News | July 24, 2015
1st International Workshop on Smart Cities & Urban Analytics (UrbanGIS)
Now Taking Submissions! CALL FOR PAPERS: The 1st International Workshop on Smart Cities and Urban Analytics (UrbanGIS) 2015 in conjunction with ACM SIGSPATIAL 2015 Seattle, WA, USA – November 3, 2015 http://engineering.nyu.edu/urbangis2015/ IMPORTANT DATES: Paper Submission: September 1, 2015 (midnight PT) Notification of Acceptance: September 19, 2015 Workshop date: November 3, 2015 Paper Submission Site:…
News | October 18, 2018
4 fresh ideas to ease Seattle’s coming traffic nightmare
Seattle is doomed — at least in terms of its traffic for at least the next three years. Already, morning and evening gridlock seems to start earlier and end later. I-5 through downtown is nearly always jammed up. Overloaded buses wait through multiple light cycles attempting to inch through intersections at rush hour. And it’s…
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Alan Borning
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Amy Kim
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Anat Caspi
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Anne Goodchild
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Anne Vernez-Moudon
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Barb Ivanov
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Batya Friedman
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BECU and CoMotion partner to create Seattle fintech hub
UW CoMotion has partnered with BECU, Washington’s largest community credit union, to create a fintech hub in the Seattle region, which includes the launch of the BECU FinTech Incubator at CoMotion Labs. Fintech startups, Noonum and Warren, are the first two members. The collaboration combines BECU’s expertise in broad-based financial services, data analysis, and customer experiences with CoMotion’s…
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Bill Howe
Visit scholar websiteNews | September 17, 2018
Bus battle: Do private shuttles affect the reliability of public transit?
While many Puget Sound residents have to choose between taking public transit or personal vehicles to work, Microsoft and Seattle Children’s Hospital employees have an additional option: private commuter buses. Last year, King County Metro and the Seattle Department of Transportation started a pilot program that allowed these shuttles to pick up employees at a few public bus…
News | December 4, 2018
Can an app help avoid bike-car collisions on the Burke-Gilman Trail? UW students are testing it
The possibility of a crash occurs every few minutes at the Burke-Gilman Trail: A bicyclist is cruising past alders and maples that conceal traffic. A motorist has just turned toward Lake Washington, and can’t see trail users approaching the road from either side. In the future, a navigation app might warn them both, if an…
News | August 24, 2018
Certified healthy buildings? Bellevue and UW are working on it
Considering that most people spend one-third of their day at work, UW Civil and Environmental Engineering researchers are advocating for healthier buildings. And they aren’t wasting any time. The first government building in Puget Sound, Bellevue City Hall, recently gained Fitwel Certification thanks to their help. “Since the built environment affects human health, the certification symbolizes the city’s commitment…
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Charles W Roeder
Visit scholar websiteNews | January 5, 2018
Cities face a surge in online deliveries
By the time veteran UPS driver Thomas “Tommy” Chu leaves work, he will have picked up and delivered hundreds of packages in New York City, making some 16 stops an hour as his company hurries to meet the online shopping rush. But what may be his most impressive feat of the day precedes that scramble:…
News | April 27, 2017
Cities Seek Deliverance From the E-Commerce Boom
With a major increase in residential deliveries, new urban delivery challenges have also arrived. That’s due in part to the failures of urban planning and the nature of the trucking business. While matters of public policy like public transit, bike lanes, and walkability fall within the purview of planning boards and municipal departments of transportation,…
Degree Program
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Students in the UW CEE Ph.D. program work closely with distinguished faculty on research and pursue their own innovative projects, preparing them to make a difference in the world. Students who pursue Ph.D. degrees often obtain high-level jobs in industry or go on to work in academia. Students focus their studies on one of the…
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Civil Engineering (BS, MS)
At the University of Washington, civil engineering students are preparing to take on the challenges presented by aging national infrastructure and the pressing needs of both urban and developing communities around the globe. Civil engineers design, build, operate and maintain urban environments to improve people’s lives. From transportation to water quality to earthquake preparedness, resilient…
Visit program websiteCourse | CEE 418 (URBDP 429)
Computer-Aided Planning of Urban Systems
Survey of on-line planning applications; use of various on-line systems to solve urban systems design problems; investigation of hardware/software trade-offs; human factors in man-computer systems design theory as it relates to problem-solving activity.News | June 26, 2015
CoSSar presented by Scott Miles
Presented at June 1st Urban@UW Launch Meeting
News | October 25, 2018
Could parcel lockers in transit stations reduce traffic congestion in Seattle?
