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.
Understanding the complexity of urban flooding Across the globe, cities are facing the increasingly visible consequences of climate change, with floods and landslides ranking among the most destructive urban hazards. In Brazil, the city of Petrópolis offers a critical lens through which to study the layered vulnerabilities of urban settlements exposed to extreme rainfall, unstable … 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
When we locate Sants within Barcelona, it appears to be on the city’s edge. However, when considering the metropolitan area as a whole, Sants is actually closer to the center. Historically, Sants was one of the towns surrounding Barcelona until its annexation in 1897. Its agricultural and industrial roots contribute to a unique neighborhood identity—one … 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
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
“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
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
January brought a challenging start for California, as a series of devastating wildfires swept through the state, endangering lives, destroying homes, and reshaping entire communities. These fires were not only among the most destructive in California’s history but also ranked among the costliest ever recorded in the United States. The scale of destruction was unprecedented, … Read more
Sentir l’Espai Urbà Cities communicate with us through different ways: sound, image, smells, textures, materials, weather, among others. But how do we perceive all these layers? How do we feel about it? What role does urban design play in this exchange? How do we feel the city? Every day, we are immersed in urban surroundings … Read more
Urban spaces are not just places to live and work—they are playgrounds for social interaction, historical storytelling, and cultural engagement. As part of the IAAC’s Serious Games Seminar, our team explored Sant Antoni, Barcelona, to design playful interventions that connect the community to its past, present, and future. Our approach combined game design with urban … Read more
The project envisions the use of novel data collection strategies for the purpose of increasing access to formal credit for MSMEs in the F&B Space Across the globe, cities face a pivotal challenge: unlocking the potential of their micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to drive both urban transformation and national economic growth. These enterprises, often comprising over 90% of businesses in developing … Read more
URBAN WAYFINDING FOR THE BLIND Understanding how visually impaired or blind individuals navigate urban environments reveals significant challenges tied to mobility injustice across various scales. This issue extends beyond individual obstacles, encompassing systemic gaps in urban design that fail to accommodate diverse needs. My thesis delves into these injustices, exploring the barriers that hinder equitable … Read more
How do we evaluate the current paradigms of designed public spaces to test the perceptions of safety of women+ in India such that it aids urban designers to make free movement of women+ easier in India, especially Delhi? Overview Women+ and Urban Safety is a research to find answers to the question of “how do … Read more
