The Master in City & Technology’s academic structure is based on IAAC’s innovative, learn-by-doing and design-through-research methodology which focuses on the development of interdisciplinary skills. During the Master in City & Technology students will have the opportunity to be part of a highly international group, including faculty members, researchers, and lecturers, in which they are encouraged to develop collective decision-making processes and materialize their project ideas.
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
Abstract 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, … Read more
January 7th marked the beginning of one of the most devastating wildfire events in California’s recent history. A series of fires struck the city of Los Angeles, and within just 24 hours of the first ignition, the city was already facing three major wildfires in Pacific Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst. At that point, two fatalities … 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
Petrópolis: Analysis & Strategic Responses for Flood-Vulnerable Contexts 1.1. History of the city Summary – 1.1. History of the City Petrópolis initially developed in valleys and along riverbeds, where construction was easier, but this laid the groundwork for future vulnerabilities. Located within the Atlantic Forest Biome, only 12.4% of its original forest remains due to … 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
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
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
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
ABSTRACT Derived from the 2020 pandemic sanitary measures for Covid-19, Google created the Community Mobility Reports, which provide valuable insights of how people’s mobility changed as a result of the established health policies. The objective of this analysis was to understand how United States residents’ mobility behavior changed over time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. … Read more
In order to overcome the current climate emergency and polycrisis a critical approach needs to be explored. This implies analyzing the impacts and trends of the contemporary (inter)relationships between society, culture and digital technologies. However, the nature of those phenomena is multiclausal. There is not a single factor who produces it. Although capitalism and its … Read more
In a world marked by interconnected crises and technological change, understanding Digital Cultures helps us navigate how we engage with technology and address pressing global challenges. This exploration underscores the critical role of narratives, metaphors, and values in shaping our responses to an uncertain future. The Context of Polycrisis Our journey began by examining the … Read more
Personal Experience When I stepped into this course, I didn’t know what to expect, but what I found was a spark. From the very first class, it felt like stepping into a think tank on technology, a space where nothing was too obvious to question. In an age where we live and breathe technology, this … Read more
How we interact with the digital world and with the digital tools that we have today? That is the question I asked myself at the beginning of this course. Digital cultures came to me as an experience to question the use of technology in the design and development of cities and societies, in the time … Read more
