Building a new mega city and improving engineering communication

The complexities of new megacities

How would you like to live in a city that is sinking below sea level? That sounds scary to me! I didn’t realize this until I visited New Orleans a few months ago, but it’s probably the best-known city that lies below sea level. The challenges with that are many, and one country is taking an aggressive approach to improving sea levels in their capital city. Read more below!

In today’s newsletter:

• Creating a new capital city

• Communication skills for engineers

• Hot Job–Geospatial Software Engineer

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📚 MUST READ

🌉 Rebuild a Struggling City When You Can Build a New One?

Indonesia is the fourth most populous country with – 277 Million people, and its capital city Jakarta has long had significant problems. It is out of space, overpopulated, and sinking as the aquifer is drained and sea waters rise. In fact, 40 percent of the city lies below sea level. While actions have been implemented, their effectiveness hasn't been proven.

So… the country is turning to a new solution: Build a brand new capital city named Nusantara. But this won’t be just any city, but rather a green metropolis running on renewable energy. The design encompasses high technology through the infrastructure as well, attracting an innovative population. Construction began in 2022, and the plan is to inaugurate it as the capital city in August 2024. Here are a few stats about the new city:

• 80 percent of mobility should be served by public transportation, walking, or cycling

• All energy will be provided from renewable sources

• 10 percent of its area will be assigned to food production

• It will cost an estimated $35 billion

• It is expected to house almost 2 million people by 2045

Of course, there are challenges to making this happen. To start, it’s hundreds of miles away from Jakarta. Will that many people want to move there? They are working fast, having to clear existing forests, so for all the talk about sustainability, some oppose the development for environmental reasons. Many questions remain, but it will be interesting to see if such a bold plan plays out to fruition!

🏆 CAREER TIPS

Engineers are better communicators than most people think

"Engineers don't have good communication skills." I hear this all the time, and it's a myth. It may be true for some engineers, but that doesn't mean they can't improve and develop these skills. This myth goes with the expectation that most engineers are introverts, which leads to bad communication.

So here are a few ideas to help you level up your communication skills:

1. Practice Listening

Developing communication skills is a broad idea that covers a lot of ground. To start, engineers can develop their communication abilities by focusing on the skill of listening. I love this quote by Stephen R. Covey: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

Activity to Practice Listening: Start up a conversation with a colleague and ask them an open-ended question. The question can be as simple as “How was your weekend?” or “How do you think we can solve this problem?” Then listen to them for three minutes straight without making any verbal response other than simple acknowledgments. Don’t interrupt to ask more questions. Just listen. See what you learn. 

2. Simplify Communication

One common hiccup in engineering communication is explaining detailed, complex ideas in detailed, complex ways. Engineers understand the whole picture and are excited to share what they know. Consequently, instead of clarity and collaboration, explaining every detail can often lead to confusion. Reflect on this quote from Albert Einstein: “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.”

Activity to Practice Simplifying Communication: Take the six-year-old test. Find a complex idea or concept that you know very well and try to explain it to a child or someone else who would be completely unfamiliar with it. See if they understand and can explain it back to you. Try teaching the same idea to at least three different people and see how you improve the simplicity of the communication.

In short, communicating well is part of your responsibility, so do your part to get great at it!

🔔THIS WEEK’S HOTTEST JOBS

In this section you’ll find the latest jobs as featured on:

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📚 BOOK RECOMMENDATION

🛳️ A Night to Remember by Walter Lord

Once again, an engineering marvel turns into a massive failure and tragic loss of life. This is the story of the night the Titanic went down. Wives beseeched husbands to join them in lifeboats; gentlemen went taut-lipped to their deaths in full evening dress; and hundreds of steerage passengers, trapped below decks, sought help in vain. A riveting read, and a reminder that nothing is indestructible.