2026
CITIES Seminar Series: Architectural Heritage Preservation towards Urban Sustainability and Collective Memory
On January 20, 2026, CITIES hosted a seminar by Shahla Anver, architect and heritage practitioner born and raised in Abu Dhabi on Architectural and urban heritage holds testament to cultural identity and collective memory of rapidly evolving cities. With countries like the UAE facing accelerated globalization and glass skylines, safeguarding and awareness around heritage structures can be challenging. This study looks at architectural heritage preservation as a method towards sustainable urban strategies and collective memory. Well-implemented architectural restoration projects contribute towards reduced material consumption, climate-responsive design continuity, and also revitalize urban spaces as places of shared memory and ongoing cultural dialogue. Case studies from the UAE and cross-regions highlight that architectural heritage preservation can be woven into the sustainable urban fabric and also ensure its continued relevance in the community.
CITIES Seminar Series: Global Air Quality Awareness
On February 5, 2026, CITIES hosted a seminar by Melina Platas, Associate Professor of Political Science at NYUAD: In the past few decades, there has been a dramatic expansion in the coverage of sensors to measure local-level air quality around the world. However, this coverage remains highly unequal, with a high density of data sources in North America and Europe, where pollution levels are typically low or moderate, and very sparse in Africa and much of Asia, where pollution levels are high. There is also inequality in awareness about air pollution. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is becoming an increasingly common metric to communicate information about local air pollution, but it is likely that many people are unfamiliar with either the term or what it means. This project uses surveys across 8 countries and with over 20,000 respondents to assess awareness about AQI as a metric and about the potential health consequences of air pollution. We conduct online surveys in eight countries and find wide variation globally in awareness about AQI, and respondents tend to underestimate the health impacts of air pollution. Using an in-person survey in Kampala, Uganda, we examine whether an informational video and SMS messages about local air pollution affect knowledge and awareness.
CITIES Seminar Series: Urban Infrastructure Through the Public Eye: Large-Scale Perception Analysis of BRI Projects and Urban Parks
On February 18, 2026, CITIES hosted a seminar by Yue Xiong, PhD student at the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Urban Design and Urban Science (LOUD) at NYU Shanghai (NYUSH) – currently a visiting researcher at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD): Urban planning ultimately aims to enhance human well-being. Understanding how people perceive urban infrastructure, therefore, provides critical guidance for its design, improvement, and governance. The rapid growth of social media data, together with large language models (LLMs), offers an unprecedented opportunity to capture the voices of massive populations and to conduct large-scale, cross-regional comparisons.As an emerging power in global urbanization, China has invested in a wide range of infrastructure projects worldwide, collectively known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Public evaluations of these projects have long been controversial. In this study, we collected over 140,000 Google Maps reviews covering 383 BRI projects across more than 150 countries, including six major infrastructure types such as ports and railway stations. By analyzing sentiments and topics across regions and project development stages, we find that BRI projects play markedly different roles in different national contexts. Public sentiment toward BRI projects varies significantly by country development level, with the most positive perceptions observed in upper- and middle-income countries. Beyond BRI projects, we also combine Google Maps reviews with AI-based analysis to examine public perceptions of urban parks in 30 major cities worldwide. We classify park perceptions into eight categories, including facilities and amenities, and use large language models to identify both perceptual themes and sentiments. Our findings reveal that perceptions of urban parks both reflect global North–South inequalities in park provision and, importantly, transcend this divide.
CITIES Seminar Series: Integrating In-Situ Monitoring, Satellite Observations, and Dispersion Modeling for Comprehensive Air Quality Assessment
On March 26, 2026, CITIES hosted a seminar by Dr. Elisephane Irankunda, Postdoctoral Associate at the Mubadala Arabian Center for Climate and Environment Sciences (Mubadala ACCESS) at New York University Abu Dhabi: Air quality assessment is critical for protecting human health, informing policy, and addressing environmental challenges. This presentation explores how integrating in-situ monitoring, satellite observations, and atmospheric dispersion modeling provides a comprehensive understanding of air quality. Ground-based measurements deliver precise local data, satellites expand spatial coverage, and modeling simulates pollutant transport and transformation. Through selected case studies, the talk demonstrates how combining these approaches strengthens scientific analysis, improves interpretation of pollution patterns, and supports evidence-based environmental decision-making.
CITIES (Online) Fellowship Presentation: Accuracy Salience in Misinformation Sharing: Evidence from a Multi-Country Survey Experiment
On May 14, 2026, CITIES hosted a fellowship presentation by Maria Antonia Pulido Duran, a Tamayyuz Fellow at the Center for Interacting Urban Networks (CITIES), New York University Abu Dhabi: Accuracy Salience in Misinformation Sharing: Evidence from a Multi-Country Survey Experiment. This presentation examines whether prompting people to consider accuracy before sharing reduces the spread of misinformation and for whom such nudges are most effective. Using data from a multi-country survey experiment (OECD Truth Quest) spanning 20 countries and over 35,000 respondents, the study finds that accuracy salience reduces sharing overall, with effects concentrated among higher-ability respondents.
2025
CITIES & CCS Seminar Series: Graph and Generative Neural Networks for Accelerating Simulation-Based Decision-Making under Uncertainty
On February 11, 2025, CITIES hosted a seminar by Prof. Peter Haas from the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Graph and Generative Neural Networks for Accelerating Simulation-based Decision Making Under Uncertainty. The talk addressed the challenges of using stochastic simulations for complex systems, which often require significant time to execute, limiting their usefulness for rapid decision-making in areas such as Smart Cities. Prof. Haas introduced advanced metamodeling approaches that combine graph neural networks with generative components, enabling faster and more flexible approximations of simulation outputs. He also presented HiLo, a novel training method tailored for simulation settings, and demonstrated techniques for accelerating simulation-based optimization, including hybrid discrete-continuous problems. The seminar highlighted how these innovations can enhance digital twin applications and support more efficient, real-time decision-making under uncertainty.
