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.
El Poblenou is a neighborhood in Barcelona which is experiencing several degrees of transformation leading to urban niches unconsidered. Open City Poblenou envisions public spaces that respond to urban flux, creating environments that encourage interaction and a sense of belonging through co-designed, adaptive interventions by leveraging data-driven strategies and participatory design. INDEX 00_IntroductionExplanation of Poblenou’s … Read more
We live in an age of constant information, where news spreads rapidly and surrounds us at all times. Social media notifications, breaking news alerts, and endless headlines create an overwhelming cycle. Unfortunately, negativity often dominates this flow, increasing stress, anxiety, and emotional fatigue. Why Are People Avoiding the News? According to Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, … Read more
Imagine you are working on an urban design project to improve social quality in a particular neighbourhood, you will want to know what people think about your proposal. Collecting data from every resident most of the time has a lot of limitations, such as cost, data privacy concerns, and people’s willingness to be involved. Also … 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
Planning the perfect public space is no easy task. A vibrant street attracts people, but too much activity can lead to overcrowding and crime. Police presence might deter thieves, but it can also drive away informal vendors—the very people who bring life to the streets. Without them, foot traffic decreases, and the space becomes empty … Read more
Over the past few months, I’ve been developing a game in Unity that aims to educate and engage players in the topic of soil regeneration. This project started as part of my Unity course, where I’ve been learning the skills needed to bring my ideas to life. My game is centered around interactive soil restoration, … Read more
What defines a mixed-use space? How do we visually recognise the coexistence of residential, commercial, and public spaces in a city? Can AI perceive these complex urban conditions as we do? This workshop explores how Visual Language Models (VLMs) interact with urban imagery, using street view images to assess land-use patterns. By comparing Barcelona and … 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
How can we interpret and analyze urban safety and users’ perception of safety through images of public space? During the DataTHINK Workshop, we delved into a critical analysis of the role of AI in addressing this issue, trying to recreate the processes and algorithmic thinking that take place behind Vision and Large Language Models. First, … Read more
Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia and city of 8 million residents, is investing heavily in upgrading its mobility network. Tasked with designing an intervention in a 2km by 2km block in the northwest part of the city, our team began by evaluating the existing mobility network. We found that public transit in Riyadh is … 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
Enhancing walkability and mobility in Riyadh Riyadh is at a pivotal moment in its urban evolution. As one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, its reliance on cars has resulted in congestion, pollution, and a lack of safe, accessible routes for pedestrians and cyclists. Our masterplan aims to transform the city’s mobility landscape by … Read more
The Data Think workshop successfully gathered insights into how we can assess images of urban spaces and rank them through different indicators. For our group, we saw that different environments impact accessibility and mobility for various demographic groups, including vulnerable populations. By engaging in a ranking exercise using photographs, we identified key factors influencing accessibility:
Unmasking Nile’s Land Grabbed Territories The advanced political economies have shape a world where complexity too often tends to produce elementary brutalities under complex modes of expulsion. Most of the time those dynamics operate at a more subterranean level. The tools driving this phenomenon range from basic policies to complex institutions, systems, and techniques that demand … Read more
“The Amazon rainforest, often called the ‘lungs of the Earth,’ is rapidly disappearing. But this isn’t just an environmental crisis—it’s a geopolitical and economic issue. In the heart of this transformation lies [Mato Grosso], Brazil’s largest soy-producing state. Its key location fuels both economic growth and ecological destruction, leading to tensions over land use, trade … Read more