UW researchers want to know if parcel lockers that aren’t owned by a specific company could alleviate traffic congestion in Seattle.Matt Hagen Seattle is one of the most congested cities in America. Delivery trucks take up space on already crowded roads and idle in parking spots and loading bays. And if no one is available…
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Cynthia Chen
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Daniel Schwartz
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Data Science for Social Good 2016
This summer we are thrilled to be supporting the eScience Institute’s Data Science for Social Good (DSSG) program. Modeled after similar programs at the University of Chicago and Georgia Tech, with elements from eScience’s own Data Science Incubator, sixteen DSSG Student Fellows have been working with academic researchers, data scientists, and public stakeholder groups on…
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Dawn Lehman
Visit scholar websiteNews | May 14, 2019
Delivery bots could make cities more accessible for everyone
Last week, Washington’s governor Jay Inslee signed a bill allowing robots to roll through the state, delivering goods and food orders. Washington joins seven other states that have legalized bot deliveries, and other cities and college campuses have allowed companies to pilot their services. Perhaps new tech could be what spurs more accessible city design, creating more navigable public spaces…
News | October 27, 2017
Developing ‘breakaway’ tsunami resistant buildings
The best designs can also be the most surprising. A promising new concept for tsunami resistant buildings features breakaway walls and floors on lower levels that, when removed by forceful waves, strengthen the structure and better protect occupants seeking safety on higher floors. Thanks to a $1 million National Science Foundation Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing…
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Don Mackenzie
Visit scholar websiteNews | June 8, 2017
Drone vs. truck deliveries: Which creates less carbon pollution?
Delivering packages with drones can reduce carbon dioxide emissions in certain circumstances as compared to truck deliveries, a new study from University of Washington transportation engineers finds. In a paper to be published in an upcoming issue of Transportation Research Part D, researchers found that drones tend to have carbon dioxide emissions advantages over trucks…
News | October 10, 2017
Earthquakes are inevitable but catastrophe is not
Written by University of Washington Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering professor Marc Eberherd, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering associate professor Jeffery Berman, and Department of Human-Centered Design senior scientist Scott Miles. Many older buildings provide vital, low-cost housing. But we must find a way to make these structures safer. It should not be…
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Ed Lazowska
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Edward McCormack
Visit scholar websiteNews | May 23, 2019
Employees are pressuring Amazon to become a leader on climate. Here’s how that could work.
Amazon is preparing to do something it’s never done before: disclose its companywide greenhouse gas emissions. Amazon, with its diverse portfolio of energy-hungry businesses, faces a challenge in calculating and reducing emissions. Some recent moves, such as its push toward ever-faster delivery speeds for its core Prime customers, raise questions about its ability to do…
Degree Program
Environmental Engineering (BS)
Environmental engineers work to both safeguard and improve the quality of the environment. By utilizing a combination of both scientific and engineering principles, environmental engineers work to protect the world and its people from negative environmental impacts caused by both natural and human activities. The work of environmental engineers is increasingly important, as healthy environments…
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eScience Institute’s Data Science for Social Good Projects Announced
eScience Institute’s Data Science for Social Good Projects Announced Bringing together data scientists to work on focused, collaborative projects designed to impact public policy. This Summer teams will be looking at: Assessing Community Well-Being Through Open Data and Social Media – providing neighborhood communities with a better understanding of the factors that impact their well-being….
