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.
The Arteries of Lombardy
Introduction In the past centuries, Milan used to be perceived as a water-city, with an economy propelled by canals that extended throughout it. However, as the city evolved, those waterways were gradually buried beneath roads, and the aquatic arteries that once defined Milan are now relegated to the periphery of the urban fabric. This covering … Read more
Coltura
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
From Pollution To Pollination
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
GreenScape – Milan
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
Reviving the Romance – A New Chapter for Plaça dels Enamorats
The aim of the project was to redesign the Placa dels Enamorats and achieve the desired objectives: To identify challenges as well as positive aspects on the site, but also have a framework on which to base any design decision, several methods for gathering data were used. These methods allowed us to capture the essence … Read more
Sunlit Streets, Shaded Paths
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
Decarbonization of Housing Stock in EU
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
The Air we Breathe
An analysis of the correlation between population and air quality in the districts of Barcelona. The air quality in urban areas have rapidly declined over the years. In the process of economic development, air pollution has become a significant health hazard. This project analyses the relationship between population density and air quality levels in Barcelona. … Read more
The Green Ally
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
Deaths from air pollution in Central Europe
Air pollution- the combination of outdoor and indoor particulate matter, and ozone– causes more than 7 million deaths each year (World Health Organisation) and it is considered to be one of the world’s largest health and environmental problems. The same data shows that 99% of the world population currently live in places with air quality … Read more
Working with Big Data – global CO2 emissions 2019 & 2020
This projects aims develop a workflow and representation of large spatial datasets, in this case by comparing the CO2 emissions per country in 2019 to the CO2 emissions during the peak of the covid era in 2020 – taking shutdowns and other global health measures into account. The five biggest contributors to CO2 emissions in … Read more
A Parallel City for Pollinators
Introduction to Pollination The project attempts to study and research the possibilities of creating a green, three-dimensional corridor for pollinators in a specific area, the historical city center of Madrid, connecting Madrid’s most prominent green park “el Retiro” in the east to the “Casa de Campo” natural reserve in the west. In particular the proposal … Read more
Global scale data visualization
This project aims to explore the possibilities of mapping global scale data onto an 3D globe – in this case the CO2 emissions per country in Megatons. The project reveals the five biggest contributors to CO2 Emissions in 2019 – China, USA, Russia, Indian & Japan and also shows how little CO2 is emitted by … Read more
“Water Bodies towards crisis management”
Almost every day, we are confronted with dramatic images of communities and environments incrisis . Flash floods have recently become one of Greece’s most common natural occurrencesafter wildfires. Flooding occurs due to rapid rainfall and heavy storms, from rising river levelsor melting snow.Deforestation, poor soil quality and rapid urbanization significantly contribute to the genesis of … Read more
City in Transition
The workshop led by Felipe Vera and Camila Arretche explored the possible interrelation between human migration, informal settlements, and future climate change in the domain of Latin America. Building over the premise based on an increase in forced human migration would lead to the rise or stem of new informal settlements. It could induce an … Read more
Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve
“Costanera Sur” Ecological Reserve gathers the largest amount of biodiversity within the City of Buenos Aires and extends over 350 hectares. It houses more than 2000 animal species, including birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. And it has native vegetation, such as its grasslands of grasslands and alder forests. The three interfaces that we focused on … Read more
FloodADAPT RB
Barrio Rodrigo Bueno Understanding the environmental challenges and climate change, some cities are affected earlier than others. For this we are focusing on Buenos Aires, Argentina on a particular neighborhood, Rodrigo Bueno. After analyzing the current environmental impact challenges and assessing the future impacts we have suggested a flood resilient strategy and adaptative interventions for … Read more
