Strategic Network: Data and Cities as Complex Adaptive Systems
The ESRC Strategic Network: Data and Cities as Complex Adaptive Systems (DACAS) seeks to promote a more holistic approach through the integration of multiple data sources and methods using a complexity approach. By bringing together an international group of researchers from a range of different fields, the project supports the development of an innovative and cross-disciplinary set of tools to gather and interpret emerging data types and sources. The findings benefit policy-makers, academics and additional stakeholders seeking to develop evidence-based responses to urban issues through the use of open data.
The Network strategically connected 12 individuals with backgrounds in the design, social and natural sciences for 12 months. Three events and one summer school (targeting specifically PhD and Early Career Researchers) facilitated face-to-face discussion between all Network participants. The discussions focused on discipline-specific methods for data analysis, protocols for the modelling of complex systems and tools under development using open urban data. DACAS members will contribute their specialist knowledge and case studies as appropriate.
+ Event 1: Data and Cities as Complex Adaptive Systems, Strategic Network Launch
Presentation and discussion of interdisciplinary methods for the analysis of soft and hard urban data sets. Roundtables and workshops with user group representatives serve the identification of user needs and the co-creation of DACAS research agenda elements.
+ Event 2: Modelling Urban Systems, Workshop
Techniques for modelling linked urban systems based on data. Identification of needs of local government, planning departments and NGO representatives. How can the challenges surrounding urban informality in developing contexts be addressed using digital tools?
+ Event 3: Understanding Urban Transformations through Data, Summer School
Cutting-edge theoretical and methodological questions around data and cities as complex adaptive systems. Lectures, workshops and other training activities on data analysis, urban systems modelling and technological applications.
+ Event 4: Digital Tools for Urban Challenges, Workshop
Application of interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks and modelling techniques to the design of digital tools that reflect urban complexity and aid policy makers and practitioners.
Updates
This project has connected 110 individuals (including 68 ECRs) who now continue to collaborate on various projects initiated as part of Strategic Network activities.
During the four events, DACAS engaged with real urban challenges, such as air pollution in Delhi (India) as an emergent process; the co-evolution of traditional (taxi) and ICT enabled (uber) transport systems in New York; resilience of interdependent urban infrastructure systems in London; rapid urbanisation and resilience infrastructure in China; and urban redevelopment in Manchester.
+ Joint DACAS ICTP-SAIFR Workshop 2016, São Paulo, Brazil
The 2016 DACAS São Paulo Workshop, held from 20 to 24 June 2016, was a week-long international event that brought together researchers, academics, and stakeholders to explore how complexity science and dynamic data analysis could address the specific challenges of Brazil’s urban transformation. Hosted in São Paulo, the program featured a mix of talks, workshops, and collaborative sessions designed to bridge “hard” urban infrastructure data with “soft” socioeconomic datasets.
+ MSA Summer School 2016: Understanding Urban Transformations through Data
The 2016 DACAS Summer School, hosted at the Manchester School of Architecture from September 12–16, was a week-long international program for PhD students and early career researchers. It focused on utilising complexity science and dynamic data analysis to examine urban evolution.
○ Denise Pumain, Urban Dynamics & Geo-diversity: From Theory to Modelling
○ Pete Allen, The Co-Evolving Complexity of Cities: Towards Sustainability?
○ Katharine Willis, Whose Right to the Smart City: Data and Citizenship
+ Digital Tools for Urban Challenges Workshop 2017, Wuhan, China
The 2017 DACAS Wuhan Workshop, held at Wuhan University from 18 to 21 April 2017, was a four-day international event that brought together PhD students, Early Career Researchers, academics, and local policymakers to address rapid urbanisation in China. The workshop focused on how the City of Wuhan could leverage digital tools and complexity science, specifically through dynamic data modelling, to inform urban planning and design.
+ DACAS Joint Policy Brief with UNU-IAS on Sustainable Smart Cities
Smart city approaches promise technology-based opportunities to build sustainable urban futures. However, it is unclear how current market-led approaches can contribute to achieving relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Applying complexity science helps to develop smart city policies for urban sustainability. How should policymakers apply complexity science to achieve urban sustainability?
Our joint policy brief with the United Nations University – Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability is now out.
Download here.
People
Principal Investigator: Deljana Iossifova
Co-Investigators: Ulysses Sengupta, Murilo da Silva Baptista, Christopher Doll, Alexandros Gasparatos, Roberto Kraenkel, Nir Oren
Partners: Panagiotis Angeloudis, Shidan Cheng, Daniel Graham, Robert Hyde, Jun Luo
Non-academic Partner Organisations: Association of Greater Manchester Authorities, Future Cities Catapult, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Royal Institute of British Architects
Funding: Economic and Social Sciences Research Council
Publications
Sengupta, U., & Cheung, E. (2017, April 18–21). Digital tools for urban transformation [Keynote presentation]. Joint DACAS and Wuhan University Workshop on Digital Tools for Urban Challenges, Wuhan, China.
Sengupta, U., Cheung, E., Iossifova, D., & Hyde, R. (2016a, February 1–3). Data and Cities as Complex Adaptive Systems [Conference session]. 2016 DACAS Conference on Future City Systems, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Sengupta, U., Cheung, E., Iossifova, D., & Hyde, R. (2016b, June 20–24). Extrapolating Future Cities: Combining hard & soft data [Workshop presentation]. 2016 Joint DACAS ICTP-SAIFR Workshop on Modelling Urban Systems, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Sengupta, U., Cheung, P., & Iossifova, D. (2016). Extrapolating Future Cities: Combining hard & soft data [Workshop presentation]. DACAS ICTP-SAIFR Workshop on Modelling Urban Systems, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Sengupta, U., Cheung, P., Iossifova, D., & Hyde, R. (2016, February 1–3). Data and Cities as Complex Adaptive Systems[Conference session]. 2016 DACAS Conference on Future City Systems, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Manchester, United Kingdom.
