Keynote: On Transportation and Energy

On Energy and Transportation

The Energy Crisis

• New York City, 1969: Electrical Energy Shortage -- Consolidated Edison Company cut power by 20%.
  
• Since 1900, electrical energy consumption in the U.S. has been increasing at an average annual rate of 7%. At this rate, consumption of energy doubles in ten years.
  
• Energy crisis not only associated with electrical energy. Approximately one-quarter of this energy is used for the generation of electricity. The rest is used for transportation, industrial processes, and heating.
  
• There is a sufficient amount of coal for at least the next millennium at the present rate of consumption, but not for petroleum and natural gas, although there is enough to last many decades.
  
• Associated with the combustion of fossil fuels is the release of pollutants.
  
• The reduction of energy consumption does not imply the reduction of life quality. An increase in the efficiency of use can equal to an increase in supply.
  
• The automobile, while offering convenience and privacy, is an excessively large consumer compared to mass transportation systems.
  
• Crisis is a conflict between supply and demand.
  

In Relation to Transportation

• Indirect uses of energy notably the energy required to produce and service vehicles, construct and maintain road and rail systems, and provide the amenities required for transportation services (ex. airports, terminals, garages) causes one-third of all energy consumption.
  
• Statistic: There are approx. 100million passenger cars, and each car on average is driven 10,000 miles, consuming approx. 800 gallons of gasoline per year.
  
• According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the most important factor affecting vehicle milage is weight. For example, a 2000-lb vehicle is twice as efficient as a 4000-lb vehicle. A reduction in the weight of automobiles could result in the reduction in fuel consumption. Energy consumption for transportation could be reduced by more than 25%.
  
• Prior to 1973, there was a shift to less energy efficient modes of transportation. Truck, automobile, and airplane usage steadily increased. Deterioration of rail transportation (passenger/freight) was caused by the use of less energy efficient modes of transportation.
  
• High speed rail passenger service could replace short distance air travel. Trains are not only approximately three times as energy as efficient as airplane, but they provide direct service to urban areas, eliminating the need for transportation to and from airports (indirect energy consumption).
  
• Buses and subways are twice as energy efficient as the private automobile. Public transportation reduces urban congestion as well as alleviates the need for space consuming parking facilities.

Source
Krenz, Jerrold H. Energy: Conversion and Utilization (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1976), 2, 8, 310-314, 317-318.

Haylie Chan

November 8, 2010

Water: Hydropower

      Presently, hydropower is used almost exclusively for the generation of electricity.Unlike fossil fuels, water power is a renewable source of energy which does not deplete through usage.

       In 1850, wind and water power accounted for two-thirds of mechanical power used in the U.S.

       Small scale hydropower installations utilized only a small fraction of a stream’s or river’s potential

       Large-scale hydroelectric power plants are built in conjunction with a reservoir. From the reservoir, water may be withdrawn.

      Source
Krenz, Jerrold H. Energy: Conversion and Utilization (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1976), 259-260.

      Haylie Chan

      November 9, 2010

On Transportation

Here's an article on transportation and designing automobiles to sustain the future. Click here and you'll have to download a PDF file.


Source
http://web.ebscohost.com/lrc/results?vid=2&hid=110&sid=72541971-8806-463e-8526-ab4de55d18a7%40sessionmgr115&bquery=(transportation)&bdata=JmRiPWxmaCZ0eXBlPTAmc2l0ZT1scmMtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d


Haylie Chan
November 9, 2010

Transportation and shelter

Hey Guys,

so i found this really great website linking transportation and shelter. Here's the link if you want to take a look

http://www.communityfortomorrow.org/Shelter.htm

so basically what it's saying is that the reason that our shelter is what it is today, is due mainly to the development of transportation (what I mentioned in an earlier blog entry)

However, it elaborates that the transportation system is dependant on financial stability and when either this crashes, or when we run out of affordable resources to fund our transportation, we will no longer have the means to build/repair the houses that we've built dependant on this transportation.

"up to this point transportation has determined the nature, structure, and location of our shelter"

it then mentions that "if we are to survive, we must reverse the situation. our transportation must be changed so that it will fit in with our next generation shelters."

I think this is an important factor when redesigning our "ideal slum"

with this new generation of shelter, it is suggested thats transportation must integrate the technology of travelling "highspeed overhead" (e.g. like a suspended train?)

than, for transportation in a broader sense of importation and exportation, long-range transportation will be composed of turbines with airframe construction.

anyways,

I hope this helps, I'll be looking now into clean water production and delivery .

see y'all in soon.

