Future Cities Laboratory Global

Tomorrow! Join us for the second panel of our @fcl.global x @harvard.urbanai lecture series: 🗓️ 21 Apr 12:00 EDT | 21 Apr 18:00 CEST | 22 Apr 00:00 SGT 💻 Online via Zoom 📍 Register: https://lnkd.in/eEB4MkHG Panel #02 — Understanding Complexity: Simulations, Visualisations, and Urban Mobility Speakers: Fábio Duarte (MIT Senseable City Lab) Javier Argota Sánchez-Vaquerizo (Future Cities Laboratory Global at Singapore-ETH Centre) Moderated by: Haozhuo Yang (Harvard Urban AI) Cities behave in ways that exceed the reach of intuition and conventional planning. This session brings together researchers working at the frontier of computational and spatial methods, from sensing and simulation to modeling and visualization, to examine how these tools can make urban complexity legible. Panelists will consider what it means to design with complexity rather than against it, and how emerging techniques reshape both analysis and decision-making across scales. This is the 3rd session in "Global Approaches to Urban Intelligence," co-organized by Future Cities Laboratory Global and Harvard GSD Urban AI. More to come this fall! Stay tuned! @ethzurich @nrfsg @harvard @harvardgsd @nus_singapore @ntu_sg @sutdsg #UrbanAI #SmartCities #UrbanPlanning #UrbanAnalytics

Tomorrow! Join us for the opening panel of the @fcl.global x @harvard.urbanai lecture series: 🗓️ 15 Apr 20:00 EDT 16 Apr 02:00 CEST 16 Apr 08:00 SGT 💻 Online via Zoom 📍 Register - link in bio Panel #01 — Sensing the City: A Human-Centred Urban Analytics Speakers: Carole Turley Voulgaris (Harvard University Graduate School of Design) Matias Quintana (Future Cities Laboratory Global at Singapore-ETH Centre) Moderator: Joshua Vargas @joshuarhvargas (Future Cities Laboratory Global at Singapore-ETH Centre) How do people perceive and navigate urban environments? This session brings together researchers exploring human-centred approaches to urban sensing and analytics, examining how data-driven methods can reveal patterns of experience, behaviour, and movement across cities. Speakers address both the technical and social dimensions of urban intelligence, with a focus on building more equitable and responsive urban systems. This is the first of three sessions in "Global Approaches to Urban Intelligence," co-organized by Harvard GSD Urban AI and Future Cities Laboratory Global. More panels and a keynote to follow! Stay tuned! #UrbanAI #SmartCities #UrbanPlanning #AI @ethzurich @nrfsg @nus_singapore @ntu_sg @sutdsg @dbaug.ethz @harvardgsd @harvard

HUAI is excited to announce “HUAI x FCL: Global Approaches to Urban Intelligence” — a joint lecture series co-organized by Harvard GSD Urban AI and Future Cities Laboratory Global at the Singapore-ETH Centre. All sessions are free, open to the public, and held online via Zoom. Registration Link in Bio This lecture series brings together leading researchers on AI and cities, spanning Cambridge MA, Zurich, and Singapore: Panel #01 — Sensing the City: Human-Centered Urban Analytics April 15 8:00 pm EST | April 16 2:00 am CET | April 16 8:00 am SGT (Zoom) Carole Turley Voulgaris (Harvard University Graduate School of Design) x Matias Quintana (FCL Global at SEC) Moderated by Joshua Vargas (FCL Global at SEC) Keynote — Future-Positive Cities: Designing with AI, Ecology, and Urban Systems April 20 6:30 pm EST | April 21 00:30 am CET | April 21 6:30 am SGT Thomas Schroepfer (SUTD & FCL Global) — in person at Harvard GSD Panel #02 — Understanding Complexity: Simulations, Visualizations, and Urban Mobility April 21 12:00 pm EST | April 21 6:00 pm CET | April 22 00:00 am SGT (Zoom) Fábio Duarte (MIT Senseable City Lab) x Javier Argota Sánchez-Vaquerizo (ETH Zürich) Moderated by Haozhuo Yang (Harvard GSD Urban AI) More to follow in the Fall!

HUAI is excited to host Professor Thomas Schroepfer at Harvard GSD on April 20 for a lecture: ‘Future-Positive Cities: Designing with AI, Ecology, and Urban Systems’, as part of a joint lecture series between Harvard GSD Urban AI and Future Cities Laboratory Global at Singapore-ETH Centre. 📅 Date: April 20, 6:30pm EST 📍 Piper Auditorium, Harvard Graduate School of Design Thomas Schroepfer is Professor of Architecture and Sustainable Design at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Director of the Future Cities Laboratory Global at Singapore-ETH Centre, a leading international research programme between Singapore and ETH Zurich. His work addresses the future of cities at the intersection of architecture, urbanism, and advanced technologies, with a particular focus on sustainable and regenerative development. This lecture will introduce the concept of future-positive cities — urban systems that generate environmental and social value. Drawing on research from the Future Cities Laboratory Global, it explores how AI and data-driven approaches can support this transition by linking design decisions to measurable outcomes and enabling more integrated, adaptive, and regenerative urban development. This lecture is in person and open to the public. Please stay tuned for more information on the joint lecture series between Harvard Urban AI and Future Cities Laboratory Global at Singapore-ETH Centre!

🌡 As cities age and temperatures rise, who is looking out for our seniors? In a new instalment of the FCL Global Video Series, Jean You, PhD researcher of [SEA] The Sea-City Interface module, explores the intersection of climate change and aging – and what it means for older adults who want to age in place. By studying heat exposure and thermal comfort among Singapore's population 65 and above (or aging population), Jean is working to understand the real-world conditions older adults face as urban temperatures climb. Using a mixed-methods approach – combining wearable technology and environmental sensors with real-time subjective surveys – her research captures both the physical and personal dimensions of heat stress at the pedestrian level. With Singapore projected to see over a third of its residents aged 65 and above by 2050, and daily temperatures reaching up to 30°C, ensuring that older neighbourhoods and communities are safe and heat-resilient has never been more urgent. More stories from our researchers coming soon. Stay tuned! @ethzurich @nrfsg @nus_singapore #FutureCities #UrbanHeat #AgingInPlace

🤝 Co-creating the Future of the Future Cities Laboratory The Future Cities Laboratory IV (FCL IV) proposal team, in partnership with NRF Singapore, organised the Future Cities Laboratory IV Singapore Agency Workshop on 02 March 2026 at CREATE Campus in Singapore. The initiative brought together representatives from several Singapore government agencies in conversation with the team of investigators that developed the proposed Future Cities Laboratory IV research programme. FCL IV is proposed as an NRF-CREATE initiative co-funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF), ETH Zurich, EPFL, and partner universities, NUS, SUTD, NTU and SMU in Singapore. The overarching objective of the Singapore Agency Workshop was to support a structured, forward-looking dialogue with the agency representatives, addressing the components of overlap/complementary with the agency research roadmap; strategic and practical relevance of the proposed research programme with national priorities, and implementation pathways on how successful outcomes can be translated into practice through co-developed pilot projects and transitions research. The lively and engaged discussion cultivated trust and shared understanding between researchers and decision-makers, underscoring the vital role of science-policy feedback loops for advancing urban science and governance practice. This also demonstrates the continued role of the Future Cities Laboratory towards building Singapore as a global hub and living lab for urban solutions. Learn more at the FCL Global website (link in bio). #FutureCities #UrbanScience #SciencePolicy @ethzurich @epflcampus @nrfsg @nus_singapore @sutdsg @ntu_sg @sgsmu Participating agencies: @urasingapore @mndsingapore @singaporehdb @nparksbuzz @ltasg @msesingapore

🍄 Could the future of our buildings be grown from the root systems of fungi? In a new instalment of the FCL Global Video Series, Selina Bitting, PhD candidate of [BIO] Urban BioCycles Mycelium Digitalisation, explains how mycelium-bound composites (MBCs) can transform the construction industry’s approach to waste. By utilizing the root structure of fungi, low-density foam alternatives for insulation and high-density pressed boards for structural use are developed. These fully compostable and circular materials offer a sustainable solution for high-waste applications like single-use formwork and interior partition walls. With the construction industry currently responsible for 35% of global waste generation and 50% of raw material demand, this research into low-impact, regrowable materials is a critical step toward reducing our environmental footprint as urban development continues to scale. More stories from our researchers coming soon. Stay tuned! @ethzurich @nrfsg @nus_singapore @ntu_sg @sutdsg [BIO] team: Philippe Block, Hortense Le Ferrand, Dirk Hebel, Benjamin Dillenburger, Eugene Soh, Deepak Sharma, Selina Bitting, Tiziano Derme, Jia Heng Teoh #FutureCities #Biomimicry #UrbanBiocycles #MyceliumBoundComposites #MaterialScience #SustainableSolutions #CircularMaterials

🚶 How can AI help us better understand and design everyday street experiences? In a new instalment of the FCL Global Video Series, Chenyi Cai, Postdoctoral Researcher in the [SUE] Semantic Urban Elements module, shares how computational urban design can bridge city science and urban design practice. Working at the intersection of AI, computation, and urban design, Chenyi’s research explores how everyday street elements shape walking experiences for different groups of people. By combining large-scale urban data with human-centred design thinking, her work aims to turn evidence into actionable design insight. One ongoing project introduces an “urban search engine” that allows designers to explore real-world places based on self-defined urban characteristics, supporting more informed, transparent, and context-sensitive design decisions. Through her work, Chenyi highlights the importance of keeping humans in the loop, presenting a forward-looking future for designers. Instead of replacing designers, Technology becomes a tool to expand how we understand and shape cities. More stories from our researchers coming soon. Stay tuned! #FCLGlobal #UrbanDesign #CityScience #ComputationalDesign #SemanticUrbanElements

🚦 How can cities dynamically reshape their streets to fit the needs of every user? In a new installment of the FCL Global Video Series, Dr. Javier Argota Sánchez-Vaquerizo, Postdoctoral Researcher in the [SUE] Semantic Urban Elements module, explains how urban digital twins and computational simulations can unlock hidden potential in our street networks. Dr. Argota described how decentralized, dynamic approaches to allocating street space can flexibly shift priority between pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles to deliver a better level of service today, and further highlighted that traffic improvement is achievable even while autonomous vehicles remain a minority, without waiting for 100% adoption. This is only one of a number of research projects in the [SUE] research group working to integrate urban complexity with public participation to envision more sustainable and responsive cities. More stories from our researchers coming soon. Stay tuned! @ethzurich @nrfsg @nus_singapore #FutureCities #UrbanPlanning #DigitalTwins #UrbanSimulations #StreetDesign #AutonomousVehicles #UrbanMobility

🚘 How can AI help cities plan future charging infrastructure of electric vehicles? In a new installment of the FCL Global Video Series, Qiming YE, Module Coordinator of [AMIL] Adaptive Mobility, Infrastructure, and Land Use, describes how multi-agent AI models can optimise charging station deployment, finding a minimum viable number of charging stations to meet the future projected needs of electric vehicle users while efficiently using the limited land space available in dense cities like Singapore. This is only one of a number of research projects in the [AMIL] research group investigating pathways towards adaptive mobility planning that not only meets demand in the short term, but promotes the resilience of transport infrastructure into the future. More stories from our researchers coming soon. Stay tuned! @ethzurich @nus_singapore @dbaug.ethz [AMIL] team: Bryan Tyrone Adey, Prateek Bansal, Kay Axhausen, Pieter J. Fourie, Dr. sc. ETH, Tanvi Maheshwari, Qiming YE, Arnór Bragi Elvarsson, Orlando Román García, Canh Do, Dang Khoa Vo, Jin Rui Yap, Zhuhan Jin, Hamed Hafeznia #FutureCities #AdaptiveMobility #ElectricVehicles #EV #EVCharging #UrbanMobility

🧠 How can serious games facilitate participatory governance and decision-making for complex urban challenges? The FCL Global Video Series returns with a feature of Constance Brouillet, doctoral researcher in the [RES] Resilient Blue-Green Infrastructures module at Future Cities Laboratory Global. [RES] researchers are investigating pathways towards resilient urban environments in Antananarivo, Madagascar through blue-green infrastructures co-created through a Science-Design Loop. They recognised that solving complex urban challenges requires addressing not only technical, but also social and governance challenges. Constance shares about Tantan'eau, a serious game where players take up different roles in a fictional municipality facing floods. Learn more about how a tabletop game sparked research insights and illuminates paths forward towards effective, collaborative decision-making. More stories from our researchers coming soon. Stay tuned! @ethzurich @dbaug.ethz University of Antananarivo @universitaetbern @cirad.fr @eawag_aquaticresearch @nus_singapore #FCLGlobalVideoSeries #Research #DesignThinking #SeriousGaming

✨ Coming Soon: New Episodes in the FCL Global Video Series 🎥 We are excited to announce the return of the FCL Global Video Series, which features researchers from across the FCL Global network sharing more about their work and how it will impact future urban transitions. 📆 The next installment will be released on 12 December at 5 PM Singapore // 10 AM Zürich, alongside the “15 Years Singapore-ETH Centre International Research Hub” event & exhibition launch at the ETH Zürich main building at Semperaule HG G 60, Rämistrasse 101, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland. Videos from this new season will also be on display as part of the exhibition. Stay tuned! @ethzurich @nrfsg @nus_singapore @ntu_sg @sutdsg @dbaug.ethz #FCLGlobalVideoSeries #Research #FutureCities