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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

  • Designing a PV System (Assignment 4)

    During assignment 1 you determined how much electricity you have used at some point in your life living in an apartment or house. In this assignment you are going to design a PV system that yields the same amount of electricity over the course of a year and calculate the simple payback time required to get your investment back. The assignment is broken into three parts. 

    Read more: Designing a PV System (Assignment 4)

  • Visual and Thermal Comfort (Assignment 3)

    The objectives of this assignment are for you to develop a feeling for indoor environmental variables that have an impact on thermal comfort and to compare your personal sensation to comfort predictions based on thermal and lighting standards. The assignment is split into two components:  

    • Task A: Using a data logger, measure “your life” on a psychrometric chart over a couple of days.  
    • Task B: Measure indoor environmental conditions in two spaces that you find comfortable and uncomfortable and compare your assessments to that of current thermal comfort standards. 
    Read more: Visual and Thermal Comfort (Assignment 3)

  • Shading Studies & Sun Path Diagrams (Assignment 2)

    The objective of this assignment is to validate the results of direct shading studies provided by DIVA/Radiance and other tools. To do so, you are asked to take a photo of an object of your choice outside at least twice at different times of day under clear sky conditions. You are then asked to model the object in Rhino and generate two clear sky visualizations under the same sky conditions from about the same perspective as the photo. 

    Read more: Shading Studies & Sun Path Diagrams (Assignment 2)

  • My Energy Essay (Assignment 1)

     In this first assignment you are invited to reflect about your past and envision your future building energy use.

    Read more: My Energy Essay (Assignment 1)

  • Planning for Growth in the Lower Mystic (Assignment 4)

    After assessing the level of growth projected from the various developments in the Lower Mystic area, the impacts and capacity constraints of major transportation infrastructure in the area, and projected and estimated mode shares, now it's your turn to propose as individuals how to achieve a transportation plan that can maintain and improve access to jobs and opportunities while supporting the plans and goals of the surrounding cities.

    Read more: Planning for Growth in the Lower Mystic (Assignment 4)

  • Assessing the Impacts of Growth in Lower Mystic (Assignment 3)

    A 15 page (max) double-spaced memo to the Boston Chief of Streets

    Read more: Assessing the Impacts of Growth in Lower Mystic (Assignment 3)

  • Re-Designing Massachusetts Avenue (Assignment 2)

    The Cambridge Director of Transportation has asked you, his trusted advisor, to help him plan his strategy with respect to current issues regarding Massachusetts Avenue between Central Square and the Harvard Bridge.

    For this assignment, you will have access to the counting reports of the teams at three intersections and locations along Mass. Ave. You should walk and observe, and use the first several steps of the 19 step process as part of your background work in preparing to write the assignment. Pay explicit attention to the first step: "who are you?" and how this impacts the advice you give.

    Read more: Re-Designing Massachusetts Avenue (Assignment 2)

  • Counting and Observing at Key Intersections (Assignment 1)

    The first assignment is a group assignment, to go out and observe key street cross sections and intersections nearby in Cambridge. This assignment gives you a chance to observe and think about how people, different travel modes, infrastructure, and neighboring land uses interact in a real, live place. You will not only look and see what is going on, but also start to become familiar with how "little numbers" translate to real-world conditions: what does 800 cars/hour look like vs. 800 people riding the T, and what impact do these differences have on the nature of the urban scene? You should become familiar with basic ideas like level of service, saturation flow rate, capacity, speeds, flow, and mode share (see Meyer and Miller, Chapter 3). We want you to think about how you measure and what you measure, and what impact this has on the transportation planning process and built outcomes.

    Read more: Counting and Observing at Key Intersections (Assignment 1)

  • Weekly Reading and Class Responses

    You are required to submit a one-paragraph (no more than 150 words) response to the readings each week by 4pm the night before class. The responses are not meant to be formal, but instead help you engage with the class material and help us lead and focus the class discussion. You should not spend more than 30 minutes each week on the responses, although we expect you will spend significantly more time doing readings. 

    Read more: Weekly Reading and Class Responses

  • Assignment 3: Big Plan

    In Assignment 1, you explored the city through large-scale processes. In Assignment 2, you focused on unearthing key issues in specific Boston/Cambridge neighborhoods. For your final assignment, you will form your own vision, your own Big Plan.

    Read more: Assignment 3: Big Plan

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