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Faisal Hossain
Visit scholar websiteNews | September 28, 2018
Glacier melt likely to impact Pacific Northwest water supply
In light of global warming, more glaciers means more melting. And for the Pacific Northwest, which is home to the most glaciers in the contiguous 48 states, that also means increased vulnerability. For the first time, a team of researchers has evaluated the hydrological impact of receding glaciers in the region, which is expected to…
Degree Program
Green Stormwater Infrastructure Design and Management (Cert)
Expand your technical skills with training in green infrastructure practices that improve water quality by using the natural environment, soil and vegetation to reduce pollution caused by untreated stormwater entering our waterways. Study sustainable strategies, such as low impact development and urban retrofits, that reduce stormwater runoff, combined sewer overflow and water demand. Explore the…
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Greg Miller
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High speed battery charging for smart grids.
SCL (Michael Pesin) and UW Electrical Engineering (Daniel Kirtchner). Develop new energy storage technologies that facilitate variable energy output, which more closely mirrors how electricity is used in modern grid scenarios.
News | March 8, 2017
Honoring Women Collaborators at Urban@UW
In honor of International Women’s Day, we are highlighting just some of UW’s brilliant female professors, scholars, and and change-makers with whom Urban@UW is proud to collaborate. Click on their names to explore their work. Leadership: Thaisa Way, Executive Director, Urban@UW; Department of Landscape Architecture Executive Committee: Margaret O’Mara, Department of History Susan P….
Course | CEE 481
Hydraulic Design for Environmental Engineering
Introduction to the theory and the practice of planning and design of urban water supply distribution, pump stations, and sewage and storm-water collection systems. Evaluation of service areas and service requirements and their relationships to urban and regional planning activities. Engineering methods and computer programs for designing basic system elements.News | March 13, 2017
In the smart cities of the future, posters, signs and clothing may talk back
New research from University of Washington has shown for the first time that ambient FM radio signals can be used as a signal source for wireless communication. The technology, developed by engineers in the Networks & Mobile Systems Lab and Sensor Systems Lab, creates backscatter transmissions that can be decoded on any FM receiver, including…
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Jeff Berman
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Joe P. Mahoney
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Joseph Wartman
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Joshua Blumenstock
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Joshua Smith
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Julian Marshall
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Julian Marshall
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Justin Hamacher
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Lillian J. Ratliff
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Linda Ng Boyle
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Livable City Year celebrates partnership with City of Bellevue
This year’s Livable City Year partnership with the City of Bellevue mobilized 285 students from a variety of schools and colleges, representing all three UW campuses, to work on 30 projects in the city. The students’ research, findings and recommendations were on display at a celebration at Bellevue City Hall on Monday, June 3. The Bellevue City…
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Marc Eberhard
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Mark Hallenbeck
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Meg Drouhard
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Michael T. Brett
Visit scholar websiteNews | August 1, 2016
Midsummer in Full Swing, A July Recap
While we are in the midst of a beautiful summer, things at the University of Washington and at Urban@UW are moving right along. We’ve seen some original writing, research, and even a podcast come out of community covering topics from marine noise pollution to data science and minimum wage to police reforms. The eScience Institute…
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Mike Motley
Visit scholar websiteNews | January 31, 2016
Monthly Wrap up January 2016
It’s been a great start to 2016. UW Alumni association and History Department put together a woderful history lecture series: Excavating Seattle’s histories: Peoples, politics, and place check out details and videos here> The CBE also hosted a number of great speakers and events including SUSTAINING JAPAN: 3.11 FIVE YEARS ON lecture and panel discussion…
News | February 3, 2017
New route-finding map lets Seattle pedestrians avoid hills, construction, accessibility barriers
Transportation routing services primarily designed for people in cars don’t give pedestrians, parents pushing bulky strollers or people in wheelchairs much information about how to easily navigate a neighborhood using sidewalks. On Wednesday AccessMap – a University of Washington project spearheaded by the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology — launched a new online travel planner…
News | October 13, 2016
New Seattle freight lab tackles urban delivery congestion
