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.
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
This project focuses on establishing a community-centered public space in Santa Coloma. Situated at Block Illa de Raval, a designated “green finger” of the Pinta Verde initiative, the project seeks to improve accessibility, enhance social engagement, and address infrastructural needs based on local context and community input. HUMAN Research and analysis The research highlighted several … Read more
“ Critical theory is thus not intended to serve as a formula for any particular course of social change; it is not a strategic map for social change; and it is not a ‘how to’-style guidebook for social movements.”Neil Brenner (2009) What is critical urban theory? THE STATEMENT …settlement – rural/urban – city – megalopolis … Read more
01 Reading as Urban InsightIn a rapidly urbanizing world, the ability to read critically across diverse mediums—both digital and print—serves as an indispensable tool for interpreting the complexities of urban theory. Techniques like HYPERREADING, which facilitates navigation through vast digital information, and CLOSE READING, which emphasizes deep textual analysis, are crucial for decoding the nuanced … Read more
“The artificial refers not to the fake, but to what is deliberately created, designed with purpose, and capable of reshaping both human and planetary futures.” Benjamin Bratton In recent years, the notion of artificiality has evolved from being seen as an imitation of the natural, to an integral part of planetary and urban systems. Benjamin … Read more
This project focuses on establishing a community-centered public space in Santa Coloma. Situated at Block Illa de Raval, a designated “green finger” of the Pinta Verde initiative, the project seeks to improve accessibility, enhance social engagement, and address infrastructural needs based on local context and community input. At the project start, several assumptions guided the … Read more
Our research on the El Raval neighborhood explored the tensions and opportunities between residents and tourists, two populations who travel from all over the world to be in El Raval. While tourists and residents can have conflicting priorities and demands of their environment, the two are also dependent on each other and we came upon … Read more
As part of the Master in City & Technology Introductory Workshop, our team was tasked with studying La Barceloneta, a district characterized by its complex layers of social, economic, architectural, and administrative systems. This project aims to explore these dimensions, highlighting the interactions between tourism and the local community in one of Barcelona’s most iconic … Read more
The urban transformation of the Poblenou neighborhood has reached a critical juncture, where the local and global spheres coexist in a contested struggle over territory. The revitalization of old industrial buildings into a technological and creative hub has spurred significant economic growth, attracting a wave of companies, start-ups, investors, and, more recently, digital nomads, displacing … Read more
Introduction Milan, Northern Italy’s epicenter, confronts economic and environmental challenges rooted in a shift from agriculture to manufacturing. To secure its future, Milan invests in knowledge, tourism, and place-based innovation, relying on revenue from high-income foreigners, students, and the European Union. Strategic efforts to transition to a green economy focus on renewable energy, waste reduction, … Read more
1. Introduction Urban air quality is a pressing concern, being the result of both natural elements and human-induced pollutants. The city of Barcelona grapples with local pollutants like NOx and PM10, primarily caused by ground transport and industrial activities. While current policies focus on mobility solutions, the project questions the need for complementary approaches. The … Read more
Introduction The contemporary postcard city of Barcelona is supported by a world wide web of hidden urbanization. One of the closest and most prominent hidden pieces of urbanization of Barcelona is found in the Besós Valley. When going on site, we encountered a fragmented urban landscape of logistical infrastructure, urban wasteland, scattered agriculture and haphazard … Read more
Introduction Known for its fashion, history, and culture, Milan also faces a pressing environmental issue: it stands as one of the most polluted cities in the World. The challenge of mitigating air pollution in Milan is complex, as it is shaped by a mix of geographical, meteorological, socio-economic, and cultural factors. From the city’s dense … Read more
The Besòs River, an integral water source for Barcelona, encapsulates a narrative marked by both significance and environmental challenges. Since the 1970s, its crucial role has been overshadowed by persistent contamination, exacerbated by the rapid urban and industrial developments along its course. This study delves into the intricate correlation between Besòs River pollution, evolving land … Read more
“Start the machine” …was the first operation in mind when asked to perform a task with Python script. One of the motivations to learn Python as an urban designer is to organize geospatial data with accuracy and legibility. Before we dive into the digital wilderness, of data trees and data frames, it’s important to note … Read more
A digital tool proposed to re-boost the economy of Ciutat Vella, Barcelona Overview Ciutat Vella being the oldest district of the city of Barcelona was founded in the 1500 BC. The Ciutat Vella district was a very important economic hub for Barcelona. But in the recent times, the district faces problems that are characterised by … Read more
The Zona Franca in Barcelona is an area that receives thousands of workers everyday and, having The Port, is one of the main points of contact of the city with the rest of the world. Through a quick analysis based on an understanding of the site, questions and issues within Barcelona’s ‘Free-Trade’ zone are tackled … Read more
Barcelona is home for more than 1.6 million inhabitants and is one of the most densely populated cities in Europe. It also owns the title of being the city of Europe with more cars per inhabitant. Given that around 30% of the people use private vehicle to move around the city, the air pollution is … Read more
Computational Tools for Thermally Comfortable Walks in Barcelona On one of the sunniest days in the city of Barcelona, you want to go for a walk and get some fresh air but the heat from the sun makes you uncomfortable. Can you go for the walk without the sun making you completely sick? The objective … Read more
Introduction OpenStreetMap (OSM) stands as a testament to the power of collaborative mapping, where a community of volunteers comes together to create a detailed and constantly updated geographic database. This free and open resource is not just a map; it’s a versatile tool used for everything from navigation and humanitarian aid to data visualization. OpenStreetMap … Read more
The General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) is a standardized format designed for the distribution of public transport information globally. This format facilitates the integration of public transportation systems in cities worldwide with popular route planning platforms like Citymapper, Waze, or Moovit. By doing so, it enables users to access information on transport availability and plan … Read more
Buildings are an intrinsic part of our lives, where we spend most of our time and unfold as human beings. However, through its different forms, the built environment is responsible for the majority of our energy consumption (around 40 %) and a primary source of greenhouse emissions GHG (around 36 %) (Anderson et al., 2015). … Read more
In Spain, there is an urban myth, according to which – The country was once so thickly forested that a squirrel could cross the peninsula hopping from tree to tree. -However, this condition has changed throughout the years, both in terms of the natural environment and the existence of squirrels in Spain. The case study … Read more
