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.
Computing Risk & Planning Resilience from Afar is a remote-sensing–driven investigative study to read, identify and address underlying vulnerabilities associated with landslide risk in urban India. The project aims to develop replicable analysis workflows for compounded risk calculation—making visible what often remains hidden enabling actionable insights in places where institutional data is frequently outdated or … Read more
Jakarta’s rapid urbanization has outpaced the development of equitable mobility infrastructure, exacerbating safety disparities, particularly for low-income women navigating the city at night. While formal policies fall short, informal transport networks like Angkot fill critical gaps, despite exposing riders to physical and psychological risks. This study explores how machine learning can be used to fill … Read more
Ndama, the fastest-growing informal settlement in Rundu, Namibia, faces critical challenges in water accessibility shaped by gender, age, income, and spatial isolation. With women disproportionately responsible for water collection under unsafe and inequitable conditions, our study combines interviews and spatial data to map intersectional vulnerabilities. We developed an interactive tool that simulates real-world constraints—heat, crime, … Read more
January 7th marked the beginning of one of the most devastating wildfire events in California’s recent history. A series of fires struck the city of Los Angeles, and within just 24 hours of the first ignition, the city was already facing three major wildfires in Pacific Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst. At that point, two fatalities … Read more
Safety Perception in Jakarta Why Simulate Perception in Urban Spaces? In the realm of smart city design and urban analytics, one of the most nuanced yet underexplored datasets is perceived safety. This perception isn’t easily quantifiable, yet it critically influences how public spaces are used, trusted, or avoided. Traditional surveys are the go-to method for … Read more
Petrópolis: Analysis & Strategic Responses for Flood-Vulnerable Contexts 1.1. History of the city Summary – 1.1. History of the City Petrópolis initially developed in valleys and along riverbeds, where construction was easier, but this laid the groundwork for future vulnerabilities. Located within the Atlantic Forest Biome, only 12.4% of its original forest remains due to … Read more
Creating a Visual Medium for the Visualization of Urban Data Using Cesium in Unity Engine for Geospatial VisualizationCesium for Unity bridges 3D geospatial data with Unity’s real-time development environment, enabling developers to create immersive, real-world simulations and applications. By integrating high-accuracy global datasets, 3D Tiles, and dynamic data feeds, it provides a robust framework for … Read more
The Landscape of Risk India has witnessed 3782 major landslides between 2015–2022.Regions like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, and the North-East are especially vulnerable. Landslides disrupt cities, block roads, damage homes — and in some cases, like Wayanad in 2024, result in loss of lives and millions in damages. The Research Question How can remote sensing … Read more
Overview Visualizing Visibility of Women+ Safety is a research initiative aimed at evaluating how the design of public spaces influences perceptions of safety for women+ in India, particularly in Delhi. The central question driving this study is: “How can we assess the current paradigms of urban design to better understand and improve perceptions of safety … Read more
Diving deeper into building a reliable rating algorithm The Importance & Significance of the F&B establishments in the City Food and Beverage (F&B) service outlets are significant indicators of urban progress as they reflect evolving consumer preferences, economic vitality, and the integration of social spaces within urban landscapes. These establishments act as hubs for community … Read more
Introduction: Understanding Besòs Beyond the Surface The El Besòs i el Maresme area in Barcelona carries a complex history—one shaped by migration, exclusion, and resilience. Often perceived through the lenses of insecurity and economic struggle, the neighborhood is in fact a vibrant intersection of identities, cultures, and urban transformations. Layers of Besòs is a research-driven … Read more
A speculative approach to Design through data, literature, and participatory AI in Sant Antoni Our urban issue: The Lack of Narrative-Driven Urban Design in a Data-Driven City Contemporary urban design increasingly relies on AI and big data, often sidelining human stories, cultural narratives, and historical context in shaping urban spaces. While data-driven design optimizes efficiency, … Read more
Designing an Inclusive and Functional Bench Through the Lens of Iconic Visionaries Urban design has always required balancing complex social, cultural, and environmental factors. In this project, we explored the potential of AI in shaping public spaces. Specifically, designing a bench that serves the needs of both homeless individuals and daily users. We developed a … Read more
What defines a mixed-use space? How do we visually recognise the coexistence of residential, commercial, and public spaces in a city? Can AI perceive these complex urban conditions as we do? This workshop explores how Visual Language Models (VLMs) interact with urban imagery, using street view images to assess land-use patterns. By comparing Barcelona and … Read more
Unmasking Nile’s Land Grabbed Territories The advanced political economies have shape a world where complexity too often tends to produce elementary brutalities under complex modes of expulsion. Most of the time those dynamics operate at a more subterranean level. The tools driving this phenomenon range from basic policies to complex institutions, systems, and techniques that demand … Read more
Informal settlements have become a pressing issue across Latin America, reflecting deep-rooted socioeconomic inequalities and rapid urbanization. In 2014, approximately one-quarter of the urban population in Latin American cities lived in informal housing. By 2017, this number had increased to nearly one-third, and the trend continues to rise. Each country’s informal settlements have unique names … Read more
