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.
In the realm of urban theory, navigating through dense academic papers and theoretical frameworks can often feel like traversing uncharted territory. The intricacies of language and abstract concepts can obscure the underlying essence, leaving many grappling for clarity. However, in the age of artificial intelligence, I have embarked on a groundbreaking journey to decode the … Read more
Based on the theoretical frameworks of diverse urban theorists, this project explored multiple dynamics between the metropolis, design, and technology within the context of the Anthropocene epoch and the rise of technology. The following lexicon was developed and graphically illustrated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence, creating images that aim to cause a cognitive effect … Read more
Mazes have fascinated humans for centuries. Solving them requires decision making based on limited knowledge, and the ability to remember and avoid previous mistakes. The problem of solving a maze from any given position within it, without knowing the location of the exit lends itself well to the iterative logic that is central to this … Read more
Barcelona is a city that in the last decades has become one of the focal points of global mass tourism. Tourists have become part of daily life in the city. The aim of this study was to investigate how tourists and locals experience the city differently, focusing specifically on the topic of noise. The study … Read more
Introduction In recent decades, the importance of urban green spaces and their potential impact on various aspects of urban life has gained significant attention from policymakers, urban planners, and researchers worldwide. The creation and maintenance of green spaces within urban environments have been associated with numerous benefits, including environmental sustainability, physical and mental health improvements, … Read more
Black Holes | Black holes accumulate mass with such force that light cannot escape. The invisible hand drove technological innovation resulting in economies of scale to production. This allowed for flexibility in the accumulation of capital and its products, compressing relative time and space, giving way to increasingly accessible and ephemeral consumption of goods, services, … Read more
Our project embarked on a mission to tackle global shipping piracy without resorting to military action. We faced a major challenge: finding and using publicly available information to craft a proposal that countries and international organizations would support. 1. WHY SHIPPING PIRACY? Within the context of Networked Flows, our directive was to pinpoint potential disruptions … Read more
In the dynamic landscape of global innovation, understanding the intricacies of what drives or hinders progress is crucial. This post dives deeper into the innovation data concerning EU countries, aiming to decipher it visually for clearer insights. Leveraging the Global Innovation Index 2022, which assigns each nation an innovation score, this project set out to … Read more
Introduction Air quality is a problem in many cities around the world, yet it remains largely invisible to the naked eye. This reality struck us deeply when the four of us, having lived in Barcelona, Lagos, Bangkok, and Medellin – our four cities of origin – came together. Amidst our diverse backgrounds and experiences, we … Read more
Co-design & Experience Platform for Public Art as part of Data, Art and the City (5-day workshop led by Leyla Saadi) Adapted from Pokemon-Go, we propose the development of a place-based app that pops the City of Toronto’s public art scene, drives interest and support for local public art and artists, and co-designs future public … Read more
Creativity is often seen as the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations. But, can we confine its vastness to mere definitions? Furthermore, can the creative output of cities be quantified? A notable attempt to do so was made Inkifi. They composed a data based ranking … Read more
In the ever-evolving field of urban development, “The Future of Public Art” sets out to be a project that reimagines the role and impact of art in public spaces. At its core, the project seeks to quantify the value of public art through a systematic approach, anchored in three fundamental pillars: democracy, contextuality, and insightfulness. … Read more
The synthesized CRITICAL THEORY principles talk about today’s urban question in the context of the rural-urban matrix
Introduction In the past centuries, Milan used to be perceived as a water-city, with an economy propelled by canals that extended throughout it. However, as the city evolved, those waterways were gradually buried beneath roads, and the aquatic arteries that once defined Milan are now relegated to the periphery of the urban fabric. This covering … Read more
Introduction Milan, Northern Italy’s epicenter, confronts economic and environmental challenges rooted in a shift from agriculture to manufacturing. To secure its future, Milan invests in knowledge, tourism, and place-based innovation, relying on revenue from high-income foreigners, students, and the European Union. Strategic efforts to transition to a green economy focus on renewable energy, waste reduction, … Read more
1. Introduction Urban air quality is a pressing concern, being the result of both natural elements and human-induced pollutants. The city of Barcelona grapples with local pollutants like NOx and PM10, primarily caused by ground transport and industrial activities. While current policies focus on mobility solutions, the project questions the need for complementary approaches. The … Read more
Introduction The contemporary postcard city of Barcelona is supported by a world wide web of hidden urbanization. One of the closest and most prominent hidden pieces of urbanization of Barcelona is found in the Besós Valley. When going on site, we encountered a fragmented urban landscape of logistical infrastructure, urban wasteland, scattered agriculture and haphazard … Read more
Introduction Known for its fashion, history, and culture, Milan also faces a pressing environmental issue: it stands as one of the most polluted cities in the World. The challenge of mitigating air pollution in Milan is complex, as it is shaped by a mix of geographical, meteorological, socio-economic, and cultural factors. From the city’s dense … Read more
The Besòs River, an integral water source for Barcelona, encapsulates a narrative marked by both significance and environmental challenges. Since the 1970s, its crucial role has been overshadowed by persistent contamination, exacerbated by the rapid urban and industrial developments along its course. This study delves into the intricate correlation between Besòs River pollution, evolving land … Read more
Introduction Commencing with an aerial perspective of Athens, this imagery captures the coexistence of ancient Greek architecture and a futuristic city beneath a mountainous backdrop. This blog post delves into the amalgamation of historical continuity and futuristic aspirations, urging an exploration of the nuanced interplay between time, governance, and urban evolution. Within this composite visual … Read more
“The women argued it was not a bad thing to be able to know instantly by scanning who one is dealing with. Someone remembered a proposal that democracy might best be served by opening up the data banks to everyone rather than trying to do without them or, even worse, pretending they did not exist. … Read more
The image was created to depict an exaggeration of a Lagos market scene. In Lagos Nigeria, there is an obsession by the state to build “ultra-modern“ shopping facilities to house commercial activities. However, due to the high cost of rent of these facilities as well as the culture of traditional markets in Nigeria, traders and … Read more
Critical urbanists are empowered by theory, constrained by history, and valued by their ability and will to negotiate opportunities. The powers of theory are defined by Brenner and Roy as that of critical imagination and rejection of definition; contexualized as historically urban and increasingly planetary by Harvey, Brenner, and Schmid; and actualized by Kaika and … Read more