SEATTLE (AP) — In this city where residents can get practically anything delivered to their doorsteps — often within hours — trucks, bikes, cars and buses regularly jostle for space on Seattle’s streets. The rise in e-commerce and on-demand delivery has put increasing pressure on fast-growing cities like Seattle to rethink how they manage traffic…
News | May 7, 2019
New study finds Seattle is even less prepared for mega quakes than previously thought
Scientists have found that the shaking likely to be generated by a massive earthquake on the Cascadia subduction zone is worse than previously thought—and Seattle’s current building codes aren’t equipped to handle it. The study, which was presented at the 2019 Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting last month, is based on the work of…
News | July 14, 2016
New Tech Could Restore Some Quiet To Noisy Oceans
Forty feet below the surface of Puget Sound, a marbled murrelet dives for its catch. The water is cold, dark — and incredibly noisy. A ping-ping-ping emanates from the shore over second-long intervals and continues on for the next several hours, sending a series of pressure waves through the ocean. For the endangered bird, these…
News | June 26, 2015
Northwest Institute for Advanced Computing: PNNL & UW presented by Thom Dunning
Presented at June 1st Urban@UW Launch Meeting
News | November 16, 2016
NYC, Chicago mayors join Seattle’s Ed Murray is support of “sanctuary cities” for immigrants
SEATTLE — Democratic mayors of major U.S. cities that have long had cool relationships with federal immigration officials say they’ll do all they can to protect residents from deportation, despite President-elect Donald Trump’s vows to withhold potentially millions of dollars in taxpayer money if they don’t cooperate. New York’s Bill de Blasio, Chicago’s Rahm Emanuel…
News | October 28, 2016
October Recap: Urban Transporation, Health, and Justice
October has seen a lot of research and engagement surrounding urban design, health, and transportation from University of Washington’s urban scholars and practitioners. Here at Urban@UW we’ve kicked off our Livable City Year program, reflected on our first full year of work and collaborations, and are planning for our symposium on Urban Environmental Justice in…
News | August 21, 2017
One-third of Seattle drivers ‘cruising’ for parking, rides, study finds
More than one-third of drivers in Seattle are either searching for parking or are ridesharing drivers waiting for ride assignments. That’s according to a study by a group of University of Washington students looking at traffic sensor data. The four students involved called this practice of searching for parking or rides “cruising.” The project used…
News | August 10, 2017
Opportunity abounds as Washington builds the modern electricity grid
The Horn Rapids Solar, Storage, and Training Project—which would be the largest solar installation in Washington, and one of a relative few anywhere with a significant amount of energy storage incorporated—embodies a long chain of public and private sector efforts that have positioned the state, and the broader Pacific Northwest, as a leader in the…
News | June 27, 2017
Partnership with CMMB launches new center on smart, connected communities
China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting – Vision (CMMB) has awarded the University of Washington Department of Electrical Engineering (UW EE) a $1.5 million gift to establish a new research center. The CMMB Vision-UW Center on Satellite Multimedia and Connected Vehicles will focus on the development of the next generation of smart cars and ubiquitous connectivity. “UW…
Course | CEE 586
Pedestrian Travel, Land Use, and Urban Form
Graduate seminar concentrating on walking as a mode of transportation in cities and city-regions, including social, cognitive, and perpetual dimensions of pedestrian movement and behavior theory.Scholar
Pedro Arduino
Visit scholar websiteNews | April 25, 2019
Project Sidewalk helps users map accessibility around Seattle, other cities
About 3.6 million adults in the United States use a wheelchair to get around, according to census data. But unless you’re one of those people, you might not know how hard it is to get around your city. Now people can help map out accessibility here in Seattle. University of Washington researchers have led the development…
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Radha Poovendran
Visit scholar websiteNews | February 28, 2018
Reducing failed deliveries, truck parking time could improve downtown Seattle congestion
In Amazon’s hometown, people turn to their computers to order everything from groceries to last-minute birthday presents to the odd toothbrush or medication forgotten from the store. If online shopping continues to grow at its current rate, there may be twice as many trucks delivering packages in Seattle’s city center within five years, a new…
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Santosh Devasia
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Scott Miles
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Scott Rutherford
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Seana Davidson
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Seema Clifasefi
Visit scholar websiteNews | May 21, 2016
Seismic Neglect: Buildings and Earthquakes
Seismic Neglect | In the first part of a continuing series, The Seattle Times examined officials’ neglect of the most vulnerable kind of building: old, brick structures called unreinforced masonry. Here are answers to some common questions about those buildings. The Northwest is threatened by earthquakes far more destructive than anything Washington state has experienced…
News | May 28, 2019
Self-driving cars: Heaven or hell?
