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.
India’s solar ambition is written into its landscape. Since the launch of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission in 2010, the country has pursued one of the most aggressive renewable energy expansions in history —targeting 500GW of solar capacity by 2030. But the geography of that expansion follows a troubling logic. The regions chosen for … Read more
Urban space is conventionally conceptualized as an anthropocentric construct. However, non-human species continuously appropriate architectural surfaces, infrastructural voids, and vegetated fragments. Birds occupy ledges and canopy layers, insects colonize engineered soils, bats navigate nocturnal corridors along tree lines, and plants root within pavement fissures. These presences are not incidental; they reflect how spatial design either … Read more
This project explores how power operates spatially through counter-cartography and autoethnography in Poblenou, Barcelona. Combining observation, mapping, and self-tracking, the research examines how infrastructure, urban objects, rules, and rhythms shape behavior, movement, and perception. Benches, pedestrian streets, and smoking practices reveal how freedom, restriction, and permission are unevenly distributed. Findings show that movement is widely … Read more
Scrap Metal, Migration and Urban Recycling To better understand people, we must understand the spaces they occupy – the city they navigate, the neighborhood they experience. Robert Park notes that the city is a man’s most consistent and on the whole, his most successful attempt to remake the world he lives in more after his … Read more
Mapping Proximity to Wellbeing Amenities in Urban Areas “For most of us from now on, life and death will be an urban affair.”— World Health Organization As cities become the primary environments in which people age, longevity can no longer be understood as a rural or lifestyle-driven phenomenon alone. Inspired by — but critical of … Read more
How borders shape frontiers of urban life? I. Introduction Borders are often perceived as abstract lines on maps, yet they deeply shape how cities grow, connect, and fragment. Cities located along international borders experience unique spatial, social, and political conditions that distinguish them from inland urban areas. This project investigates borders not as static lines, … Read more
Abstract : In recent years, urban cores across the world have entered a period of uncertainty. Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread adoption of hybrid work, many central business districts (CBDs) have experienced declining footfall, rising commercial vacancy, and shifts in social life—while others have demonstrated surprising resilience. This project investigates how foundational … Read more
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 methods to infer ground level socio-economic realities The Challenge: The Urban Data Blind Spot Urban economies are dynamic, fast-evolving systems—but the data used to understand them is often static, delayed, or incomplete. In many cities, a significant share of economic activity unfolds beyond the reach of traditional measurement frameworks, … 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
