Cities of the Future: Paul Lee On How to Create Cities That Are More Productive, Efficient and Sustainable
An Interview With Dina Aletras
Transition to a 100% clean energy system as soon as possible. Both the definition of “clean” and the timelines can be up for debate, but, for me, it’s about stopping net carbon emissions in a way that doesn’t break the bank. In Los Angeles, we figured out that it is technically possible to get to a 100% clean energy system through LA100. However, the hard part is figuring out the engineering, finances, and how to build it.
As urbanization continues to accelerate, the need for cities to become more productive, efficient, and sustainable has never been greater. Innovative approaches and technologies are essential to address challenges such as resource management, transportation, and quality of life. How can we design and implement strategies to build the cities of the future? As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Paul Lee.
Paul Lee, a renewable energy engineer, stars in the IMAX film Cities of the Future and is dedicated to harnessing energy from sustainable sources. He is currently an engineer for the U.S. Department of Energy. He has previously worked for Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti’s office as an Energy Policy Analyst, focusing on climate policy and clean energy, including the LA100 initiative to achieve 100% renewable energy supply. Paul’s efforts encompass utility-scale wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass projects, as well as energy storage solutions, earning him recognition as an ASCE New Face of Civil Engineering in 2019.
Thank you for joining us! To start, can you share a bit about your early background and how it influenced who you are today?
I’ve cared about helping the environment ever since I was in high school. It wasn’t until college that I realized I could combine engineering with combatting climate change. I was good at math and science and found that I could pursue engineering to help build sustainable cities. My graduate studies at UC Berkeley were focused on energy and climate. It was through like-minded classmates and a community of climate-minded colleagues that left the biggest impression on me.
What inspired you to pursue a career in this field, and can you share the story behind your decision?
In high school, it was my physics teacher Mr. Waddell who encouraged me to pursue engineering, but it was my marine biology teacher Ms. Jenny Jackson who inspired a love for the environment. Before starting grad school, I completed an internship at my local utility, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. In grad school, I learned that our energy sector was one of the leading drivers of carbon emissions and climate change. It clicked for me that I should go back and start my career at my local utility, focusing on renewable energy projects.
What’s the most intriguing or memorable experience you’ve had since starting your career?
One of the best moments I’ve had was being a part of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ and MacGillivray Freeman Films’ IMAX movie, Cities of the Future. It had an unexpected benefit: it led me to meet my current partner. Traveling the world and being part of a major filmmaking process was an opportunity of a lifetime. Additionally, working as an engineer for a politician was something I didn’t expect, but it turned out to be an amazing learning experience.
As a successful leader in the industry, which three character traits have been key to your success? Can you provide a story or example for each?
In my opinion, a successful leader has 1) a growth mindset; 2) inspires others; and 3) always keeps the end goal in mind. My former boss, former mayor Eric Garcetti encapsulated these values and shaped the way I pursued my career ambitions. My friends often tease me that I’m a “degree collector” with degrees from three different schools and professional licenses in three fields of engineering, but I have that “growth mindset” where I’m always trying to grow and figure out solutions to new problems. The 3rd trait of staying goal-oriented has helped me to be steady and focused throughout my career. Life has ups and downs and just keeping that long-term goal, which for me is combatting climate change, helps to both keep me motivated and seek new opportunities as they arise. For example, when I made the transition from being an engineer to working for a politician, I saw the opportunity to tackle climate change from a technical perspective toward public policy. It’s a different angle but meaningful nonetheless. As for inspiring others, that’s something I hope to do, especially with the Cities of the Future movie now playing worldwide in IMAX and Giant Screen theatres.
What innovative technologies and practices do you believe will be most critical in enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of future cities?
I’m biased, but I think innovations in long-duration energy storage are one of the pillars in transitioning to a carbon-free energy system. With renewable energy, the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow. And sometimes there’s too much solar on the system, “overheating” the system. If we can store that extra energy and deploy it throughout the day, we don’t have to rely so much on fossil fuels.
How can urban planners and architects design cities that effectively balance economic productivity with environmental sustainability?
I’m no economist or urban planner, and really these decisions fall just as much on policymakers, but I think simply asking these questions from the onset. Often, people design to the status quo, existing zoning practices, and existing city layouts. We tend to favor “tried and true” designs because they are “safe” and comfortable. But I certainly think we can challenge conventional design philosophies. I haven’t done a rigorous analysis, but I would challenge planners to design cities with mass transit at its core. We often have this chicken and egg problem where we can’t have an effective public transportation system unless we have a critical mass of users; but, we can’t have users without a public transportation system in the first place. But hey, let’s experiment, let’s build the system, minimize cars, and let’s see what happens.
In what ways can transportation systems be reimagined to improve mobility and reduce the environmental impact in future urban areas?
In the making of Cities of the Future, we explored these future cities with tiered systems that incorporate all forms of transportation, including “flying cars” or vertical takeoff transportation systems. As I mentioned in the previous question, there’s nothing wrong with a good old public transportation system and biking. Of course, in the future, we’ll have a mix of remote work and commuting, but often times we forget the goal is to move people, not 5 thousand thousand-pound hunks of metal.
