Urban planning

Urban planning frameworks are necessary to ensure the initiatives required to create smart cities are successful.

This theme will explore how technology and humans interact across housing, public spaces, workspaces, infrastructure and environment.

Technological advancements needed for the efficient functioning of cities should be integrated with appropriate planning mechanisms to ensure the best outcomes for equity, prosperity and health.

Existing planning systems need to be reviewed and their ability to integrate new and smart technologies needs to be assessed so that it is sustainable and benefits the environment.

Research

We are eager to work with people and organisations on research that fits this theme.  Some possible research examples might be:

  • how can digital data be created around land records for measuring urban growth and spatial development?
  • to what extent can accurate measures of people, their interactions, movements and flows help develop and design better mobility solutions?
  • what role can smart technologies play in informal sectors that dominate Asian cities?

If you have an idea for research and want to be a part of our network, contact us with your ideas.

Engagement

We are able to undertake work for organisations and governments. Talk to us about how we can help you. Some examples include:

  • analysis of data and provision of reports to advise on Smart City programs and state of their implementation, achievements, gaps and more
  • feasibility studies – for example, the need for smart data in urban planning decisions; or the kinds of smart technologies that can deliver efficient services
  • impact assessments – for example, socio-spatial impacts of smart urban planning projects

Current research projects

Advanced geometric algorithms for network optimisation and architectural layout design

This project aims to advance the theory and practice of automated design of minimum cost networks and architectural layouts to solve a range of problems including how to develop a mathematical approach for generating floorplan layouts which are an integral part of Urban Design, or to solve disc packing and covering problems.

Investigators:
PhD candidate:
  • Shiksha Gahlawat

Project ID: 16-EOI-BITSP


Building Actionable and Smart Information Systems for Migrant Workers in Smart Cities

This project aims to test sustainable models of digital communication that support migrant workers’ welfare in urban spaces. Targeting information gaps, ethnographic research methods will be used to identify migrant capabilities for handling digital platforms. This data will guide design and construction of an appropriate information system to be deployed and tested with the communities studied, that caters to their capabilities and information needs.

Investigators:
PhD candidate:
  • Chaitra C R

Project ID: 41-EOI-BITSP


Explainable Deep Syntactic Descriptors for Information Retrieval

Investigators:

Project ID: EOI 2-6-IITK


Strength degradation and swell-shrink response of expansive soil under various hydraulic and stress paths

Investigators:
PhD candidate:
  • Mr Sankara Narayanan M

Project ID: SEOI-3-IITK


Research partners

La Trobe Academics

You can download the complete file of one-page profiles for La Trobe Academics here [PDF 1.3MB]

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur Academics

You can download the complete file of one-page profiles for IIT Kanpur Academics here [PDF 1.1MB]

Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani Academics

You can download the complete file of one-page profiles for BITS Pilani Academics here [PDF 1.3MB]