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.
Opening a business is a bold investment. Factors (many out of business owners’ control) can determine whether or not local businesses thrive or struggle. Location matters, especially for businesses that depend on foot traffic. But the bigger questions are tough to answer: where should the business open? What is a fair rent to expect? Which … Read more
The layers of Google Maps This research visual presents the evolution of mapping through the lens of Google Maps, inspired by the work of Kate Crawford and Vladan Joler, Calculating Empires. The work divides the evolution of data leading to the creation of Google Maps into three layers: Mapping the Planet, Mapping the Data and … Read more
This project focuses on accessibility and orientation between nearby schools and Parc dels Pins in Santa Coloma de Gramenet. It emphasizes children and inclusion. Through co-creation with local schools, the design tests inclusive wayfinding strategies using sensory and tactile signage. These aim to improve safety, visibility, and spatial awareness. The process brings together children, educators, … Read more
We had an incredible, whirlwind five days co-creating public spaces with Pablo Muñoz, Luisa Torres, Josefina Ovalle Parot, and the amazing community of Santa Coloma de Gramenet. It felt like a rapid-fire game—running around the park, talking to people, collecting stories, analyzing data in GIS and Grasshopper, figuring out who to design for, and then … 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
Santa Coloma de Gramenet, located to the north of Barcelona, is bordered by the Besòs River on the west and the Marina Mountain Range on the north. The city’s terrain features an irregular relief that rises to 303 meters at Mount Castellar, its highest point, a topographical character also visible within Parc dels Pins. The … Read more
Using Street View and Remote Sensing to Assess Risk and Empower Small Businesses Whos got my Credit? Access to credit is a fundamental driver of economic growth, especially for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Food & Beverage (F&B) sector. Yet, traditional lending models—rooted in asset-based evaluations—often exclude countless small business owners, particularly … Read more
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
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
About This project investigates how colonial patterns of urban design in Footscray have historically shaped and continue to shape the experiences of mobility, vulnerability, and belonging among First Nations people. By tracing the spatial legacies of dispossession and infrastructural violence, the work critically maps how extractive logics have severed Indigenous connections to place. In response, … 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
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
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
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
We want to invite you to witness the city through a lens often overlooked, how people navigating urban spaces shaped by “intersectionalities”. This is a story about how people experience cities—specifically, the everyday places where we wait to catch a bus, hop on a train, or cross the street. These spots might seem ordinary, but … Read more
