DACAS

DACAS is an ESRC-funded Strategic Network

DACAS was part of the Urban Transformations (UT) program coordinated between 2015 and 2020 by Professor Michael Keith from the University of Oxford, showcasing research on cities. The UT portfolio included over 120 research projects that engaged with the challenges and opportunities of an increasingly urban world.

Although “smart” city initiatives rapidly adopt new data flows, researchers rarely connect physical infrastructure to economic, ecological, and social dynamics. To bridge this divide, the Strategic Network: Data and Cities as Complex Adaptive Systems (DACAS) integrates diverse data sources into a cohesive planning model.

Consequently, an international, cross-disciplinary research team creates pioneering tools to capture and interpret emerging information. In addition, team members lead public events and multi-stakeholder workshops to train users and share results.

Ultimately, these insights empower policymakers and academics to craft evidence-based solutions for urban challenges using open data.