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.
An exploration how to enhance independent mobility for blind individuals by addressing psychological and systemic barriers. Using a participatory design approach, it goes beyond assistive tech to build an ecosystem of tools, behaviors, and spatial strategies that support confident navigation. A taxonomy with blind participants organise emotional, spatial, and user insights into a practical design … Read more
Project Introduction Urban environments are constantly evolving, shaped by the movement of people, the flow of traffic, and the presence of infrastructure. Yet, understanding these patterns at the street level — especially across an entire neighborhood — can be difficult, time-consuming, and highly subjective. In this project, we present a computer vision–based visual audit of … Read more
Abstract Building upon the knowledge acquired in the Agent-Based Design & Machine Learning course, we developed a bot designed to collect data from the population of Rundu, the city we are focusing on for our project within the Vulnerability Studio: Computer-Aided Mobility Justice. We face the challenge of accessing qualitative insights that could help us … 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
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
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
Architecture as a means of social segregation “capital materializes, to a large extent, through urban construction, the establishment of social relations in the city, the organization of space in the city, among others” (Harvey 2020, 23) According to Charles Jencks, the death of the modern architecture dated on July 15, 1972 at 3:32 p.m, when … 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
CRITICAL QUESTION: “How can urban planning and architectureactively resist the dominance ofspeculative capital, and instead promoteequitable, community-driven developmentthat prioritizes social cohesion and publiclife over the financialization of space?“ ——————————————————- The city is not just a physical construct of streets and buildings; it functions as a living entity, constantly shifting, shaped by the flows of CAPITAL … Read more
Through this workshop, we developed “Clean up the Noisy City,” an educational and interactive game designed to raise children’s awareness of urban soundscapes. In this engaging experience, players take on the role of city problem-solvers, working together to identify, assess, and mitigate disruptive noises using creative solutions. The game is played through a structured yet … Read more
