Date2016
LocationUK
FundingHigher Education Innovation Fund (Eco-Innovation Voucher)
Principal InvestigatorProf. Deljana Iossifova
PartnersProf. Ulysses Sengupta
Michael Weinstock

Summary

The shifts in speed, scale and scope of urbanisation in recent times require new analytical frameworks and practical tools to model, understand and manage sociospatial change. Although such frameworks and tools are already available, urban praxis maintains its dependence on outdated theory and ideology.

Urgent and complex challenges are frequently addressed as if they were merely visual design issues.

Alternative approaches, such as ‘smart city’ and similar initiatives, are increasingly embraced as solutions to pressing global challenges. However, they do not offer an understanding of correlations and causalities between ‘soft’ (economic, ecological and social) and ‘hard’ (engineered) urban systems.

The ability to link different kinds of urban data will be agenda-setting for future research and practice.

This project develops new analytical frameworks to understand urban processes using a complexity science approach and building on interdisciplinary collaboration and transdisciplinary knowledge emerging from the ESRC Strategic Network Data and Cities as Complex Adaptive Systems(DACAS).

Project activities, including three workshops in Manchester and London, will benefit a wide range of user groups, such as academics; professional institutions; industrial and commercial organisations; architecture students and future urban practitioners.

Results

Sengupta, U., Cheung, P., Iossifova, D., Hyde, R., 2016. ‘Data and Cities as Complex Adaptive Systems’, 2016 DACAS conference on Future City Systems, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, 1/2/2016 – 3/2/2016.

Sengupta, U., 2016. ‘Extrapolating Future Cities: Combining hard and soft urban data’, Smart IoT London: Urban IoT Showcase, ExCeL, 12-13 April 2016.

Sengupta, U., Cheung, E., Hyde, R., Iossifova, D., 2016. ‘Gamifying Smarter’ Planning: Adaptive and resilient future cities’, 2016 AAG Annual Meeting: Smart+sustainable, San Francisco, MArch 29 – April 02 2016.