Darien: Closing the data Gap

Imagine a massive highway stretching from Alaska all the way down to the tip of Argentina. That’s almost possible through the Pan-American Highway, except for one crucial interruption: the Darien Gap. The Darien Gap is a sprawling, dense jungle separating Panama and Colombia, an obstacle that breaks the otherwise continuous highway. But the Gap isn’t … Read more

‘Gotta Catch ’em All’

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

Coltura

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

Defining Biocities

In the ever-evolving landscape of urban planning, the concept of “Biocities” has emerged as a beacon of hope for a sustainable future. As we delve into the intricacies of creating urban spaces that harmonize with nature, it becomes imperative to establish a shared language— a lexicon that defines the essence of Biocities. This blog post … Read more

Towards a multi-performative soil

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

GreenScape – Milan

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

Ideas para la Paz

o Corredor Biológico de San José. PROYECTO Se desea expandir el programa del Museo de los Niños a su entorno más inmediato, sus predios y margen del Río Torres, con vistas en la regeneración del borde boscoso existente. A partir de proyectos de reciclaje y agricultura en un modelo de aula abierta vinculado no solo … Read more

Arbitration of the Arbitrary

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

Navigating GeoPandas and the Digital Wilderness

“Start the machine” …was the first operation in mind when asked to perform a task with Python script. One of the motivations to learn Python as an urban designer is to organize geospatial data with accuracy and legibility. Before we dive into the digital wilderness, of data trees and data frames, it’s important to note … Read more

From Guest to Spatial Data Analyst

Introduction Airbnb is a well know marketplace that connects people who want to rent out their property with people who are looking for accommodations, typically for short stays (Investopedia, 2023). As a powerful tool to connect people to hospitality supply around the world, and provide them quality spaces to stay, it heavily relies on the … Read more

Data Visualisation using Python

Introduction In today’s data-driven world, the ability to visualize data effectively is a key skill. This blog post introduces the fundamentals of data visualization using Python, a powerhouse in the data science toolkit. We’ll explore essential libraries like GeoPandas, Plotly and Contextily, guiding you through the process of transforming raw data into insightful, visually appealing … Read more

Green Trails: Paving the Way for Comfortable Cycling

In the bustling streets of Barcelona, a city that effortlessly weaves together history, culture, and modernity, uncovering a comfortable path becomes a journey in itself. Navigating Barcelona isn’t just about finding the quickest route; it’s about immersing oneself in the rhythm of the city and embracing its unique character. Conclusion Barcelona’s enchanting cycling paths, seamlessly … Read more

Roving the Red Planet

Roving the Red Planet - Animated Infographic

A rich and ongoing history… Mars exploration missions started in the second half of the 20th century, with the first successful one being NASA’s flyby mission Mariner-Mars in 1964. Since then there has been a steady influx of many other missions throughout the years, from NASA as well as from other space agencies from around … Read more

Promised Land

Mesh representation of MIDI

Mapping America’s Genrescape Promised Land, Chuck Berry’s early representation of modern rock and roll, blurs racialized difference in genre origin, fueling the hybridization of genre categorizes, resulting in America’s current rich music tapestry. MIDI data correlated to synaesthetic representations of color is crystalized and in a dense three-dimensional mesh and place qualities are correlated to … Read more

Visualization of Complex Innovation Data using Python

Innovation is a buzzword these days, and everyone seems to be talking about it. However, truly understanding it is a different ball game. Take the Global Innovation Index by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), for example. It’s a massive framework that pulls data from top-tier organizations worldwide, scoring countries on 100+ indicators. It’s a … Read more

Can inequality of opportunity be mapped?

An exercise in visually corelating data. Introduction The Swedish educational system is based on merit. Students have to compete for places by means of their average grades. The competition is fierce, especially in large cities such as Stockholm. This project forms an attempt to showcase a possible correlation between the median acceptance grades of schools … Read more

METAPHOREST

What modes of activism does the Anthropocene unleash? ABSTRACT “Activism takes various forms: from Guendalina’s digital activism to Gail’s passionate protests, Stephen’s data-driven focus, and Patricia’s philosophical reflection. Each approach offers unique perspectives in the fight for social and environmental change.” CHARACTERS ??????? ?? ?[Philosopher] – Patricia??????????????[Influencer] – Guendalina???????????[Scientist] – Dr.Stephen Numb ???????????[Local] – José … Read more

Xelajú-Digerible

El sistema alimentario como pilar estratégico para el desarrollo urbano de la zona 3, Quetzaltenango. Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. C.A El enfoque anteriormente abordado se centraba en la ecología y el cambio climático, exponiendo la situación actual de la ciudad de Quetzaltenango. Se identificaban los procesos alimentarios a través de la industria y cómo estas dinámicas contribuyen … Read more

TERRITORIOS REACTIVOS. Hacia una reprogramación de la región centro-sur de Uruguay

Territorios reactivos refiere a la activación del territorio como respuesta a la irrupción del Proyecto Ferrocarril Central, obra de rehabilitación de 273km de la infraestructura ferroviaria histórica de Uruguay que al 2023 se encuentra en obra 1. Antigua red ferroviaria La vía férrea, uno de los elementos más representativos de la primera revolución industrial, comienza … Read more

Networking Tacarigua

Networking Tacarigua: Modelo de Ciudad en Redes Hidrográficas para Maracay, Venezuela Agua: Fuente de Vida, Problema Urbano El origen de toda la vida puede trazarse hacia el agua. Es un elemento indispensable para la subsistencia de todo organismo que habita el planeta tierra. Para la humanidad, el agua siempre ha estado presente, con la creación … Read more

Mississippi 2102

Meanders on the Lower Mississippi River In the battle between architecture and nature, nature tends to win. Therefore, it is important that we understand how rivers move over time so that we can know the best and the worst places to build. Our project studies the Lower Mississippi River from Cairo, Illinois to New Orleans, … Read more

GENDERED GEOGRAPHIES

Navigating Urban Realities through Women’s Perception of Safety Cities all over the world are being quantified and rated in terms of their livability and life quality for better understanding of citizen satisfaction.  Safety, including both the tangible aspects and the subjective perception of safety, is a critical component in assessing urban life quality. According to … Read more