AIE 2025 Conference Workshop
On February 12-13, 2025, the First International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Innovations (AIE 2025) was successfully held at New York University Abu Dhabi. This landmark event brought together researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers to explore the transformative role of AI in tackling complex engineering challenges across diverse fields, including cybersecurity, urban science, robotics, renewable energy, water and environmental systems, materials science, and quantum computing. AIE 2025 served as a dynamic platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, fostering discussions on how AI can bridge the gap between fundamental research and real-world engineering applications. Participants engaged in thought-provoking sessions on AI-driven innovation, shared insights on cutting-edge advancements, and explored new opportunities for AI to enhance sustainability, resilience, and efficiency in engineering systems. The symposium underscored the growing impact of AI in shaping the future of engineering, providing attendees with a deeper understanding of AI’s capabilities while encouraging cross-disciplinary partnerships. CITIES was proud to partially sponsor this initiative, reinforcing its commitment to supporting AI-driven research and technological advancements that contribute to smarter, more sustainable urban environments.
CITIES Seminar: Competition and Cooperation Strategies and Equilibria Emerging in Multimodal Systems
On April 15, 2025, CITIES hosted a seminar by Prof. Francesco Viti, Head of the MobiLab Transport Research Group at the University of Luxembourg, on Competition and Cooperation Strategies and Equilibria Emerging in Multimodal Systems. The lecture introduced a new analytical approach to modeling interactions among service customers, mobility providers, and transport authorities within multimodal systems. Prof. Viti explored how competition and cooperation strategies shape outcomes, demonstrating how the interplay between different mobility services can generate multiple equilibria. The talk also highlighted how these dynamics can influence demand across services, offering insights into the economic assessment and planning of Mobility-as-a-Service systems.
CITIES Fellowship Presentations
On May 15, 2025, CITIES hosted its annual Fellowship Presentations, highlighting research supported by the CITIES Post-graduation Research Fellowship at NYU Abu Dhabi. This year’s event featured two fellows: Ella Goeckner-Wald, who examined the influence of Golden Visa investment schemes on Dubai’s real estate sector, and Alexander Christou, who explored sustainable mobility through the lens of urban infrastructure challenges in Abu Dhabi. The presentations offered valuable insights into pressing urban issues while showcasing the impact of CITIES’ commitment to supporting early-career researchers.
CUSP Presentation
On September 8, 2025, CITIES hosted a meeting in order to bring together faculty from CUSP at NYU Tandon and CITIES at NYU Abu Dhabi to identify potential areas for collaboration. The meeting was hybrid: in-person in the Brooklyn Conference Room (370 Jay St. 1325) and via Zoom.
Tsinghua SIGS Graduate Programs Tsinghua SIGS Graduate Programs – Recruitment & Admission Info Session Hosted at NYU Abu Dhabi
On October 28, 2025, CITIES hosted an information session by Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School (SIGS), where the attendees learned more about their cutting-edge graduate programs in: ICT, Data Science, Smart Logistics, Artificial Intelligence (AI). Attendees received an inside look at admissions, program tracks, and application tips. The session was enriching for those who are looking to expand their academic journey or explore collaborative research possibilities.
CITIES Seminar Series: Integrating Perspectives from Spatial and Social Sciences
On October 30, 2025, CITIES hosted a seminar by Dr.Jose Balsa-Barreiro on Human Dynamics in Cities: Integrating Perspectives from Spatial and Social Sciences. The study of human dynamics in cities can be approached from both technical and social perspectives. By acknowledging their continuous evolution across time and space, we can identify spatial patterns that reveal the underlying complexity of social environments. These patterns are shaped by social, economic, and demographic factors, as well as by collective human behaviors. Understanding these dynamics and the processes driving them enables the development of more effective and context-sensitive urban solutions. Focusing on mobility and its influence on transportation systems, this analysis draws on insights from computational social science, social physics, network science, and complex systems theory, offering an integrated framework to better understand how cities function and evolve.
CITIES Seminar Series: Enjoying Nature and Affective Well-being in People’s Everyday Lives.
On November 13, 2025, CITIES hosted a seminar by Tetiana Dovbischuk, postdoctoral researcher at CITIES: Extensive research confirms the Stress Reduction Theory, showing that spending time in nature brings automatic psycho-physiological benefits, such as decreased blood pressure or reduced perceived stress. Building on this, a critical question arises: Are these benefits sustainable and consistently effective in everyday life for different modern populations? Based on a large-scale study with over 8,700 daily observations, we have found evidence that everyday enjoyment of nature directly and positively influences individual emotional well-being. This benefit is universal and additive across the population groups, acts as a separate source of well-being, and proves to be particularly beneficial for stressed individuals. This leads to crucial implications for public health and urban design. Prioritizing neighborhood structures that enable this everyday nature enjoyment is essential, as good local access in city dwellers’ neighborhoods is a cost-effective strategy to support public health.
CITIES Seminar Series: What Can You Learn from Four Years of Air Quality Research in Abu Dhabi?
On November 27, 2025, CITIES hosted a seminar by Syed Khander, Postdoctoral Associate at Center for Cyber Security Abu Dhabi (CCSAD): The integration of digital services into public transit has clear benefits: travelers can check and top up balances from home, view schedules, and track vehicles in real time. Yet these conveniences also introduce risks when systems are not designed with strong security and privacy safeguards. We analyzed a metropolitan transit smart-card portal and found that anyone with a card number could view balances, travel history, and recharge records. Sequential identifiers made IDs predictable, and the absence of effective rate limiting enabled large-scale data harvesting, revealing patterns of traveler behavior and operator revenue.
CITIES Seminar Series: What Can You Learn from Four Years of Air Quality Research in Abu Dhabi?
On December 4, 2025, CITIES hosted a seminar by Vince Nguyen, Research Assistant: Air quality has become an increasingly discussed topic in Abu Dhabi, especially following recent dust storm episodes that have lasted for days. But how much do we really know about what’s in the air we breathe every day? In this seminar, CITIES will share key findings from four years of research and community engagement, with a particular focus on PM2.5 and its relevance to the NYU Abu Dhabi community and the wider UAE population. We will also discuss results from the first on-campus air purification study using the Apple Watches to measure health effects, as well as insights from air purification pilot projects in local schools. The session will conclude with practical tips for reducing exposure in our daily life and an open Q&A for those curious to learn more, whether you are new to the topic or looking to deepen your understanding of air quality in the UAE.
2024
The Middle East Spatial and International Economics (MESIE) Conference
The second installment of the Middle East Spatial and International Economics (MESIE) conference took place on January 18-19, 2024, organized by our Economics Faculty and supported by the Development, Global Dynamics, GPP, and MOD clusters, as well as CITIES. The event brought in sixteen scholars from around the world and the MENA region. The research presented ranged from theoretical to empirical, analyzing important international trade, urban, and policy topics.
CITIES & DMT Urban Planning Workshops in the UAE
DMT representatives reached out to us with a request to organize workshops and lectures focused on Urban Planning. These sessions aim to bring together experts, professionals, and stakeholders to discuss and explore the latest trends, challenges, and solutions in urban development within the UAE context. Our collaboration with DMT underscores our shared commitment to fostering knowledge exchange, promoting sustainable urban development practices, and creating impactful initiatives that positively influence the urban landscape of the UAE. CITIES management helped organize two awareness workshops where more than 100 participants attended: Levee Installation Strategies against Sea Level Rise to Improve Accessibility and Mobility in Abu Dhabi. Coastal protection strategies to minimize traffic disruption from inundation due to sea level rise: the case of Abu Dhabi by Prof. Samer Madanat, Dean of Engineering and Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering, on 24th January 2024, Building Cities from Scratch, which aims to shed light on why these cities are built, what the motivations are, and how they have changed over time, by Prof. Rana Tomaira, Professor and researcher in the area of development and public policy, on 14th February 2024.
CITIES Seminar Series X CUSP NY: Understanding and Engineering the firearm Ecosystem in the United States
On Thursday, January 25th, 2024, Professor Maurizio Porfiri from NYU Tandon School of Engineering led an exciting event titled “Understanding and Engineering the Firearm Ecosystem in the United States where he shared insights into his research on understanding the complexities of the firearm ecosystem in the United States, exploring factors such as regulation, technology, and social dynamics.
CITIES Seminar Series in Collaboration with CUSP NY & London: Communication in Cognitive Cities
On Thursday, January 25th, 2024, Professor Nick Holliman from King’s College London led an exciting event titled “Communication in Cognitive Cities,” where he discussed communication strategies in cognitive cities, highlighting the role of technology and data-driven approaches in improving urban communication networks. The event showcased the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing multifaceted challenges and fostering innovation in engineering and urban planning.
ECO Materials 2024: Emerging Construction Materials — Towards Sustainable and Resilient Cities
On February 1st – 2nd, 2024, CITIES sponsored this conference, which aims to bring together leading experts, researchers, and professionals in the field of construction materials to discuss and explore innovative solutions for creating sustainable and resilient cities. It serves as a unique platform for professionals like yourself to connect with leading experts, fostering invaluable networking opportunities. Your participation will enrich the discussions and provide an excellent chance to engage with like-minded individuals dedicated to advancing sustainable and resilient urban environments.
CUSP Data Dive
CITIES, in collaboration with CUSP London, organized a Data Dive and invited NYUAD students to
participate in an engaging event focused on Air Quality, Transport, and Health using public data. The event took place from 20th to 23rd February 2024 in an online format during early evening hours. Students from various universities worldwide, including King’s College London, NYU, UCL, Imperial College London, and the University of Glasgow, joined in groups both in-person and online to work on presentations and discussions related to these topics. Participants had the opportunity to enhance their technical skills, presentation expertise, and networking capabilities while addressing real-world challenges and sharing ideas with peers.
Transit Mapping Symposium: Wayfinding, the Art of Influencing Flows
CITIES organized and sponsored the 5th edition of the Transit Mapping Symposium, which took place at NYUAD on February 28th – 29th, 2024. The Transit Mapping Symposium is an annual international gathering of transport network professionals, and a unique opportunity to share achievements, challenges, and vision. Fourteen speakers coming from all fields of the industry: mapmakers, Network Operators, Transport Authorities, Digital Platforms, Designers came to present at this Symposium with more than 80 attendees from diverse entities from all over the UAE.
2024 NYUAD CITIES X Masdar Lecture Series: Turning the Talk into the Walk: How Does a City Achieve Net-Zero?
CITIES started a collaboration with Masdar City for the new Cities Lecture Series, focusing on creating more sustainable cities and facilitating knowledge exchange between academia and industries like urban planning, design, engineering, and architecture. This year’s theme is decarbonizing cities, with an inaugural lecture titled “Walking the talk: How does a city achieve net-zero?” which was delivered by Chris Wan, the associate director of sustainability and CSR at Masdar City. Chris, with extensive experience in architecture and sustainability across the UK, Hong Kong, and the UAE, has been advocating for sustainability, ESG, and CSR at Masdar City for the past 15 years, and he took attendees through a practical development methodology that balanced passive architectural design, technology and innovation, renewable energy, and holistic master planning. He also presented a data-driven roadmap of Masdar City’s journey to net-zero with an overview of current challenges and barriers, as well as potential solutions.
CITIES Seminar Series: Frontiers of Collective Intelligence
On March 6th, 2024, Dr. Manuel Cebrian delivered a talk on «Frontiers of Collective Intelligence». Attendees had an opportunity to discover how Collective Intelligence is reshaping our understanding of complex systems and the potential impact on AI development.
CITIES Seminar Series: The Power of Context: Addressing Risk & Uncertainty in Mega Infrastructure Decision-Making
On Wednesday, April 17th, 2024, Harry T. Dimitriou delivered a talk on “The Power of Context: Addressing Risk & Uncertainty in Mega Infrastructure Decision-Making” as part of the CITIES Seminar Series. During the session, attendees had the opportunity to gain valuable insights into how changes in globalization, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic have influenced infrastructure decision-making. Harry T. Dimitriou’s presentation delved into the complexities of addressing risk and uncertainty in mega infrastructure projects, emphasizing the importance of considering contextual factors in decision-making processes.
CITIES Seminar Series: Reshaping Public Transportation: Technology-Driven Strategies for Transit Enhancement
On Thursday, April 25th, 2024, Prof. Alireza Khani delivered a talk on “Reshaping Public Transportation: Technology-Driven Strategies for Transit Enhancement” as part of the CITIES Seminar Series. This presentation introduced planning and operational tools for leveraging technology to address transit challenges. The first part presented a planning model for the incremental transition of a bus network to battery electric buses (BEB). A two-stage stochastic optimization model is presented, which determines planning decisions such as route selection for electrification and charging station assignment, as well as operational decisions like fleet size and charging schedule, considering uncertainties in energy consumption. In the second part, an autonomous mobility-on-demand (AMoD) system addressed the last-mile access gap.
2024 NYUAD CITIES X Masdar City: Cities Lecture Series: Towards a Carbon-Neutral Future: Innovations in Decarbonizing Building Materials for Sustainable Cities.
On Monday, April 29th, 2024, CITIES organized an event on Carbon-Neutral Future. The urgency of mitigating climate change demands a profound transformation in the construction industry, particularly in urban areas where buildings are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. This talk delves into the pivotal role of decarbonizing building materials in achieving net-zero emissions in cities. Drawing from recent advancements, we explore innovative approaches to develop and characterize sustainable construction materials as alternatives to conventional Portland cement. By synthesizing cutting-edge research on decarbonizing building materials, this talk advocates for a paradigm shift toward sustainable urban development. Through collaborative efforts and innovative solutions, we pave the way for a carbon-neutral future, fostering resilient and environmentally responsible cities.
CITIES Seminar Series Towards the Digital City and Urban AI
On April 30, 2024, the industry professor Stanislav Sobolevsky (NYU Center for Urban Science & Progress) delivered a talk on “Towards the Digital City and Urban AI”.
ITC Visit
On Wednesday, May 8th, the ITC Team visited NYUAD for a deep dive into the pioneering research happening at our center, led by the incredible CITIES Team. Profs. Shafique & Prof. Saif presented their research projects.
CITIES Seminar Series: Improving Safety and Mobility and Mitigating Cyber Risks with Cooperative Driving Automation with Prof. Yiheng Feng
Cooperative Driving Automation (CDA) enables real-time communication, information sharing, and collaborative decision-making between vehicles and infrastructure. It holds significant promise for enhancing safety and mobility in the next-generation transportation system with connected and automated vehicles (CAVS). In this seminar, I will present our latest research on CDA-based traffic operation, control, and management, illustrating with case studies how to optimize traffic signals, predict and plan vehicle trajectories, and safeguard vulnerable road users (VRUs). Additionally, I will introduce the cybersecurity challenges inherent in the CDA environment, discussing strategies to mitigate cyber threats and ensure system protection.
CITIES Fellowship Presentations
On May 15th, 2024, CITIES hosted its Post Graduate Fellowship Presentations at the NYUAD Research Institute Building, where attendees had the opportunity to explore ongoing research projects conducted by CITIES fellows. The event featured two insightful presentations: Hilina Bayew presented “Air Quality Messaging | Data Visualization | Effective Communication: Measuring the Effects of Information Provision on Knowledge, Behavior, and Policy Preferences,” examining how information impacts public awareness and policy decisions. Ryoji Kubo delivered a talk on “Explainability in Graph Machine Learning,” highlighting methods to enhance transparency and interpretability in graph-based AI models.
2024 NYUAD CITIES X Masdar City; Cities Lecture Series: Challenges of Investments for the Energy Transition in Urban Environments
On September 10th, CITIES invited Norman Blake, Vice President of Business Development at ADNOC Distribution, to deliver a talk on “Challenges of Investments for the Energy Transition in Urban Environments”. Investments and developments of energy assets in urban and suburban environments will be critical to the energy transition. These examples include mobility and power generation projects. The challenges include land utilization & permits, public acceptance, prior capital allocations, and expected returns for these assets.
SIG Fest Event
On November 18th, 2024, CITIES sponsored and helped promote a student-organized Jeopardy game event in collaboration with ASCE and several other engineering SIGs. The event brought together students for an engaging and interactive competition, testing their knowledge on various engineering topics. As part of its support, CITIES provided branded merchandise as prizes, reinforcing its commitment to fostering student initiatives and interdisciplinary learning. The event was a great success, further strengthening collaboration between CITIES and the student community.
Third CITIES Symposium
By 2030, over 60% of the world’s population is expected to live in urban areas. This rapid rate of urbanization is putting additional strain on our urban systems and posing new challenges across many sectors. The NYUAD Center for Interacting Urban Networks (CITIES – مدن) at NYUAD aims to address such challenges by leading the development of new sustainable approaches. CITIES is an interdisciplinary research center dedicated to advancing urban science and promoting cutting-edge research that is translated into practical, real-world solutions for the benefit of society. Our ultimate goal is to develop new ideas for increasing the livability and sustainability of our cities, with a particular emphasis on Abu Dhabi and the UAE. The Third CITIES Symposium will provide a forum to learn and discuss some of these new ideas and how they can contribute to propelling our cities into a more prosperous and sustainable future. The symposium will focus on research related to mobility, fairness, and uncertainty.
2023
CITIES Seminar Series: Data for Resilient Cities
On March 6th, 2023, CITIES presented a seminar featuring Jay Sadiq, Founder & CVO of FortyGuard, who discussed the abundance of data available in modern cities and its relevance to policymakers, enterprises, and consumers. Sadiq emphasized the need for innovators to develop technology that enhances urban resilience.
Engineering Seminar Series (Collaboration with CITIES): Traffic Flow as a Simple Fluid: Towards a Scaling Theory of Urban Congestion
In his presentation, Prof. Jorge Laval drew an intriguing analogy between the theory of phase transitions in simple fluids and vehicular traffic flow, offering a promising avenue for understanding urban congestion. By likening the flow of cars through a network to the behavior of particles in a gas-liquid phase transition, Laval proposed a novel interpretation for the fundamental diagram of traffic flow. Through this analogy, the resulting network traffic model was shown to belong to the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang universality class, with scaling relationships consistent with West’s scaling theory for cities. However, it was revealed that congestion costs scale superlinearly with city population, potentially surpassing predictions by West’s theory, with significant implications for sustainability and resilience.
Exploring the Intersection of Cloud Computing, Gidital Twins, IoT, and Smart Cities
On April 12th, 2023, NYUAD hosted Abiy Yeshitla, Vice President, ISV Technology and EMEA Oracle, along with Joy John, Director, Cloud Native and Innovation, EMEA Oracle. In this talk, Abiy Yeshilta and Joy John explored the interconnectedness of cloud computing, digital twins, IoT, and smart cities through real-life case studies. They emphasized the transformative potential of these technologies in optimizing urban infrastructure and enhancing citizen services, urging collaborative innovation for sustainable urban development.
Ground Truth Validation of the Microclimate Model of NYUAD Campus: An Arid Cities Research Project
On April 25th, 2023, CITIES hosted Yaman Garg, a CITIES postgraduate research fellow, who delved into the ground truth validation of the microclimate model of the NYUAD campus. Garg’s presentation provided insights into the methodologies and findings of this research project, highlighting its significance in understanding and mitigating the unique challenges posed by arid climates in urban environments. By examining real-world data and comparing it with the model’s predictions, the seminar shed light on the accuracy and applicability of the microclimate model, offering valuable implications for sustainable design, energy efficiency, and urban planning in arid cities like Abu Dhabi.
Urban Transformation in Asia Workshop
On 28th-29th April 2023 at NYU Abu Dhabi, a workshop was convened by George Jose, Visiting Professor of Anthropology at NYUAD, to explore the current and future trends of urban Asia. The discussions focused on the dynamics of social infrastructure, migration, gender, and consumption, among other topics. The event, sponsored by NYU Abu Dhabi Global Asia Initiative and CITIES, NYUAD, also assessed the impact of construction, mobility, surveillance networks, and digital technologies on the region’s culture, leisure, and work industries.
COP28 and Beyond: NYUAD Research to Achieve Net Zero
On May 1st, 2023, an insightful panel discussion was organized by NYUAD Institute and the Office of Sustainability in collaboration with COP28 and the UAE Universities Climate Network. The event provided a platform to discover how NYUAD’s multidisciplinary research initiatives are leading the way in environmental sustainability, ranging from energy-efficient structures to clean water techniques. Attendees had the opportunity to engage with experts and learn about NYUAD’s efforts towards a net-zero future, highlighting the university’s commitment to addressing global environmental challenges.
Affirm: Privacy-by-Design Blockchain for Mobility Data in Web3 Using Information Centric Networking with Collaborative Learning
On May 3rd, 2023, CITIES, in partnership with the Engineering department, hosted an Engineering Seminar Series featuring Junaid Khan, who presented his research on “AFFIRM, a privacy-by-design blockchain for mobility data in Web3 using information-centric fog networking with collaborative learning”. During the seminar, Junaid Khan delved into the innovative framework he developed, which facilitated secure, efficient, and scalable generation, validation, storage, and retrieval of mobility data while prioritizing user privacy. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about the potential applications and implications of this cutting-edge technology in the field of urban mobility and beyond.
The Way We Move: Can Information and Technology Change It?
On May 8th, 2023, “The Way We Move: Can Information and Technology Change It?” provided an engaging discussion on the issue of urban mobility and the prevalent traffic congestion affecting cities worldwide. Presented by Monica Menendez, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs; Director of the Research Center for Interacting Urban Networks (CITIES); Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering, NYUAD, the talk addressed the challenges posed by urban population growth and increasing motorization rates, which are expected to exacerbate congestion levels and their associated negative externalities. Menendez delved into the possibility of predicting congestion spread in cities, developing proactive mitigation strategies, and promoting sustainable transportation modes to alleviate congestion. Attendees gained valuable insights into innovative approaches to addressing urban mobility issues and fostering more sustainable urban transportation systems.
Passive Acoustic Monitoring to Assess the Effects of Urban Development on Abu Dhabi’s Avian Biodiversity
On May 9th, 2023, Aaron Marcus-Willers, a Post-Graduate Research Fellow with CITIES, designed an exciting presentation on “Passive acoustic monitoring to assess the effects of urban development on Abu Dhabi’s avian biodiversity”. The presentation provided valuable insights into the importance of acoustics-based methodologies in mitigating the impacts of large-scale development on the environment. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about innovative approaches to monitoring and preserving avian biodiversity in urban environments, highlighting the intersection of technology and conservation efforts.
The Future of Road Transport: How New Technologies and Mobility Solutions Can Change the Business of Going around
On May 16th, 2023, we welcomed Biagio Ciuffo from the European Commission Joint Research Centre to explore how new technologies and mobility solutions can revolutionize the way we get around. Attendees had the opportunity to discover innovative approaches to addressing the challenges posed by transport systems to our society and learn how we can pave the way for a cleaner and more equitable future. Ciuffo’s insights shed light on the potential of emerging technologies to transform urban mobility and promote sustainability, inspiring attendees to actively engage in shaping the future of transportation.
Mapping Abu Dhabi: Urban Design and Planning Techniques from the Trucial States to Masdar City
On November 9th, 2023, the Seminar Series titled “Mapping Abu Dhabi: Urban Design and Planning Techniques from the Trucial States to Masdar City” was presented by Lukas Sokol Barch (Hons.) MLA MSc, former Head of City Design, Sustainability Planning & Approvals at Masdar City. The seminar explored the evolution of urban design and planning techniques in Abu Dhabi, showcasing methodologies used over time and current approaches employed in Masdar City. Attendees gained insights into the city’s commitment to sustainable development and innovation.
Modeling Pedestrian-Vehicle Interactions Using On-Road and Wearable Technology
On December 7th, 2023, Linda Ng Boyle, Vice Dean of Research and Professor in Civil and Urban Engineering at NYU, delivered a talk on “Pedestrian-vehicle interactions” through the use of on-road and wearable technology. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about innovative approaches to studying pedestrian-vehicle interactions and how advancements in technology can enhance safety and efficiency in urban environments. Professor Ng Boyle’s presentation provided valuable insights into the dynamics of pedestrian-vehicle interactions, highlighting the importance of leveraging technology for improved understanding and mitigation of potential risks.
2022
Presentation at the Shell-INJAZ Youth for Sustainability Competition at the Dutch Pavilion, SaadiyaTech Team
On March 1st, the CITIES/NYUAD’s Team SaadiyaTech (previously Green Arabia at another event at the Expo Dubai Swiss Pavilion) participated in the Youth for Sustainability competition organized by Shell plc and INJAZ UAE, which took place at the Expo’s Dutch Pavilion. The goal of the competition was to design a collection and composting technique to convert biodegradable waste into Energy for the UAE. The various UAE university teams participating in the competition created innovative solutions to tackle the Middle East’s growing waste management problem in sustainable ways. Specifically, SaadiyaTech’s students developed a project consisting of a small-scale microwave-induced Plasma Gasifier (MIPG) system, which, together with a small-scale Membrane BioReactor plant (MBR), can convert multiple types of waste into clean energy for electricity and clean water for irrigation purposes. After having conducted a meticulous financial, market, and regulatory analysis, the team pitched its solution to a panel of judges and won the prize for Best Environmental Impact.
SMECEYI (Green Arabia) – Project Showcase at the Expo 2020 Dubai
On February 5th, the CITIES/NYUAD team Green Arabia showcased their project at the Swiss Pavilion and interacted with the visitors. For the Urban and Rural development theme Week at Expo 2020, the Swiss Pavilion, together with partners, attempted to draw attention to adopting the circular transition within an urban environment and hosted the awarding ceremony of the Swiss–Middle East Circular Economy for Youth Initiative (SMECEYI). This initiative was aimed at finding young innovators (i.e., students) from the region and empowering them by showcasing their projects to a global audience. It was also rolled out to enhance Switzerland’s bilateral relations in the Middle East region across the verticals of education, research, and innovation.
CITIES & Teri Sas Roundtable Series – Sustainable Mobility and Future Cities
In April 2022, the Center for Interacting Urban Networks (CITIES) and the TERI School of Advanced Studies (TERI SAS) jointly presented a panel discussion on “Sustainable Mobility and Future Cities.” This was the first of a series of roundtables on Data Analytics for a Sustainable Built Environment. The guests had a chance to learn more about the future of mobility and engage in discussion with our panelists.
2nd CITIES Research Presentation: Reclaiming Abu Dhabi’s Roads and Roofs
On Wednesday, April 27th, 2022, the winning team of the ASCE@NYUAD Future CITIES Competition organized a research presentation concerning their research project: Reclaiming Abu Dhabi’s Roads and Roofs. This research presentation was given by a team of Civil Engineering students: Jason Cruz ’24, Jennifer Tsai ’24, Mawadda Abdan ’24, Yasmeen Abdelmoneim ’24, under the supervision of Prof. Borja García de Soto, NYUAD Assistant Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering, Kemal Celik, NYUAD Assistant Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering, and Matthias Fitzky, Research Assistant at AMBER Lab. During this presentation, the team gave an overview of their work, presented their findings and recommendations, and proposed future work to expand their ongoing research.
CITIES Fellowship Presentation: Collaborative Truck-and-Drone Delivery for Inventory-Routing Problems with Multiple Customers Visiting Allowed Drone Operation
On May 12, Sungmin Sohn, CITIES Post-Graduate Research Fellow, gave an in-person presentation where he explained how allowing the drone to visit multiple customers on a detour before rejoining the truck can further reduce the transportation cost of the overall delivery operation. In addition, by comparing the model that studies the inventory-routing problems with a single customer visit, he presented a better solution to the same delivery system with novel constraints that consider the energy consumption, flying range, and carrying capacity.
Signing Ceremony: CITIES Partnership with FortyGuard
CITIES and FortyGuard, a tech startup under HUB71, in a mission to cool down cities, have joined forces to combine data science, predictive analytics, and new sustainable construction materials to understand how the built and natural environments behave in a city and combat the urban heat island effect. This partnership will create several networking opportunities between the two institutions, encouraging students’ participation in research and connection and collaboration between researchers. HE Badr Al-Olama, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Hub71, and Executive Director, UAE Clusters, Mubadala Investment Company, HE Masaood Al Masaood, Chairman of the Emirates Angels Investors Association, and Fatma Abdulla, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategy and Planning, New York University Abu Dhabi, attended the Event.
SITES & CITIES Talks
On June 13, 2022, SITE (Research Center on Stability, Instability, and Turbulence), in collaboration with CITIES, organized a workshop including presentations at the intersection of both centers’ work.
Engineering/CITIES Seminar Series Talk – Virtual or Real Experience? Does it Make a Difference in the Willingness to Pay for Automated Taxis?
On October 26, 2022, the Engineering Department, in collaboration with CITIES, organized a seminar talk presented by Elisabetta Cherchi, Newcastle University. In this seminar, the host will discuss the extent to which WTP for AT is affected by different levels of knowledge and experience. These include the impact of simple information about the AT, information from someone who has directly used AT, the experience of AT operating in a city using a virtual reality environment, the experience of living in a city where ATs are currently operating, and finally, the experience of direct use of an AT in reality.
Urban October’ Workshop with the DMT
On Monday, the 31st of October 2022, the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), in relation to the United Nations’ Initiative of ‘Urban October’ and in collaboration with CITIES, hosted the ‘Urban October’ workshop, where the DMT presented some of their ongoing projects with the goal of having
students providing feedback/comments and eventually working on the projects of their choice.