Lia Tramontini

Tuesday November 9th

"Shelter and Transportation." Community for Tomorrow. http://www.communityfortomorrow.org/Shelter.htm (accessed November 9, 2010)

On Energy and Transportation

The Energy Crisis

• New York City, 1969: Electrical Energy Shortage -- Consolidated Edison Company cut power by 20%.
  
  
• Since 1900, electrical energy consumption in the U.S. has been increasing at an average annual rate of 7%. At this rate, consumption of energy doubles in ten years.
  
  
• Energy crisis not only associated with electrical energy. Approximately one-quarter of this energy is used for the generation of electricity. The rest is used for transportation, industrial processes, and heating.
  
  
• There is a sufficient amount of coal for at least the next millennium at the present rate of consumption, but not for petroleum and natural gas, although there is enough to last many decades.
  
  
• Associated with the combustion of fossil fuels is the release of pollutants.
  
  
• The reduction of energy consumption does not imply the reduction of life quality. An increase in the efficiency of use can equal to an increase in supply.
  
  
• The automobile, while offering convenience and privacy, is an excessively large consumer compared to mass transportation systems.
  
  
• Crisis is a conflict between supply and demand.
  
  

In Relation to Transportation

• Indirect uses of energy notably the energy required to produce and service vehicles, construct and maintain road and rail systems, and provide the amenities required for transportation services (ex. airports, terminals, garages) causes one-third of all energy consumption.
  
  
• Statistic: There are approx. 100million passenger cars, and each car on average is driven 10,000 miles, consuming approx. 800 gallons of gasoline per year.
  
  
• According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the most important factor affecting vehicle milage is weight. For example, a 2000-lb vehicle is twice as efficient as a 4000-lb vehicle. A reduction in the weight of automobiles could result in the reduction in fuel consumption. Energy consumption for transportation could be reduced by more than 25%.
  
  
• Prior to 1973, there was a shift to less energy efficient modes of transportation. Truck, automobile, and airplane usage steadily increased. Deterioration of rail transportation (passenger/freight) was caused by the use of less energy efficient modes of transportation.
  
  
• High speed rail passenger service could replace short distance air travel. Trains are not only approximately three times as energy as efficient as airplane, but they provide direct service to urban areas, eliminating the need for transportation to and from airports (indirect energy consumption).
  
  
• Buses and subways are twice as energy efficient as the private automobile. Public transportation reduces urban congestion as well as alleviates the need for space consuming parking facilities.
  

Source
Krenz, Jerrold H. Energy: Conversion and Utilization (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1976), 2, 8, 310-314, 317-318.

Haylie Chan

November 8, 2010

Future Transport in Cities

From this book here is a summary of key measures which were discussed and have to be made, if there is to be any improvement in the long term:

• High-tech means of maximizing road space, with automated freeways, lane metering or area wide traffic control, are unlikely to solve long-term traffic problems, neither is increased road building.
• Road pricing and parking charges are both practical ways of making the motorist pay towards the true cost of driving within cities, as well as help fund good public transport.
• Within city centres, conventional ownership of private cars may in the long term be largely replaced by car clubs, with smart cars reducing car ownership in cities.
• Planning and design of new parts of cities and their buildings must consider access by public transport.
• Planning housing to a higher density is important, in transport terms, to help reduce travel distances. Clustering of mixed development around transport stops should be part of this.
• Walking is an essential part of any transport system and all trips start and finish on foot. The quality of the environment for pedestrians should be given the highest priority.
• Cycling is an important mode of transport and safe conditions must be provided, such as slower roads and cycle lanes.
• Public transport systems for short distance travel must be provided, such as hail to stop buses in residential areas, for local trips.
• Surface-level, transport networks of systems, such as light rail, or express bus routes, will benefit more people, at less cost, if provided along many corridors rather than single high-capacity metros built along one corridor.
• All public transport systems must be to a standard sufficiently comfortable, convenient and safe to get people out of their cars.

The end result of these combined strategies could help make cities safer, cleaner and more enjoyable places in which to live and work. Many people want to move back into them and the means to improve the quality of life there is possible improving transport has to be part of the solutions to achieve any change. Only the political will is needed to make this happen.

