City Science Process
How can cities deploy a systematic process for transformation?
Cities are among the most complex systems humans have created—interwoven networks of people, infrastructure, and institutions. Yet urban transformation often relies on fragmented, reactive processes. Design is disconnected from data, policy evolves in silos, and implementation lags. As urban challenges intensify, cities need a more integrated, evidence-based approach to shape their future.
A Method for Urban Transformation
The City Science group is developing a five-part process now being deployed across an international City Science Network. It provides cities with a continuous, adaptive feedback loop for intelligent transformation.
Insight – Urban change begins with understanding current conditions. We gather data from diverse sources—including telecom, social media, and environmental sensors—to quantify live/work patterns, mobility behaviors, and human interaction. This forms the foundation for responsive design.
Transformation – Based on that insight, we design targeted interventions to enhance and improve urban performance. These include community-scale mobility, transformable housing, and distributed infrastructure for power, water, and food.
Simulation – We use quantitative and agent-based simulations—what we call human dynamics digital twins—to test how proposed interventions might affect behavior, resource use, and social outcomes before they’re implemented.
Consensus – Using tools like CityScope, stakeholders can explore future scenarios together. Generative visualizations and AI-driven guidance support faster, more inclusive, and informed community decision-making.
Governance – We prototype adaptive regulatory systems that replace static zoning with real-time, incentive-based frameworks. Guided by human oversight, these systems dynamically adjust public policy, helping cities self-regulate like healthy ecosystems, where housing, jobs, and services evolve in equilibrium.
Why It Matters
In an era shaped by climate change and economic volatility, cities must become more agile and intentional. This integrated process equips civic leaders and communities to navigate complexity with clarity.