The Urban Systems Lab’s interdisciplinary scholarship addresses the social, ecological, and technical systems (SETS) that drive persistent challenges in cities. Our goal in studying and visualizing SETS dynamics is to provide new insight into developing more equitable, resilient, and sustainable cities.
Rapidly expanding urbanization, biodiversity loss, and climate change pose dramatic risks for urban residents and the natural systems they depend on. Our research aims to reveal and support the SETS processes that drive everyday experiences in urban areas. We use empirical and theoretical approaches as well as data visualization to advance urban systems research and practice. We address a variety of research areas including: urban resilience; climate change adaptation and nature-based solutions; SETS analysis and modeling; urban land use planning; social equity and environmental justice; scenarios for sustainable urban futures; urban biodiversity and ecosystem services; and urban ecosystem structure and functions. Pictured: 3D Visualization of equity in coastal flood and heat impacts in New York City (Collaborators: Jaskirat Randhawa andTimon McPhearson).