In recent years, architects, industrial designers and others have been increasingly involved with the design of all aspects of public transport, from station to bus stops and from interchanges to street design. It therefore seemed worthwhile to show how public transport is beginning to be integrated into the urban environment. In the future, buildings and layouts will increasingly be required to be sustainable. Finding a solution to the question of access to these buildings, to avoid them from being surrounded from parked cars, is therefore and important part of the problem.

Brian Richards, Future Transport in Cities (New York: Spon Press, 2001), .

Transportation and ow it developed throughout the ages

This goes through the idea of transportation and how it developed throughout the ages.

this website shows how transportation has developed and changed into different spectrums like air, water and ground transportation.

The wide spectrum includes information on human, animal, carriage, automobile, airship , plane, boat, tram, train and buses.

http://www.cfst.org/

CFST."Aboard transportation." 2006. http://www.cfst.org/.

also some information on a slum i found...

-slum of Kibera includes 13 villages.
-located southwest of Nairobi city centre and is equal to about 75% of the area of Manhattan's Central Park (approximately 2.5 square kilometres, 256 hectares, or 630 acres).
-sited approximately 5 km south east of the city centre of Nairobi.
-A railway line passes through Kibera, thus passengers heading for Kisumu can view the slum.
-most Kibera residents use buses and Matatus to reach city centre.

-Kibera has been known so far for being the biggest informal urban settlements in the world.
-Kenya, has released numbers and figures the last years estimating an average population of 700,000 people:


-Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya, is the second largest slum in Africa with a population of approximately 700.000 inhabitants (there is no census has been carried out in Kibera and hence estimates vary between 350,000 to one million)


-Kianda is located on the border with middle and upper-class Neighbourhoods.
-Due to 24h pubs and the diffusion of prostitution, Kianda is one of the most problematic villages in Kibera.
-Insecurity here is also due to the dispute on land among Luos and Nubians, which made this village a hot spot during post election violences in 2008.
-It is also the leading village in HIV diffusion, and this brought here many specialized clinics which are said to be among the best ones in the area.
-The southern side of the village borders with the beautiful ngong forest.



STATISTICS

Topography
Village perimeter: 2 km
Village area: 0,16 sqKm
Maximum length (as the crow flies): 780 m
Minimum length (as the crow flies): 150 m
Highest point (above the see level): 1766 m
Lowest point (above the see level): 1736 m

Structures
Main structures: 1,225
Other structures (toilets, baths): 285 (1 bath or toilet per 53 people)
Units (separated spaces within the structures): 4,999
Households: 4,561 (91.2%)
Business units: 231 (4.6%)
Rooms (households only): 5,077
Infrastructures
Units supplied with electricity: 2,880 (58%)
Water points: 115
1 wp per 132 people
Average rent per room per month: 1,150 Ksh
Estimated turnover in Kianda: 53,000 €/month
Estimated turnover in Kibera: 10,000,000 €/year
Demographics
Population: 15,219
Density: 95,120 people per km²
Families: 4,668 (3.25 people per family)
Children: 6,918 (45.5% of the population)
Women (adult only): 3,208 (21.1% of the pop.; 38.7% of all adults)
Married adults 4,558 (54,9%);
Single adults: 2,689 (32.4%); Single parents: 518 (6.24%)
Married adults living alone in Kianda: 531 (6.4%)
Tribes
Luo families: 2,196 (50.2%)
Kisii families: 689 (15.8%)
Luhya families: 661 (15.1%)
Kamba families: 427 (9.8%)
Gikuyu families: 247 (5.7%


-kianda has got a perimeter of 2 Km and an area of 0.16 sqKm (equal to 15 soccer fields).
-There is a height difference of 30m between the highest and the lowest point of the terrain.
-Along the upper side of the hill there is the only asphalt road; at the bottom of the slope a large sewer flows.
-People there call it “river”. The eastern border of Kianda is limited by the railway that runs from Mombasa to Kampala (Uganda).
-A total of 1,500 building has been counted in Kianda: about 1,225 are main structures; the remaining 300 smaller structures are public toilets or baths.
-Each one of the main structures can contain several households, business and service units. The total number of units is about 5,000: 91.2% are households; 4.6% are business units.
-About 100 empty units were found. Each residential unit contains an average 1.11 rooms for a total of 5,077 residential rooms.

Joel Piecowye
October 7th and 9th

"Map Kibera Project," MKP, 2008, http://mapkiberaproject.yolasite.com/