Research
We develop computational methods to analyse built environments and human behaviour in cities, focusing on mobility, land use, housing, and their connections to social, environmental, and health inequalities.
Themes
Our research projects are driven by four interrelated themes that capture the major drivers and key challenges shaping cities today.
Urban MobilityHow mobility behaviour and transport systems evolve in the net-zero transition – focusing on electrification, public transport, and active mobility – and what this means for cities. |
Urban InequalitiesHow spatial accessibility, housing affordability, and neighbourhood environments shape opportunities, well-being, and social and spatial inequalities. |
Demographic ChangeHow population growth or decline, ageing, migration, and evolving household structures and lifestyles transform cities and mobility patterns. |
Technological ChangeHow emerging technologies – from digitalisation and AI to smart grids and e-mobility – are reshaping everyday life and future of cities. |
Methods
We combine data-driven and theory-informed approaches to:
- Measure and track urban change: quantifying city-wide and population-level dynamics at high spatial and temporal resolution, using emerging large-scale digital and traditional data sources.
- Model and forecast urban systems: developing computational models and simulations to understand urban dynamics, explore future scenarios, and evaluate policy interventions, using approaches including agent-based models, spatial interaction and network models, and deep learning.
- Understand human behaviour and decision-making: studying how individuals and households make choices, the constraints they face, and their flexibility to adapt to social, economic, technological, and environmental changes, with a focus on differences across population groups and implications for theory and policy.
Research Projects
See Projects for a full list of ongoing and completed projects.