Urban Risk Map at Emergency Management Leaders Conference 2018

June, 2018

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Dr. Tomas Holderness was an invited panelist to Emergency Management Leaders Conference, 2018 and presented the Urban Risk Map Project. This conference is aimed at uniting leadership from public sector emergency management and private sector disaster preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation. Featuring open-format discussions addressing recent events, current issues and best practices this conference seeks to advance current policy in the DRR space.

Tomas is a Research Scientist at Urban Risk Lab, he coordinates the Urban Risk Map project.

 

Urban Risk Map showcased at Understanding Risk Forum 2018

May, 2018

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Mayank Ojha presented realtime disaster mapping platform Urban Risk Map at 2018 Understanding Risk Forum in Mexico. Risk Map is an open source platform for sharing disaster information between residents and governments for real-time disaster co-management. 

Organized by The World Bank and GFDRR, UR2018 is a five-day event that highlights groundbreaking work, facilitate nontraditional partnerships, and showcase new technical know-how in disaster risk identification. 

Mayank is a Resarch Associate at Urban Risk Lab working of decision support tools to help make cities resilient to effects of climate change

 

Keep Safe: Strategies for Puerto Rico Housing Resilience

April, 2018

Canóvanas, Puerto Rico

Canóvanas, Puerto Rico

On April 26th, a group of experts from the fields of architecture, planning, engineering, construction, emergency management, energy and wastewater management gathered in Puerto Rico in part to kick-off the initiative to develop a resilient housing manual, but most importantly to receive critical feedback, engage in conversations and discuss the right direction to design and build safe and resilient housing and communities. 

Enterprise Community Partners and University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture and Planning assembled a comprehensive team of collaborators and experts, including the Urban Risk Lab, to develop a decision-making tool to assist housing designers, operators, construction professionals, owners and regulators to determine resilience strategies to make homes safer from extreme weather.

Publication in English and Spanish is planned for 2019.

For more information regarding the April 26th event, click on the following news outlet links: El Nuevo Día, Notiuno, WIPR – Noticias 24/7

"A Better Nation by Design" SUTD Ministerial Forum 2018

April, 2018

Miho Mazereeuw, Delane Foo Wei En and Kenneth Teo Liguang presenting token to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

Miho Mazereeuw, Delane Foo Wei En and Kenneth Teo Liguang presenting token to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong came to Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to talk about the issues that affect Singapore and the role of design in addressing them.

In collaboration with SUTD International Design Center (IDC) and Will&Well, the Urban Risk Lab designed a shirt and pin to present to the Prime Minister. These objects are made with photochromic materials that change colors when exposed to UV as a way to alert people when UV reaches dangerous levels and to promote awareness of the increasing high UV and heat risks in Singapore.

This is part of an ongoing research and design series of products to embed design preparedness and awareness into everyday objects.

For more information about the SUTD Ministerial Forum, visit the SUTD page

Petabencana.id received 2017 ISIF Asia - Internet for Development Award

December, 2017

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Petabencana.id - Indonesian deployment of the Urban Risk Map project received 2017 ISIF Asia - Internet for Development Award. The Information Society Innovation Fund (ISIF Asia) is a grants and awards program empowering communities in the Asia pacific region to research, design and implement Internet-based solutions for their own needs, placing particular emphasis on the positive role the Internet has in social and economic development in the region.

 

Urban Risk Lab participates in the Conference on the Resilient Reconstruction of the Caribbean organized by MIT energy initiative

December, 2017

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This conference framed and mobilized a multidisciplinary research and outreach program based both at MIT and in the region. It was centered around three key issues - The Electrification; the “Infrastructure: Blue-green and Gray” impacted by modified landscapes and physical infrastructure; and “Human Settlements.” Prof. Miho Mazereeuw, along with Prof. Larry Vale organized the human settlements vertical that brought together practitioners from the Caribbean and MIT for a constructive dialogue towards next steps for a resilient future of the Caribbean.

 

Miho Mazereeuw a featured speaker at Dangerous Landscapes Conference in Hannover Germany

November, 2017

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Dangerous Landscapes - Rethinking Environmental Risk in Low-Income Communities was part of the Herrenhausen Conference Series initiated by Volkswagen Foundation. It explored the development of integrated risk reduction strategies in regions and cities vulnerable to climate change and rapid urbanization, and specifically examined trans-disciplinary, community based, and emerging approaches to disaster risk reduction in low-income communities.

The title of Miho's talk was Resilient Futures: Working to Reduce Risk through Design and Technology. 

 

Urban Risk Lab's Prephub Nepal project wins LafargeHolcim Award

November, 2017

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This project replaces an existing dilapidated guesthouse with a new multifunctional building. The new structure restores and enhances a historic Paati – a type of covered public space – that was damaged in the 2015 earthquake. Wrapped around the Paati with its carefully restored 100-year old carved wooden columns and insets is a plinth design with a water tank at the center. The tank is used to collect and store water to enhance disaster preparedness. 

This project is supported by TATA Center of Technology and Design and is being implemented in partnership with Kathmandu based not-for-profit organization, Lumnati Support Group for Shelter

For more information visit Lafarge Holcim Foundation project page: Winners of the LafargeHolcim Awards 2017 for Asia Pacific. 