Self-driving vehicles are expected to significantly change the way people move between cities and suburban neighborhoods in Washington state, but it is yet to be seen whether those will be positive changes for congestion and the environment. Fully-automated vehicles could allow large fleets of company vehicles to whisk people around city centers where space for…
News | January 25, 2018
Shocker: It’s mostly men moving to Seattle for tech jobs
For every four men who moved to Seattle for a tech job in the last decade, only one woman did, too, according to a recent analysis that looked at the trend of tech transplants nationwide.To industry experts and academics, the findings from the careers website Paysa.com came as no surprise. The data is more of…
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Shyam Gollakota
Visit scholar websiteNews | October 16, 2018
Something’s killing coho salmon in Seattle, and car tires are a prime suspect
When autumn rains return to western Washington, so do coho salmon. But in many of the creeks they swim up, something in the water leaves fishes gasping for air. They die quickly, before they manage to spawn. A new study points at chemicals from tiny bits of car tires as a prime suspect in the…
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Stephen J. Burges
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Steve Muench
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Steve Tanimoto
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Steven Kramer
Visit scholar websiteCourse | CEE 429
Sustainability in Building Infrastructure
Provides an overview of how to plan, design, construct, and manage high performance building infrastructures. Topics include integrated project delivery, green building rating systems, green building design codes and energy standards, measurement and verification of building performance, and retrofitting existing building through building energy audit.Degree Program
Sustainable Transportation: Planning & Livable Communities
With more than half the world’s population now living in urban areas, creating smart, effective transportation systems is a vital priority for society. Moving people and goods efficiently is essential to a thriving economy and a significant factor in protecting the environment and improving quality of life in communities of all sizes. In this three-course…
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Sustainable Transportation: Planning and Livable Communities (Cert)
Examine the important issues involved in sustainable transportation planning. Review policies and programs that encourage mixed use development and higher density levels in order to promote modes of transportation other than the single occupancy vehicle. Study the impact different transportation options have on the environment and sustainability. Explore the movement of goods as well as…
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Tadayoshi Kohno
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Timothy V. Larson
Visit scholar websiteNews | November 21, 2016
To Californians: The Hours You Spend in Traffic May Soon Be Used to Generate Electricity
LOS ANGELES, CA – If you’re a Los Angeles native, resident or even visitor, you will probably cringe at the combination of “LA” and “rush hour.” Sitting in LA traffic is an excruciatingly painful task, and not just because of the hours you spend putting pressure on your lower back. If your brakes aren’t screeching…
News | April 24, 2017
Toward greener construction: UW professor collab sets markers for carbon across life of buildings
A University of Washington-led research group has taken an important step toward measuring — and ultimately reducing — the global carbon footprint of building construction and long-term maintenance. The Carbon Leadership Forum is a collaborative effort among academics and industry professionals based in the UW’s College of Built Environments that studies reducing carbon emissions over…
Course | CEE 589
Transit Systems Planning
Planning, operational methods for urban public transportation. Review of technological, operating characteristics of vehicles and systems; financing, management, institutional aspects. Paratransit. Short-range planning, operational strategies, revenue-fare structures. Service monitoring. Mode choice, transit demand relating to service. Computer-aided methods for planning, design of transit systems.Course | CEE 581
Travel Demand Forecasting
