IAAC’s Master in City & Technology (1 or 2-year program) is a unique program oriented towards redefining the analysis, planning, and design of twenty-first-century cities and beyond. The program offers expertise in the design of digitally enhanced, ecological and human-centered urban environments by intersecting the disciplines of urbanism and data science. Taking place in Barcelona, the capital of urbanism, the Master in City & Technology is training the professionals that city administrations, governments, industries, and communities need, to transform the urban environment in the era of big data.


Filters
Course

Longevity Landscapes

Mapping Proximity to Wellbeing Amenities in Urban Areas “For most of us from now on, life and death will be an urban affair.”— World Health Organization As cities become the primary environments in which people age, longevity can no longer be understood as a rural or lifestyle-driven phenomenon alone. Inspired by — but critical of … Read more

Cities on the Edge

How borders shape frontiers of urban life? I. Introduction Borders are often perceived as abstract lines on maps, yet they deeply shape how cities grow, connect, and fragment. Cities located along international borders experience unique spatial, social, and political conditions that distinguish them from inland urban areas. This project investigates borders not as static lines, … Read more

What’s happening to our downtowns ? 

Abstract : In recent years, urban cores across the world have entered a period of uncertainty. Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread adoption of hybrid work, many central business districts (CBDs) have experienced declining footfall, rising commercial vacancy, and shifts in social life—while others have demonstrated surprising resilience. This project investigates how foundational … Read more

$pot Finder

Preview of our dashboard with cost per m2 map on the right and a bar graph on the left

Opening a business is a bold investment. Factors (many out of business owners’ control) can determine whether or not local businesses thrive or struggle. Location matters, especially for businesses that depend on foot traffic. But the bigger questions are tough to answer: where should the business open? What is a fair rent to expect? Which … Read more

Cities in Pixels: Mapping, Moving, and Meaning in the Digital Era

In the age of digital urbanism, cities are no longer understood only through streets, buildings, or neighbourhoods—they are interpreted, navigated, and governed through layers of pixels, data points, and algorithmic models. Our visualization project, Cities in Pixels: Mapping, Moving and Meaning in the Digital Era, examines this transformation using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as its … Read more

Connexió (Connection)

Santa Coloma de Gramenet, located to the north of Barcelona, is bordered by the Besòs River on the west and the Marina Mountain Range on the north. The city’s terrain features an irregular relief that rises to 303 meters at Mount Castellar, its highest point, a topographical character also visible within Parc dels Pins. The … Read more

Heat Archipelagos

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

TIME³

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

The Sundarbans: Beyond-Human approach to map cities

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

US time use change during and after COVID

ABSTRACT Derived from the 2020 pandemic sanitary measures for Covid-19, Google created the Community Mobility Reports, which provide valuable insights of how people’s mobility changed as a result of the established health policies. The objective of this analysis was to understand how United States residents’ mobility behavior changed over time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. … Read more

The Gòtic Quarter: A Sustainable Economic Model or Not?

Located in the heart of Barcelona, where the history of the city began, the Gòtic Quarter is an iconic neighborhood, we sought to understand its complex dynamics and whether its economic model could truly be called sustainable. From Roman foundations to bustling contemporary streets, the Gòtic Quarter embodies a story of transformation. But behind its … Read more

La Barceloneta: A District in Transition

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