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This website features work from the completion of Phase 1 of the SCALES Project.

We are currently seeking partnerships for Phase 2.

SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities & Communities

  • Final Assignment

    Directions:

    1. Identify a narrow policy issue of your choice (take a look at the materials provided for various case studies on the course website if you are having trouble picking a topic);
    2. Present an analysis of the policy issue;
    3. Identify alternative policies;
    4. Evaluate and analyze the policy you are studying using cost-benefit analysis, stakeholder analysis, data analysis, and / or analysis of inputs, outputs, and outcomes;
    5. Apply the correct type(s) of policy analysis to the alternatives;
    6. Present the results of your analysis and the give the best option based on your criteria; and
    7. Make suggestions for implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the policy.
    Read more: Final Assignment

  • Assignment 3 – Observe a Public Meeting

    Attend a public meeting in the Boston area, take careful notes on the event, and report back in a succinct, well-organized informational memo. Be sure to also collect any materials distributed at the event for reference. Your memo should describe the organization, discuss where its power originates, identify the purpose of the meeting, explain the structure of the deliberative process used to collect input, and discuss what, if any, outcome resulted.

    Read more: Assignment 3 – Observe a Public Meeting

  • Assignment 2 – EPA Open Docket on Pesticides

    The EPA has opened docket ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0844 to review neonicotinoids, pesticides that may have an adverse effect on pollinators, including bees. You have been asked by your client to review the EPA primary and supporting documents and provide a 2-page memo of comments to the EPA stating your position. You may choose your client. Decide who you will represent—an advocacy group, a state environmental protection agency, a farmer, etc.

    Read more: Assignment 2 – EPA Open Docket on Pesticides

  • Assignment 1 – Hometown Analysis

    A critical part of creating policy is the data gathering process. What data can you find quickly and analyze? What do the data mean? What story can you tell using reliable data? What data do you need?

    Using your hometown as the subject of your investigation, assume that you are a policy analyst and you work for the new mayor or the new town or city council.

    What data can you use to tell a story about your hometown? Where is it located? How many people live there? What does it provide in terms of resources to the state?

    Read more: Assignment 1 – Hometown Analysis

  • Assignment 12

    The final lap around the track in BT Lab is a daylighting simulation for your house.

    Read more: Assignment 12

  • Assignment 11

    Please design roof opening(s) for your Gujarati house and test it with a second round of daylighting measurements.

    Read more: Assignment 11

  • Assignment 10

    Please read Chapter 3 (sections 1-6 and 10 only), Chapter 5 (sections 1-12 only, unless you are ambitious), and Chapter 7 of our textbook, Joseph Murdoch's Illuminating Engineering. 

    Please take a set of base-case measurements in your Gujarati house.

    Read more: Assignment 10

  • Assignment 9

    Please read Chapters 1 and 2 of our textbook, Joseph Murdoch's Illuminating Engineering. How to do this

    Please take on the following tasks:

    1. Illuminance measurements. Use an illuminance meter to record light levels in residential spaces, including those used for food preparation, reading, and such detailed manual labor as sewing or electronics repair (i.e., a home shop or work room).
    2. Review IES illuminance criteria (from Murdoch or, better, the IES Handbooks which are in the lab and in the Rotch reference collection) for activities you think appropriate for a Gujarati house.
    3. Define desired lighting levels and any issues about light quality for a Gujarati house, on the basis of Tasks 1 and 2.
    4. Use the illuminance meter to estimate reflectances for typical walls and floors, including those in your test rooms.
    5. Review IES data on surface reflectances.
    6. Define desired wall, floor and ceiling reflectances for upcoming daylighting models of Gujarati houses.
    7. Select a Gujarati house, select modeling materials, and construct a model. Please pay attention to:
    8. Accurate dimensions, with careful notes about choices when available information is inadequate.
    Read more: Assignment 9

  • Assignment 8

    The fourth week of our airflow lab is in two phases: 

    1. Please prepare an occupants’ manual for your Chinese apartment. Passively conditioned buildings require occupant involvement, much more than buildings with mechanical systems that ensure thermostat set points are maintained. Your apartment occupants can inhabit any of the rooms and can adjust the balcony openings and apartment windows and doors in a number of ways, for different wind and outdoor temperature conditions. 
    2. Please consider the effect of airflow on the rate at which a miniature structure (even smaller than our elf houses) cools off. This is intended to combine thermal and airflow analysis.
    Read more: Assignment 8

  • Assignment 7

    The third week of our airflow lab focuses on simulation:

    1. Prepare to use the CONTAMW airflow simulation program, installed on two working computers in lab and available free to all with Windows computers. 
    2. Become proficient in CONTAMW by completing the provided worksheet.
    3. Use CONTAMW for the following investigation of your apartment-balcony, working at full (and not model) scale:
    Read more: Assignment 7

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Please reach out to esi [at] mit.edu and include SCALES Website in the subject of your email.
Feedback and any actions taken with regards to the feedback, will be shared as they are addressed.