The Master in City & Technology’s academic structure is based on IAAC’s innovative, learn-by-doing and design-through-research methodology which focuses on the development of interdisciplinary skills. During the Master in City & Technology students will have the opportunity to be part of a highly international group, including faculty members, researchers, and lecturers, in which they are encouraged to develop collective decision-making processes and materialize their project ideas.
Through this workshop, we developed “Clean up the Noisy City,” an educational and interactive game designed to raise children’s awareness of urban soundscapes. In this engaging experience, players take on the role of city problem-solvers, working together to identify, assess, and mitigate disruptive noises using creative solutions. The game is played through a structured yet … Read more
Urban spaces are not just places to live and work—they are playgrounds for social interaction, historical storytelling, and cultural engagement. As part of the IAAC’s Serious Games Seminar, our team explored Sant Antoni, Barcelona, to design playful interventions that connect the community to its past, present, and future. Our approach combined game design with urban … Read more
This term, we have been focusing on understanding and designing public spaces in the Sants neighborhood of Barcelona. Sants has a unique identity shaped by its long-standing tradition of neighborhood cooperation and pride in its working-class roots, but has faced civic disengagement in recent years. In the studio, our objective has been to leverage public … Read more
In the field of urban planning, engaging citizens and stakeholders in the increasingly complex social and environmental issues of the built environment is one of the major challenges. As a way of looking to attract, persuade, and foster empathy, Quaker can be a potent tool in connecting the community of Poblenou with our project and … Read more
Rising heat is an increasingly critical global condition driven by climate change, urbanization, and deforestation. Average global temperatures have climbed due to greenhouse gas emissions, leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves that threaten ecosystems, economies, and public health. Urban areas, in particular, experience exacerbated effects due to the urban heat island phenomenon, where concrete, … Read more
Multidimensionality of Time for Inclusive Urban Lives This project explores urban inclusivity through the multidimensional lens of time, using Barcelona as a case study. The analysis considers three temporal dimensions: time of day, time of year, and time of life, recognizing how these factors shape access to essential urban amenities. Proximity serves as the first … Read more
Sprawl is broadly defined as “dispersed low-density urban development applying to the physical pattern of low-density expansion of large urban areas, under market conditions, mainly into the surrounding agricultural areas” (European Environment Agency, “Urban sprawl in Europe: The ignored challenge” EEA Report, Vol. 10, 2006). Further, it is described as “an excessive use of the open … Read more
It is natural for the climate to changes over the millions of years, it is a way in which the planet regulates itself. The problem is that before the industrial revolution, before all the gas emissions started (around 1870), the planet would heat up one degree every 1000 years. Now it’s one degree every 100 … Read more
The Sundarbans Reserve Forest is the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world. A wildlife sanctuary with an area of 139,700 ha, considered as a core breeding area for a number of endangered species (The Sundarbans, n.d.). and home of the Bengal Tiger. STUDY AREA The Sundarbans is a shared protected area between India and … Read more
Circular Economy Integration The integration of circular economies into local frameworks can revolutionize sustainability in urban development. This approach not only redefines waste management but also fosters economic resilience by promoting the reuse and recycling of resources. By implementing a circular economy, cities can create environmentally sustainable structures that extend the lifecycle of products and … Read more
The learning process presented in the table demonstrates a profound reflection on emerging economies and their impact on the future, structured across six thematic sessions: circular economies, massive collaboration, natural economies, social regeneration, impact entrepreneurship, and the future of work. Each session allowed participants to explore their prior knowledge, set learning objectives, reflect on new … Read more
Over the course of 6 weeks we had the opportunity to be introduced to emerging economies, a concept that from my initial perspective was outside of urban design, but as the classes progressed, I realized its relevance to urban planning and to the current world in general. CIRCULAR ECONOMIES AND VALUE FLOWS The circular economy … Read more
The Emerging Economies course explored diverse themes surrounding sustainable development, ecological futures, social innovation, and economic transitions. Each session was anchored by critical lectures that combined theoretical understanding with practical insights, culminating in collective knowledge applicable to real-world challenges. This essay reflects the key lessons derived from the lectures, organized into themes. 1. Circular Economies … Read more
The seminar has been divided into a series of workshops on:– Circular Economies and Value Flows– Distributed Economies and Massive Collaboration– Ecological Interactions and the Economies of Nature– Regenerative Economies and Social Sustainability– Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Economies– Emerging Economies and the Future of Work
New economic models offer opportunities to create just, sustainable, and vibrant systems in the face of climate crises, social inequality, and profit-seeking cultures. Over the course of the Emerging Economies series, various experts shared novel frameworks for exchanging goods and knowledge, how these can and have been implemented, and their impacts. Marion Real spoke with … Read more