PREPHub project selected to participate in MIT Design X 2018 Accelerator Cohort

November, 2017

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DesignX is an inter-disciplinary program that combines academic discourse, data-informed design and an embrace of entrepreneurship to develop and launch new technologies and businesses directed toward innovation in design, cities and the built environment. 

The Venture Accelerator Program is an opportunity to explore ways to scale PREPHub research into a sustainable venture in multiple cities around the world. 

 

Riskmap.in launched in Chennai to help citizen-led efforts for Monsoon flooding

November, 2017

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Urban Risk Lab launched Riskmap.in - Crowdsourced flood reporting platform in the city of Chennai, India. During the first week of November, Chennai has received very heavy rainfall resulting in a disruption in daily life as well as water-logging in many parts. This project will help residents report instances of water logging, flooding, blocked or open drains and fallen trees on a public map in real-time. 

This project is supported by TATA Center of Technology and Design and is deployed in partnership with Chennai based not-for-profit organization, Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG).

link to the News article.

PREPHub a Finalist in the 2017 Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards - Fastcodesign.com

September, 2017

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The PREPHub project has been named a finalist in the 2017 Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards competition in the Spaces, Places, and Cities category, alongside projects from Thomas Heatherwick, BIG, and SO-IL. Thank you to all of our amazing partners, past and present, who support this work and continue to push it forward.

Riskmap.us launches for Broward County, FL in advance of Hurricane Irma

September, 2017

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With Hurricane Irma bearing down on South Florida, the Urban Risk Lab launched a pilot of a crowd sourced map that gathers real time reports of flooding for use by the public and emergency first responders. Similar to Petabencana.id in Indonesia, Riskmap.us harnesses the power of social media to gather, sort, and display information about flooding in real time. Currently operating in Broward County, we hope to expand the platform to more US locations in the near future. 

MIT News Article

 

OECD features Petabencana.id - Indonesian deployment of the Urban Risk Map - in its Embracing Innovation in Government: Global Trends 2017 report

March, 2017

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Embracing Innovation in Government is authored by the OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI), and is informed by a global review of ways governments are transforming their operations and improving the lives of their citizens though innovation. Urban Risk Lab has developed Petabencana.id - realtime crowdsourced flood map in collaboration with USAID, Pacific Disaster Center and is being operated in partnership with BNPB - national disaster management agency of the country.

Urban Risk Lab launches realtime disaster mapping platform in Indonesia - Petabencana.id

January, 2017

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Urban Risk Map harnesses the power of social media to gather, sort, and display information about flooding in real time. This project is currently operating in three cities in Indonesia - Greater Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya. We are also working on the deployment of this project for India, with a pilot in the city of Chennai.

Urban Risk Lab featured in MIT Tech Review

June, 2016

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Prof. Miho Mazereeuw was a keynote speaker for the Designing Resilience in Asia Symposium, organised by National university of Singapore - School of Design. Titled Design for Indeterminacy: Rapid Urbanization and Risk - The presentation discussed the overlap of rapid urbanization and risk through a series of case studies and projects of the Urban Risk Lab. 

Urban Risk Lab showcases PREPHub at MIT Openhouse

April 23, 2016

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The Campus PREPHub is part of a public space campaign for campus preparedness that facilitates community action following a disaster such as a hurricane. Able to operate entirely off -grid, the hub is built around the short-term and immediate need for energy, communication, and supplies. Designed to be used both in the everyday as well as for emergency purposes, the Campus PREPHub project will be integrated into existing Campus Safety Programs but also be used for playful innovative outdoor campus activities.

Urban Risk Lab at 5th International Forum 2016 – “Infrastructure Space”

April 7, 2016

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Prof. Miho Mazereeuw was invited as a subject expert on the Risk, Governance and Infrastructure at the 5th International Forum for Sustainable Construction dedicated to “Infrastructure Space” organized by lafargeholcim-foundation, the conference was held in Detroit, USA.

"The three-day symposium and examined how to deliver long-term infrastructure that is aligned with sustaining human habitat. Leading thinkers from architecture, civil engineering, urban planning, social science, business, and industry from 40 countries met in Detroit. The conference focused on interdependent, overlapping infrastructures through three dominant themes: water, energy and risk."

"Pani Pati Guthi: Public Infrastructure for Community Resilience in Nepal" receives honorable mention

March 11, 2016

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Hugh Magee presented the project at MIT water Night 2016. The project received honorable mention in "Teaching in Water, Management, and Human Development" category

This project embodies ideas of disaster preparedness with community activity by embedding smarter systems into the existing Pati's of Kathmandu Valley. This approach will help to them function well on a day-to-day basis and create a Social Hub in the heart of small communities. In a disaster situation its ability to store and treat water, house supplies and communication infrastructure as well as generate energy via PV technology allows this shared public infrastructure to become a lifeline for its community. 

This project is supported by TATA Center for Technology and Design.

3.11: Five Years After the Triple Disaster in Northeastern Japan

March 10, 2016

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Prof. Miho Mazereeuw was invited to discuss the current state of Northeastern Japan, five years after the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown along with panelists Richard Samuels (MIT, Political Science), Tatsujiro Suzuki (Former Vice Chairman of Japan Atomic Energy Commission of the Cabinet Office), Kenneth Oye (MIT, Political Science & ESD) and Akinobu Murakami (University of Tsukuba). This program was hosted by STARR Forum, and supported by MIT-Japan Program, Center for International Studies