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.
This thesis investigates how the semantic content of urban climate policy can be computationally coupled with high-resolution geospatial data to anticipate the climate consequences those policies set in motion. The work is situated in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, and the central proposition is that policy text far from being inert prescriptive language is itself … Read more
Barcelona Built a Road to the Port. Someone Else Paid for It. In 1992, the city tore down a wall. The old industrial waterfront that had cut Barcelona off from the Mediterranean for over a century was demolished to make way for the Olympic Village. For the first time in living memory, residents could walk … Read more
Mobility when Tourism outgrows the City Barcelona is the 10th most visited city in the world. In 2024, it received approximately 15.6 million tourists – nearly nine times its resident population of 1.7 million. The issue is not tourism itself. Barcelona’s economy depends on it, and the city’s cultural richness is inseparable from its global … Read more
Barcelona is a city that faces many physical limitations to it’s expansion as a metropolis-the mountains contain development within them and the sea borders its other side. For the past 15 years, it has been struggling with an immense wave of tourism that has displaced locals from affordable housing in popular areas and historic neighborhoods … Read more
Re-envisioning Container City One of Barcelona’s most strategically located waterfront areas, the container port south of Montjuïc, remains largely disconnected from the inner city. As the city explores the possibility of relocating portions of its container operations in this speculative project and transforming this industrial landscape into a mixed-use district, mobility becomes a more pertinent … Read more
En La Calle is a board game for 2–4 players aged 8 and above, set in the streets of Bosa-Apogeo, Bogotá — a neighbourhood home to some of the highest school density in the city and the largest school in Bogotá by enrolled students, yet streets that were never designed with children in mind. En … Read more
What can it look like to design spaces with empathy? In late October, our class had the opportunity to visit Parc del Pins in Santa Coloma de Gramenet to reimagine its public space during a one-week workshop. We spoke with members of the municipality, who generously offered their time and perspective on how Santa Coloma … Read more
Quito is located in the north-central part of the Andean region of Ecuador, in south america. Given its high elevation, it is one of the highest capitals in the world. With a population of 1.9M people, it is the second-largest city of Ecuador. It is located in the province of Pichincha in the canton of … 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
Diving deeper into building reliable interpolation methods 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 interaction, … 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
Developed as part of a Workshop hosted by IAAC and conducted by Buro Happold representatives, the project envisions the transformation of Barcelona’s Zona Franca waterfront into a mobility-driven, mixed-use district that balances industry, nature, and urban life. The master plan prioritizes seamless connectivity, enhancing public transport, pedestrian networks, and micromobility infrastructure to overcome the area’s … Read more
Perched at the top of Montjuïc hill, in the heart of the Sants-Montjuïc district, stands the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, a place where history, sport, and culture come together. From hosting the unforgettable 1992 Olympic Games to becoming a stage for world-class events, this stadium has witnessed some of the greatest moments in Barcelona’s history. … Read more
Barcelona, like many modern cities, experiences the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, where built-up areas retain more heat than surrounding natural landscapes. This interactive map visualizes temperature variations across the city, highlighting areas most affected by heat buildup. 🛰️ What This Map Shows: 📍 Heat Hotspots – Areas with high surface temperatures due to dense construction and limited … Read more
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 Future of Work and Emerging Economies: How Design Can Shape Resilient Labor MarketsIn a world where emerging economies are increasingly intertwined with technological advancements, the future of work is rapidly evolving. The intersection of automation, digital platforms, and shifting economic paradigms presents both immense challenges and exciting opportunities. As an architect and student at … Read more
