Activities

Cybersecurity for Urban Infrastructure
Funded by the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity

Alison E. Post, Political Science and Global Metropolitan Studies, UC Berkeley
Karen Trapenberg Frick, Department of City and Regional Planning, UC Berkeley
Kenichi Soga, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UC Berkeley
Marti A. Hearst, School of Information, UC Berkeley

The cybersecurity of urban infrastructure systems—including public safety, transit, and water and sanitation systems—is crucial, given their fundamental importance for everyday life. Yet there is little research on the cybersecurity of such systems, and what research exists tends not to incorporate social-scientific approaches to understanding perceptions and behaviors related to risk. This project addresses this gap by assembling a team of social scientists, civil engineers, and computer scientists to develop a research program focused on reducing the risk of cyberattack for vital urban services.

As part of this research project, we developed a survey instrument to distribute to IT professionals and security experts to understand what types of new technologies currently being considered for adoption by local government agencies—also known as “smart city” technologies—may pose cyber-risks. We are interested in their assessment of vulnerabilities, threats, and consequences of cyberattacks to different technologies, such as smart traffic lights, street video surveillance, and smart meters. The survey is currently in a piloting phase, and can be accessed through this link.

The project builds on interdisciplinary discussions of the topic through the Social Science Matrix and Global Metropolitan Studies-funded “Berkeley Infrastructure Initiative.”

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Connecting the Dots Between School Siting and Vehicle Miles Traveled: Research for California State Policy Implementation

Jeffrey M. Vincent, Center for Cities & Schools, Institute of Urban and Regional Development, UC Berkeley
Karen Trapenberg Frick, Department of City and Regional Planning, UC Berkeley

State Agency Partners: California Department of Education (CDE), Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), and Land Use Schools and Health Group of the Strategic Growth Council in All Policies Task Force (LUSH)
Problem Statement: A public school’s location has sizable impacts on transportation patterns and vehicle miles travelled (VMT). While California has made major policy strides to reduce VMT and greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation and support safe walking/biking (e.g., AB 32, SB 32, SB 375, AB 1358, AB 734, and SB 1), public school facility planning and siting are largely unconnected from these efforts. Despite the 2015 draft Governor’s Environmental Goals and Policy Report stating, “As the State prioritizes efficient, infill development, K-12 schools will be integrated into planning,” no reforms have yet been implemented. As California implements bold policies to reduce VMT—and at the same time the state and local school districts invest billions of dollars in public school facility infrastructure each year—it is imperative to align these efforts so state and local infrastructure dollars are working on shared purposes.
Proposal: This project aims to inform California state agencies on state policy reforms to link VMT and school siting outcomes as well as develop guidance and tools for local governments on joint planning.
Expected Impact: Policy recommendations will be focused on the CDE’s School Facilities and Transportation Division’s development of regulatory amendments to Title 5, California Code of Regulations, the OPR’s implementation of SB 743 and the development of numeric thresholds and VMT assessment methodology recommendations for schools, the state’s Land Use and School Health’s goal of exploring collaborative opportunities to implement SB 743 and reduce vehicle miles traveled associated with schools. A pilot template “California Smart School Siting Tool” and funding criteria will also be developed that could be incorporated into anticipated 2020 reforms to the state’s School Facility Program.
Timeline and Deliverables: Identify and conduct initial interviews during Fall 2018, finish remaining interviews and analyze siting and transportation characteristics of a sample of recently built schools in Spring 2019, and finalize report and policy brief during Summer 2019, along with presenting findings to OPR, CDE, and LUSH.
Budget: $79, 318

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California’s Public Schools as Anchor Institutions:
Indicator Development and Evaluation of Climate Vulnerabilities
Research project submitted as a grant application for the California Strategic Growth Council consideration

Jeffrey M. Vincent, Center for Cities & Schools, Institute of Urban and Regional Development, UC Berkeley
Karen Trapenberg Frick, Department of City and Regional Planning, UC Berkeley
Brandie M. Nonnecke, Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS), UC Berkeley

The overall goal of this research is to increase the climate resiliency and disaster response capabilities of local public schools by providing local and state leaders with local climate vulnerability data and information on school facility infrastructure across multiple critical sectors including energy, water, community services, internet/broadband communications, and transportation. School buildings, students, and their surrounding communities are vulnerable to natural disasters and acute weather events, but also to increases in hazardous climate conditions that intensify negative health outcomes such as respiratory illness and heat-related illness. Public school facilities play an essential role as key hubs of emergency response communications and shelter in times of disaster. This proposal aims to develop a framework for understanding and measuring the current and potential role(s) of California’s local public school facility infrastructure in climate vulnerability and resiliency. This proposal seeks to reduce the gap in the state level knowledge and available resources to explore the role of K-12 schools as key drivers for climate change in adaptation or and resilience.