comparative analysis of UUI using urban sustainability indicators. The team at the University of Birmingham provides background for analysis of development scenarios (partly as a result of the current involvement in the Urban Futures project).Research methodology will employ Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis and Geographical Information Systems tools. Main work packages include collection of data on UUI (and other PI where needed), presenting this data in the form of quantitative indicators (e.g. volume, energy loss in network); analysis of UUI against sustainability and land use indicators; modeling indicator performance in future scenarios, developing policy recommendations for UUI planning and adaptation. It is important that feedback (in the form of expert interviews) of the case study cities relevant authorities will be integrated into policy recommendations developed during the fellowship.Dr. Bobylev is a pioneering researcher in the area of PI sustainability quantitative analysis and this fellowship will allow him to develop this idea further in a team of world leading experts on UUI.