Engineering System Design (1.041J/ESD.01J)
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Prereq: 1.011 or permission of instructor
Units: 3-1-8

Deals with the design of complex, large, interconnected, open sociotechnical (CLIOS) systems, where "open" denotes systems that directly interact with the social/political/economic context. Emphasis on transportation-oriented examples. Introduces the CLIOS process, defining the concept and distinguishing between quantitative and qualitative analyses of such systems. Systems characterized, measures of system performance developed, and key CLIOS system concepts (including sustainability, equity, mobility, and accessibility) introduced. Class-wide project, with students working in teams on the design of a CLIOS system, taking a broad systems perspective in that design. Examples include the urban ring, a proposed new transit line for Boston; Tren Urbano in San Juan, Puerto Rico; the Central Artery/Ted Williams Tunnel project in Boston; and the transportation of spent nuclear fuel.
J.Sussman