This is probably going to be a relatively short entry since not much has happened since the last blog, but I did have my first idea for something I’d maybe be interested in researching for my project, and it was totally by coincidence, so I’m not really sure whether there’s much to it, and I’m not sure how it would work, but an idea is better than no idea, so I’m still considering it progress.
Funnily enough, I came to this idea through watching a TikTok–There’s a creator on TikTok who makes videos daily in October about scary stories related to water, which she calls “Spooky Lake Month”. A couple of days ago, her video was about how subways worldwide face challenges relating to flooding, and how they’re not particularly resilient to flooding at the moment since they’re underground. I also remember an anecdote from the Envisioning Sustainable Lands and Cities intensive about the book “The World Without Us”, and how the lecturer mentioned that in places like New York, the subways are only kept dry because a large amount of effort goes into pumping out water from the New York underground network.
The two things started me thinking about what a metro system would need to be like to either be resilient (to combat the pressures of things like flooding) or sustainable (to be able to not require a constant energy input to keep it dry). And of course, going back to the thing mentioned by Professor Brennan that I talked about in my last blog post, sustainability and resilience can often mean opposite things–for example, perhaps a metro system would have to be even stronger at pumping out water. But perhaps a metro system that can avoid succumbing to getting flooded can also be more sustainable?
I’m not really sure where to go with that, or if it’s even possible within my skillsets (as I am very much not an engineer). But I am happy that I am thinking about a problem that is yet to be solved and how it could be worked into my project for this degree. As I look forward to my next intensive in Transport and Society, I’m sure I’ll learn a lot more that can color or modify my thoughts about this idea (as well as the project as a whole) and maybe influence where I go next with my project.
3 December 2024 at 21:19
It’s great that you’ve found an idea that excites you, even if it started in an unexpected way. Your thinking about how metro systems can be both resilient to flooding and sustainable is really interesting. The balance between these two factors is complex, and it’s cool that you’re already considering the contradictions between them. While you might not have an engineering background, your curiosity and willingness to tackle such a big issue is valuable. I’m sure your upcoming intensive in Transport and Society will help refine this idea, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops!