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.


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Computing Risk and Planning Resilience from Afar

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visible what often remains hidden enabling actionable insights in places where institutional data is frequently outdated or … Read more

Investigating [Grain Farming] – Deforestation, and Political Conflict in the Amazon

“The Amazon rainforest, often called the ‘lungs of the Earth,’ is rapidly disappearing. But this isn’t just an environmental crisis—it’s a geopolitical and economic issue. In the heart of this transformation lies [Mato Grosso], Brazil’s largest soy-producing state. Its key location fuels both economic growth and ecological destruction, leading to tensions over land use, trade policies, and environmental governance.” … Read more

Science Fiction as ‘ecologic critic’

The third and final volume of the Theories of the Urban Seminar has taken science fiction as both a critical framework and a mode of spatial representation, using cinematic and theoretical lenses to examine urban futures in the Anthropocene. Where previous volumes addressed urbanization as historical concept and financial phenomenon, this installment confronts our planetary … Read more

Landscape as a Climate Catalyst

Climate Hope, Regenerative Agriculture and Soil Restoration Up to 40% of the world’s land is degraded Poor land management and conventional agricultural practices have degraded soils, reducing their ability to store carbon and absorb water, accelerating climate change and threatening food systems. Soils store 3x more carbon than the atmosphere, but 50-70% of their natural … Read more

Investigating [Soy Farming] – Deforestation, and Political Conflict in the Amazon

“The Amazon rainforest, often called the ‘lungs of the Earth,’ is rapidly disappearing. But this isn’t just an environmental crisis—it’s a geopolitical and economic issue. In the heart of this transformation lies [Mato Grosso], Brazil’s largest soy-producing state. Its key location fuels both economic growth and ecological destruction, leading to tensions over land use, trade … 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

Emerging Economies – Learning Canvas Outcomes

Circular Economies and Value Flows with Marion Real I entered the session with a foundational understanding of resource loops, local production, and sustainable consumption. My goal was to discover circular models for urban infrastructure, particularly exploring how waste management, water, and energy systems could be redesigned. The key takeaway from the session was the importance … Read more

The Global Story of Cement and Its Environmental Impact

The Backbone of Modernity – Since its invention in 1842, Portland cement has become a cornerstone of modern construction. Its role in shaping cities, infrastructure, and economies is unparalleled, but this comes at a cost. Cement production is energy-intensive, emits significant carbon dioxide, and has become a key driver of global greenhouse gas emissions Cement … Read more

Digital Culture(s): A cultural blindspot of solutionism

photo credits: ‘Imagining Intercitizenships’ 3D artwork by Lorna Pittaway for IAM

In an era of accelerating change, digital cultures weave together a mosaic of materiality, temporality, and social impact, redefining the very essence of culture itself. The interplay between these dimensions raises compelling questions about the way we live, create, and envision futures. From solutionism in the face of a polycrisis to the extractivist underpinnings of … Read more

Poly-Exploration with Digital Cultures

The course of Digital Cultures, tutored by Andres Colmenares, took an investigative approach on the relations between the present and the future through the lens of art, journalism, urbanism, technology, human networks and global market. Course was structured in a “non-linear” way, what makes our tutor’s pride, yet consistent in terms of narrating through scale … Read more

Designing Futures: Exploring Digital Cultures in a Climate Emergency

This course examined the interplay of ecological, cultural, and digital transformations amidst a climate emergency, emphasizing the need to prioritize cultural over economic value. It explored how language shapes perceptions of technology, the hidden environmental costs of digital infrastructures, and the biases embedded in AI systems. Addressing the prevalence of misinformation, it highlighted the role … Read more