During the Master in City & Technology + Thesis Project, students have the unique opportunity to work for an additional time of 9 months on an Individual Thesis Project, focused on the development of one research or pilot project based on the student’s interest. IAAC supports the student in selecting their Thesis Project topic in order to better orient them according to their future career interests and opportunities. Each student is assigned one or more Thesis Advisors that follow the development of the work throughout the year.
Introduction Wealth disparity leads to social and economic challenges resulting in social exclusion. 21.6% of population in the EU are at risk of social exclusion. A study confirmed that 61.7% of socially excluded people tend to be segregated. Understanding the origin of the word Segregation – initially used to set sheep apart from the flock, … Read more
Background Public transportation plays a crucial role in urban planning globally. Extensive research indicates that bus transit has become a highly favored mass mobility system. This preference stems from its cost-effective infrastructure, flexible planning, and discrete architecture that supports incremental growth. Bus transit systems exhibit lower infrastructure costs compared to rail or subway networks, making … Read more
The Environmental Asset Resilience (EAR) Tool is a response to the pressing global challenge of environmental instability, particularly in urban areas. These areas face substantial costs associated with environmental problems and climate change. However, decision-making in addressing these issues is complicated by conflicting priorities, limited resources, and a lack of expertise. The EAR Project aims … Read more
Challenges The projection by UNICEF indicating that 60% of the global child population will reside in urban areas by 2025 demands a critical reevaluation of our cities’ readiness for such a transformation. This shift presents unprecedented challenges and opportunities. By examining the fundamental challenges faced by urban childhood today, it becomes evident that the significant … Read more
TO RE-CONNECT AND RE-FRAME THE USE OF URBAN VOIDS “Beirut is among the many post-conflict cities grappling with dynamic and unsettled social, economic, and geographical dynamics.” “This thesis delves into the expansive realm of urban development within such cities, with a specific focus on the challenges of planning and innovative policy approaches.” “ Beirut’s urban … Read more
Public spaces in a city, such as pathways and non-constructible parcels, are not utilized to their full potential. As a result, they create voids and detachment of citizens from their city and do not provide any meaningful benefits to the community. By using machine learning algorithms as a tool for a public organization to identify … Read more
OVERVIEW Rapid urbanization and agricultural intensification have led to extensive land cover change, with urban areas expanding and natural landscapes transforming into fragmented environments. These changes generate climate change impacts, affecting urban areas, and creating a cyclical relationship. Advancements in remote sensing are crucial for comprehensively assessing and monitoring the impact of rapid urbanization, agricultural … Read more
Unraveling Footfall Patterns for Enhanced Urban Planning: A Spatial and Temporal Analysis Introduction Footfall prediction plays a crucial role in urban planning decision-making processes. Understanding the intricate relationship between footfall and its two dimensions—space and time—is essential. In this project, we delve into the workflow and key findings of a project aimed at comprehending the … Read more
Alejandro Aravena, renowned for his role in facilitating the recovery of a city struck by an earthquake and a tsunami, asserts that Participatory design transcends mere inclusivity and offers enhanced efficiency. Conventional methods may not yield the desired effectiveness, necessitating a reevaluation of the tools employed for participation.Barcelona, for instance, has already experimented with a digital … Read more
INTRODUCTION Urbanization poses escalating threats to ecological systems, necessitating the creation of urban ecological commons. This exercise focuses on Mumbai’s metro network, comprising 357 kilometres, 16 lines, and 38 interchanges, as a context for enhancing neighbourhood biodiversity through strategic environment plugins. By leveraging NDVI mapping from Google Earth Engine, areas with high ecological threats and … Read more
INTRODUCTION Climate change is an imperative global concern demanding meticulous attention. Its ramifications encompass an array of profound consequences, necessitating urgent action. Rooted in anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, this phenomenon engenders a persistent alteration in Earth’s climate patterns, characterized by escalating temperatures, heightened incidence of extreme weather events, and encroaching sea-levels. In this context, comprehending … Read more
Alejandro Aravena, renowned for his role in facilitating the recovery of a city struck by an earthquake and a tsunami, asserts that Participatory design transcends mere inclusivity and offers enhanced efficiency. Despite recognizing the significance of public participation in urban planning, we delve into the persisting factors that hinder its optimal efficiency. Conventional methods may … Read more
Parco de mä was developed by Matteo Piccoloto, Yohan Wadia, Amélie Roy, Lisa Guglielmi, Pushkar Runwal, Koen Kool, Juan Felipe Casses, Dimitris Athanasiou, with the support of trainers from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, the University of Genoa and ALDA, during the Green Skills for Cities … Read more
ABSTRACT With a focus on Spain, this study explores the potential of urban-ecological corridors and bio-cultural landscapes in enhancing wildfire resilience and reversing biodiversity loss in the Mediterranean region. It proposes a 4-dimensional urban-ecological living strategy that integrates burnt areas, ecological connectivity, and sustainable agriculture for improved adaptive resilience. The study employs a multidisciplinary approach, … Read more
Park it Up! was developed by Joseph Bou Saleh, Gayatri Agrawal, Flavia Vallarino, Giacomo Canale, Clara Conte, Paula Stammen, Jacob Mader,Thomas-Xavier Rousseau, with the support of trainers from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, the University of Genoa and ALDA, during the Green Skills for Cities project, … Read more
Punta Vagno! was developed by Kriti Bhavesh Nirmal, Maddalena Caviglia, Noé Guérin, Sophie Köcher-Schulz, Maria Augusta Kroetz, Étienne Lajoie-Asselin, Joshua Mingers, Marta Pianta, with the support of trainers from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, the University of Genoa and ALDA, during the Green Skills for Cities … Read more
GREENOVA was developed by Dominik Sawallisch, Karim Abillama, Andrea Gnaccarini, Manuel Harm, Maria Magkavali, Moritz Knappinger, Moritz Dahlmanns, Davide Casalino, with the support of trainers from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, the University of Genoa and ALDA, during the Green Skills for Cities project, co-funded by … Read more
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN FOR CIRCULAR CO-PRODUCTION OF ECOLOGICAL SERVICES. GREENWAVE was developed by Ben Bello, Can Xu, Erum Khaled, Manuel Beca, Lucia Mack, Parshav Sheth, Zerihun Tassano, with the support of trainers from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, the University of Genoa and ALDA, during the Green … Read more
Tackling Food Waste in Barcelona’s Multicultural Culinary Scene Introduction Within the framework of the circularity in the built environment, where Material Flow Analysis (MFA) and system maps have played a crucial role, Barcelona’s multicultural culinary scene emerges as a fascinating case study. In this dynamic city, the convergence of diverse culinary traditions is not only a … Read more
This research project aims to investigate the lifecycle of commonly used construction materials in Barcelona, analyse the materials being demolished in the city, and explore the waste management practices employed by Barcelona for construction and demolition waste. The primary objective is to provide valuable insights into the environmental impact and sustainability of construction materials, identify … Read more
INTRODUCTION Urban planning decisions have a significant impact on the development of cities, and using machine learning can provide decision-makers with valuable insights to make informed decisions. By clustering urban areas based on various factors such as population density, built density, POI density, green cover, and build diversity, we can reveal spatial patterns that can … Read more