What role do you see public policies playing in the development of smarter, greener cities, and how can governments incentivize sustainable practices?
I think public policy is tremendously important for cities of the future. The government has several tools at its disposal to promote sustainability. For example, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act are funding numerous projects through incentives and rebates for sustainable practices. These initiatives are putting billions of dollars towards projects that lower our carbon footprint. Of course, the government is just a piece of it too, it also requires private industry to figure out the technology, and it’ll take people to want and adopt sustainable practices.
How can future cities ensure a high quality of life for all residents while managing rapid urban growth and resource constraints?
I think that depends on who that question is directed towards. It’s not as if one person is making specific black-and-white decisions on the direction cities go. Cities are incredibly complex organisms with millions of moving parts that are also unpredictable and wickedly hard to direct. I believe that as long as the residents of these cities value a high quality of life and protecting the environment, these traits will emerge through their countless decisions. Also, some problems, I believe, will self correct. Resource constraints will force innovation in new materials and material efficiency. Quality of life will improve with technological innovations, such as advancements in air quality from reducing combustion in energy generation, as well as through collective decisions in social services.
Thank you for all that insight. Now, let’s dive into the core of our interview: What are the “Top 5 Things Cities Need to Make Them More Productive, Efficient and Sustainable”? Please provide a story or example for each.
1. Transition to a 100% clean energy system as soon as possible. Both the definition of “clean” and the timelines can be up for debate, but, for me, it’s about stopping net carbon emissions in a way that doesn’t break the bank. In Los Angeles, we figured out that it is technically possible to get to a 100% clean energy system through LA100. However, the hard part is figuring out the engineering, finances, and how to build it.
2. Provide quality public transportation and higher-density development. There are great studies out there by people who are smarter than I am, but, for me, it makes perfect sense for cities to incentivize transit and disincentivize single occupancy vehicles. Many cities are making progress in this direction with policies like congestion taxes, heavy investments in public transportation, and walkable cities. I was inspired by Amsterdam where the main form of transportation is biking and the city was laid out where you can safely live and go about your life in the city with your bike and by simply walking.
3. Electrify all the things. It’s starting to get into the weeds, but running your buildings on electricity has numerous benefits. Heat pumps can both heat and cool your home, while potentially saving money. Avoiding burning natural gas in your home not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also improves indoor air quality. All this of course relies on a clean electric grid. Going electric for your car, water heating, and cooking is a little harder, but it has great benefits.
4. Educate. For people to truly “buy into” the idea of creating better and more sustainable cities, educating them about the benefits is essential. Movies like Cities of the Future are meant to inspire and educate audiences on the possibilities and we need to keep sharing. In addition, let’s make sure we are sparking interest in our youth; organizations such as Discover Engineering provide excellent opportunities to get kids excited about engineering and the future of urban development.
5. Do steps 1–4.
Do you have a favorite quote that has influenced your life? Can you share a story that illustrates its relevance to you?
I remember in grad school, one of our professors had advice on making an influence on our careers. He encouraged us to work in a traditional energy field like oil and gas. When we heard that, we were albeit a little confused. Now, 10 years in the industry, I can very much appreciate that advice. When we’re young we often want to do things that are new and exciting. We always want to feel as though we are making a difference. However, real change takes time and requires hard work, often in fields we may not initially want. In my industry, one way to make a change would be to spend your career fighting the oil and gas industry, and that’s a viable pathway. Another, however, would be to change those industries from within. It’s a hot take, but many traditional fossil fuel companies are expanding their portfolio into clean energy, EVs, etc… Now, if we can make that their majority business model, that would be the ideal.
With your considerable influence, if you could start a movement to make a significant positive impact, what would it be?
With my influence in the field of civil engineering, I would start a movement to make sustainable engineering standard practice. Currently, we have guidelines and rating systems for green buildings and infrastructure, but these often feel like additional tasks rather than integral parts of the design process. By embedding sustainable design principles from the very beginning of a project and making them central to our approach, we can make significant strides toward realizing the city of the future that I believe in.
How can our readers stay updated with your work online?
I’m not very active on social media, but you can connect with me on LinkedIn! If you’re interested, we can meet up at a conference or exchange ideas over coffee, either in person or virtually. Much of my work is done behind the scenes, on the ground, or in the weeds. While it might not be suited for mass media, I’m happy to geek out over the details with anyone who wants to dive into the specifics. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to chat!
Thank you for sharing these fantastic insights. We appreciate your time and wish you continued success.
About the Interviewer: Dina Aletras boasts over 20 years of expertise in the corporate media industry. She possesses an in-depth understanding of growth, strategy, and leadership, having held significant roles at some of the UK’s largest media organizations. At Reach PLC, the UK’s largest tabloid publisher, she served in various director capacities. Additionally, she held leadership roles at The Independent Magazine Group and DMGT. Her extensive knowledge spans editorial, digital, revenue, sales, and advertising.
Upon relocating to Switzerland, Dina took on the responsibility of managing and promoting the international section of Corriere del Ticino — CdT.ch pioneering the English page “onthespot.” She also was the Co-Editor of Southern Switzerland’s first official Italian and English bilingual magazine.
Cities of the Future: Paul Lee On How to Create Cities That Are More Productive, Efficient and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.