Second CITIES Symposium
In this comprehensive series of presentations, leading experts in various fields converge to explore diverse aspects of urban dynamics, mobility, equity, and disinformation. Monice Menendez delves into the intersection of statistical physics and transportation engineering, revealing reproducible traffic patterns that enable cost-effective monitoring strategies for congestion management. Juliana Freire unveils efforts to democratize urban data exploration, empowering domain experts to unlock insights for city management and policy. Constantinos Antoniou surveys the landscape of open transport data, showcasing its potential through compelling case studies. Kinga Reka Makovi sheds light on the socioeconomic factors underlying COVID-19 disparities, employing metapopulation models to analyze neighborhood-level impacts. Norman Garrick explores transportation equity’s intrinsic ties to sustainability and social justice, advocating for comprehensive solutions. Daniel T. O’Brien navigates the intricate layers of social geography, highlighting their implications for community resilience and climate adaptation. Marton Karsai investigates socioeconomic segregation patterns and their response to external shocks, revealing insights from human mobility data. Azza Abouzied examines the multifaceted challenge of disinformation mitigation, proposing a cybersecurity-inspired framework to characterize threats and tactics. Preslav Nakov underscores the importance of proactive news outlet analysis in combating misinformation, emphasizing the need to detect malicious intent beyond factuality. Paolo Papotti evaluates the efficacy of crowdsourced fact-checking initiatives, offering insights from a large-scale study on social media platforms. Mohsen Mosleh investigates the cognitive factors influencing misinformation sharing and presents interventions to promote accuracy and combat misinformation spread online. These presentations collectively contribute to a deeper understanding of urban dynamics and information dissemination, offering insights and strategies to foster sustainable, equitable, and informed urban environments.
CITIES Seminar Series: An Eco-Acoustic Survey of the Impacts of Anthropogenic Noise Pollution on Jubail Island’s Avian Populations
On December 8, 2022, CITIES hosted another Seminar Series with Prof. Matteo Marciano, Assistant Professor of Practice of Music Technology. In this talk, Professor Matteo Marciano aimed to unveil the level of noise pollution impacting natural life in Abu Dhabi. This research aims to demonstrate the impacts of large-scale urban development on human and wildlife populations through acoustic surveys recording biophonic and anthropogenic sounds. The focus is to minimize the detrimental effect of noise on humans and animals in Abu Dhabi.
2021
Faculty of Society & Design – Bond University, Australia
On March 17th, Kinga Makovi (CITIES Co-PI) and Federico Bernardini (Assistant Director) presented CITIES’ unique interdisciplinary approach and Kinga Makovi’s most recent work on Curbing Present & Future Epidemics with Good Policy at Bond University, Australia. This is the first step towards a new, fruitful international collaboration.
NYUAD Faculty Talk Series
NYUAD faculty from different divisions participated in the Faculty Talk Series to give students different
Perspectives to be considered in their future scenarios for the ASCE@NYUAD Future Cities Competition.
Synergies of Energy, Waste, Mobility
On March 22nd, CITIES, in collaboration with Maker Faire Rome and the oil and energy company Eni (a partner of ADNOC), jointly presented a web panel discussion focusing on the benefits of a “circular” approach to waste, energy, and mobility for the future of cities. The panel was moderated by Federico Bernardini (Assistant Director).
CFM & CITIES Panel: What Job Opportunities Will Emerge for You across the World after the Pandemic?
On April 28th, CITIES and the Center for the Future of Management (CMF-NYUNY) jointly presented a panel discussion focusing on the effects of COVID-19 in shaping job opportunities in cities worldwide, a hot topic for the NYUAD student community. The speakers of the event were: Maha Al Dhaheri (Specialist – Future Foresight Strategic Planning Division, DMT), Ashish Batia (Professor of Management & Entrepreneurship, NYU Stern), and Arpit Gupta (Professor of Finance, NYU Stern). NYUAD Student Praggya Ayshwarya Jeyakumar and NYU student Anita Akhtyamova moderated the panel discussion.
ASCE@NYUAD Future CITIES Competition – Final Presentation
On May 17th, ASCE@NYUAD organized a final presentation for the teams that were part of the competition. The teams had the option of presenting their deliverables to the committee consisting of DMT, CITIES (Dr. Federico Bernardini, Prof. Monica Mendendez, and Adela Kovarova), and the ASCE@NYUAD leadership (supervised by Prof. Borja Garcia de Soto). Team no. 14 – Reclaiming Abu Dhabi’s Roads and Roofs was awarded the opportunity to translate their idea into pragmatic solutions with a prestigious internship in CITIES during the academic year 2021-2022.
Neuro Cities Webinar
On September 9th, CITIES, in partnership with the NYUAD psychology department, hosted a seminar delivered by Dr. Daniela Ottmann and Dr. Oliver Baumann from Bond University, Australia. They presented their cutting-edge research on the relationship between natural and built environments and the effect on mood, stress, and cognition. Their innovative approach placed investigation and measurement in the actual environment, with a particular focus on hot environments such as those in the UAE. The event was moderated by Adela Kovarova.
Understanding the Critical Role of the Business Model Canvas
On October 31st, CITIES organized a workshop in collaboration with Prof. Uwe W. Schulz from the Lucerne School of Engineering and Architecture in Switzerland. Participants were introduced to “Invention” vs “Innovation” and the “Valley of Death” between Academia and Industry. Two examples of Swiss enterprises, Nespresso and Bossard, were analyzed to discuss similarities and differences between a product-focused innovation vs a service business. After this workshop, students were able to apply the Business Model Canvas to their own case study. The event was moderated by Adela Kovarova.
Informal Workshop for University Students in the 2nd Abu Dhabi Smart City Summit
On November 23rd, a workshop was organized at the 2nd Abu Dhabi Smart City Summit. It was proposed as a brainstorming exercise with a selected number of students from different universities. CITIES identified 3 NYUAD students who participated in this workshop, discussing topics around the summit’s key themes.
2nd Abu Dhabi Smart City Summit
CITIES & CCS Investigator Prof. Muhammad Shafique was invited as one of the speakers at the 2nd Abu Dhabi Smart City Summit on the 23rd of November, 2021. His talk focused on the Security of AI Functions in Autonomous Vehicles: Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, such as Machine Learning (ML), have proliferated in a wide range of applications from Smart Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) and the Internet of Things (IoT).
