Earth Systems Engineering Reflections from a practitioner

Jennifer Schooling, Arup

ESE 2012 Conference, July 2012

Newcastle University

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What am I going to talk about?

• Arup

• Arup and ESE – some projects

• Whither Earth Systems Engineering?

What is Earth Systems Engineering?

Picture of planet earth against black sky

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What is Earth Systems Engineering?

• About engineering WITH our environment rather than in conflict

with it

• System of systems approach – increasingly the approach we are

having to take to address the more and more complex challenges

we face

• Could cover everything from food provision in a city to more

traditional engineering topics like flood resilience

“A design team which produces a

total, balanced, efficient design can

help to produce a better

environment”

“What should our designs try to

achieve? We must take a critical look

at the brief, make it more

comprehensive. We must look

beyond the narrow object and ask

ourselves: What will be the

ecological consequences?”

Sir Ove Arup, 1972

Sir Ove Arup, November 1968

“Total Architecture”

Sir Ove Arup

The Key Speech: www.arup.com/Publications/The_Key_Speech.aspx

Managed realignment schemes on the Humber

Paull

Holme

Stray

Welwick and

Skeffling

Chowder

Ness

Aga Khan University Campus in Arusha, Tanzania

Resilient Sheffield - Adapting to Climate Change

Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network ACCRN

www.acccrn.org

Future Cities – an ESE challenge?

— connecting city systems to enable integration and interoperability

— increasing city density and population without congestion

— transitioning to resource-efficient, low-carbon cities

— resilient energy systems

Reflections

Reflections and Challenges

• Overcoming silos – co-operation and collaboration

• Dealing with existing governance structures

• Having the institutional courage

• Generating confidence in the outcomes

• Sharing knowledge – between institutions, communities,

professionals, nations, .....

• Working at a range of scales

• Communicating the outcomes in ways that are meaningful