Leveraging data to improve urban planning and empower evidence-based decision-making
Using data science and geospatial technologies to inform inclusive, sustainable urban planning, addressing challenges like climate change, mobility, and resilience from the scale of dwellings to entire cities.
Our mission is to leverage data science to shape sustainable, livable and equitable cities across all spatial scales. From dwelling-level interventions to global urban systems, our research empowers policymakers and communities to address pressing challenges such as densification/sprawl, climate change, pollution, extreme heat and the integration of nature-based solutions—crucial for public health and climate resilience.
We develop and apply innovative methods, emerging data sources and digital tools to unlock deeper understanding of urban environments, mobility and daily activities. Rooted in interdisciplinarity, our work bridges computer science, geomatics and urban data science, while upholding the principles of open access and the value of citizen-generated data.
Through a systems-thinking lens, we examine the complex interactions between social, economic, environmental, and infrastructural factors in urban systems. Our research drives data-informed urban planning and smart city strategies by integrating geospatial technologies such as GIS, remote sensing, UAVs, satellite and sensor-based technology, computer vision, GPS-based mobility tracking and AI tools.
By visualising patterns and analysing urban environments across multiple scales, we aim to support evidence-based decision-making that protects vulnerable communities and ecosystems.
Cyrille Médard de Chardon, Eun-Kyeong Kim, Hassan Kassem, Hichem O., Karolina Zieba-Kulawik, Konrad Skoczylas, Olivier Klein, Philippe Gerber, Sylvain Klein