Application of mathematical models to forecast urban travel behavior. Introduces emerging methods, land use models, travel demand models, including trip generation, trip distribution, mode choice, and network assignment. Discusses validation and ethics.News | June 26, 2015
Urban Data Science @ UW presented by Bill Howe
Presented at June 1st Urban@UW Launch Meeting
News | November 21, 2018
Urban Freight Lab will help UPS evaluate its new e-bike delivery service in Seattle
Seattle is one of the most congested cities in America, in part due to delivery trucks taking up space on crowded streets. One solution could be for companies to make deliveries using bicycles instead. UPS announced today that it will be pilot-testing deliveries with cargo e-bikes in downtown Seattle. This test is expected to last a…
Course | CEE 416
Urban Transportation Planning and Design
Brief review of major issues in urban transportation planning. Planning process discussed and transportation models introduced. Uses a systems framework, including goals and objectives, evaluation, implementation, and monitoring. A design term project, individual or small groups, utilizes material presented on a contemporary problem.Course | CEE 580
Urban Transportation Planning and Design
Introduction to transportation planning, including trends and issues, land use and transportation interaction, surveys, public involvement, demand management, technology, forecasting, impacts, and policy strategies.News | October 25, 2016
UW EE Faculty to Tackle Urban Mobility
For urban roadways, traffic-choked streets have become synonymous with the weekday commute. Over the decades, strategic conversations between city officials, engineers and policy makers have sought to lessen congestion and provide increased transportation options. However, as cities continue to develop and populations increase, the results of years of conversation cannot materialize fast enough. On the…
News | June 24, 2015
UW Professor Outlines Key Factors in Puget Sound’s Transportation Future
Mark Hallenbeck, director of the University of Washington’s Washington State Transportation Center and a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has been studying Northwest transit for years. Looking to the future he has identified the following key considerations that will play important roles in shaping the regions transportation: Growth will be inward,…
News | June 17, 2015
UW team “Hackcessible” wins Hack The Commute Competition
UW team wins City of Seattle sponsored Hack the Commute with a web-based map that helps those Hackcessible Access Map (in beta) >
News | December 18, 2015
UW/Seattle MetroLab Partnership
Have you been wondering what exactly is going to happen with the Seattle / UW partnership under the MetroLab initiative? The three “named” projects from Seattle will be the Array of Things partnership with Chicago, Private data sharing with the Tech Policy Lab, and a smart grid study of the relationship between temperature and power…
News | January 6, 2016
What motivates people to walk and bike? It varies by income
Lower- and middle-income King County residents who live in denser neighborhoods — with stores, libraries and other destinations within easy reach — are more likely to walk or bike, according to new University of Washington research. But neighborhood density didn’t motivate higher-income residents to leave their cars at home, the transportation engineers found. Of the…
News | February 21, 2018
What would a truly disabled-accessible city look like?
To David Meere, a visually impaired man from Melbourne, among the various obstacles to life in cities is another that is less frequently discussed: fear. “The fear of not being able to navigate busy, cluttered and visually oriented environments is a major barrier to participation in normal life,” says Meere, 52, “be that going to…
News | November 9, 2018
What would happen in Seattle during a large-magnitude earthquake?
If a large-magnitude earthquake were to hit Seattle, what percentage of buildings would be safe? This listener question was posed to Jeff Berman, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the UW. Continue to listen to the Radio broadcast
News | June 17, 2019
When roads ‘blow up’: How heat could play a role in pavement durability
Seattle hit a record 95 degrees on Wednesday, the hottest June 12 on record and the hottest day of 2019 so far. The record heat is what likely caused a part of 4th Avenue S. to buckle in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood. We’ve seen it before. The rays from the sun heat up pavement hotter than the surrounding air….
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