AccelNet Implementation Phase 1: International Networks Towards Future Resilience of U.S. Urban Socio-Technical Systems

Urban resilience is an interdisciplinary grand challenge that requires coordination of talents and resources to create transdisciplinary solutions that holistically consider how technology, people, and environment interact. Existing networks on urban resilience are often shaped by their regional, disciplinary and social contexts. The objectives this AccelNet Implementation (Phase 1) project are to (i) build strategic links among disciplinarily and geographically comprehensive U.S. and international networks, called Resilient-NET, to synergize complementary scientific expertise, and provide its members the critical access to data, platforms, pilot projects and research capabilities, and (ii) prepare the U.S. students and early-career researchers to solve future urban resilience problems, strengthen their global leadership skills through collaborations.

Major networks to be connected include the Singapore-Switzerland-Netherlands network on future urban resilience, U.S. Extreme Events Research (EER) networks, International and U.S. networks in AI research, U.S. geospatial research network, U.S. logistics and supply chain resilience network, and Global South network. This project will generate an OPEN-NET platform for data sharing, focused research groups and projects, annual workshops, bi-annual symposiums, major workforce development activities including scholar/student visit.

By consolidating a roadmap towards future resilient urban eco systems and nurturing future workforce in urban resilience, Resilient-NET will make long-lasting impacts on the livability and economic viability of future U.S. cities with a scope and magnitude beyond the capabilities of a single research community.

Resilient-NET will take a holistic perspective with a special focus on the complex interactions among technology, people and environment. (i) The technology aspect (i.e., the New Dimension) will focus on the increasingly prevalent integration of AI-enabled systems into urban infrastructure and mobility systems. At the dawn of large-scale AI implementations in the next decade, the proposed activities will identify inherent vulnerabilities and key performance characteristics for AI-enabled urban systems, ensure resilience of emerging urban mobility systems, and identify a research agenda for effective and safe system-system interactions. (ii) The people aspect (i.e., the Missing Puzzle) will enhance our understanding on the increasingly complex interactions between humans and technology, as a singular focus on the technology aspect will not automatically build resilience into our societies. (iii) The environment aspect (i.e., the Uncertainty Accelerator) will focus on the increasingly frequent extreme natural events that simultaneously impose vulnerabilities and uncertainties on urban socio-technical systems, and will identify the solutions for data-driven disaster preparedness, urban digital twin, and the predictive capabilities for compound cascading extreme natural events.

In summary, the integrated techno-socio-climate approach adopted by this project will enable our societies as well as research communities to better understand the complicated technology-human interactions, identify research gaps, priorities and solutions in trustworthy AI technologies and quantitative social resilience research for different social entities in relation to infrastructural resilience.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.