CITIES Get-Together
In December 2021, CITIES organized its second get-together with the entire NYUAD team, comprising faculty, researchers, and support staff. This gathering provided an opportunity for the entire CITIES team to meet, engage in discussions, and strategize around the center’s priorities and objectives. Additionally, new schemes were defined to involve more students and faculty, fostering collaboration and enhancing mutual understanding of each other’s research endeavors within the center.
CITIES In-Person Workshop: Air Quality Fundamentals
On December 5th, CITIES Post-Graduation Research Fellow Vince Nguyen held an In-Person Workshop on Air Quality Fundamentals. The workshop made the audience aware of the problems related to the air quality in Abu Dhabi and globally. He then provided an overview of how we can reduce exposure to air pollution for our well-being. The event was moderated by Adela Kovarova.
Reclaiming Abu Dhabi’s Roads and Roofs (ASCE@NYUAD Future CITIES Presentation)
On December 20th, the winning team of the ASCE@NYUAD Future CITIES Competition organized a research presentation for their research project, Roads/Roofs: Reclaimed. The Team was awarded by DMT, ASCE, and CITIES, with a Research Internship to further develop its solution within CITIES during the fall semester of the academic year 2021/2022. Their research project investigates the effects of making changes to construction materials for road pavements and building rooftop materials in the context of Abu Dhabi. Moreover, it simulates a scene in the city using Ansys software. The project aims to propose concrete steps that Abu Dhabi can take to combat rising temperatures. During this presentation, the Team gave an overview of their work, presented their findings and recommendations, and proposed future work to expand their ongoing research. The event was moderated by Prof. Borja García de Soto. Feedback was provided by members of FortyGuard, DMT, and CITIES.
2020
UN WUF Talk
As part of WUF 2020, CITIES hosted Ms. Maimunah Sharif, the Executive Director of the UN-Habitat, on February 5, 2020, for a conversation with the NYUAD and Abu Dhabi communities about her journey to the United Nations (UN) and the importance of the World Urban Forum 2020 in solving the unique set of challenges that cities as complex interdisciplinary intersections present. The event was open to the general public and was very successful, with about 60 people in the audience, including NYUAD faculty, staff, and leadership, UN representatives, and representatives of UAE government agencies.
WUF 2020 Research Roundtable
Prof. Monica Menendez (LPI & Center Director) presented CITIES at World Urban Forum 2020 (WUF2020). WUF is the foremost international gathering for exchanging views and experiences on sustainable urbanization and all its ramifications. The inclusive nature of the Forum, combined with high-level participation, makes it the premier international gathering on urban issues. Prof. Monica Menendez (LPI & Center Director) presented CITIES at World Urban Forum 2020 (WUF2020). WUF is the foremost international gathering for exchanging views and experiences on sustainable urbanization and all its ramifications. The inclusive nature of the Forum, combined with high-level participation, makes it the premier international gathering on urban issues.
Two Artists Talks
In March 2020, CITIES collaborated with Professor Felix Beck (NYUAD Investigator) on the organization of Two Artist Talks by Tobias Horrocks on Cardboard Architecture. The NYUAD Community participated in this event to learn more about architecture, design, and product sustainability. Tobias Horrocks is an architect and the founder of sustainable design and architecture practice Fold Theory. Specializing in cardboard and utilizing digital design and fabrication, Fold Theory aims to push the limits of cardboard engineering to realize forms and structures previously unimaginable.
Presentation at the NYU Wagner Urban Initiative Workshop
In March 2020, Prof. Pablo Hernandez-Lagos (Investigator) presented some of the CITIES research at the Urban Research Day, organized by the NYU Wagner Urban Initiative. He showed unique evidence on how the Artificial Intelligence (AI) frontier knowledge is created across cities in the world. Beijing is by far the most productive. It is also the most cited city on the planet. However, Berkeley, Stanford, and Redmond, WA (Microsoft’s headquarters) still engender the most disruptive AI research. The study casts light on the cities that are poised to be the next AI knowledge powerhouses.
2019
Abu Dhabi Smart City Summit
Prof. Monica Menendez (LPI & Center Director) was invited by the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) to give a public talk on October 29th at the Abu Dhabi Smart City Summit. She discussed CITIES’ goals and expected research outputs, exploring new avenues for collaboration and partnerships between the government, key industries, and academia to support pilot projects, collect data, and test technologies and solutions.
CITIES Symposium
The 1st CITIES symposium took place on November 24, 2019, at NYU Abu Dhabi, bringing together scholars from world-leading institutions to discuss cutting-edge research on the interdisciplinary challenges and opportunities surrounding cities. It provided a forum to learn and discuss some new ideas for increasing
the livability and sustainability of our cities, and how they can contribute to propelling our cities into a richer and more sustainable future. Speakers at the symposium included the keynote speaker, Jeffery Bohn, Alfredo Morales, Chandrasekaran Mohan, Marcia Castro, Maya Abou Zeid, Nikolar Groliminis, and Paul Waddell. It was open to the NYUAD community and selected guests, and it was extremely successful in this respect, with more than 60 participants. Local and international stakeholders took part in two roundtables to discuss smart city solutions that were particularly impactful for Abu Dhabi. The round table included representatives of Swiss Re, CITIES, NYUAD leadership, Abu Dhabi Municipality, Abu Dhabi Police, Department of Transport, Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities, IMKAN, and more.
Using Automated Data Sources to Improve the Performance of Public Transport Systems
In December 2019, CITIES collaborated with Prof. Monica Menendez (LPI & Center Director) on the organization of a public lecture by Prof. Nigel Wilson titled: Using Automated Data Sources to improve the performance of Public Transport Systems: a framework and applications. Nigel Wilson is an Emeritus Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research and teaching focus on urban public transport, with more than 100 articles and reports. He has directed major long-term collaborative research programs with urban public transport agencies, including Transport for London, MTR (Hong Kong), Chicago Transit Authority, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and has worked or served as a consultant for large transit agencies and a number of other North American transit authorities.