Center for Urban Science and Progress

BETTER CITIES THROUGH DATA EDUCATION. RESEARCH. IMPACT.

NYU CENTER FOR URBAN SCIENCE + PROGRESS

OUR LABORATORY IS NEW YORK CITY. OUR MISSION IS HISTORIC. The Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP) was created as a historic partnership with NYU, the City of New York, and other academic and industrial partners to make cities around the world more efficient, livable, equitable, and resilient. With NYC as its laboratory and classroom, the unique public-private research center observes, analyzes, and models cities to optimize outcomes, prototype new plans, formalize new tools and processes, and develop new experts and expertise. These activities are making NYU CUSP the world’s leading authority in the emerging field of Urban Informatics—the collection, integration, management, and analysis of data to improve urban systems and quality of life in cities.

80 billion

A nearly 80 billion cubic meter increase

6,000+

in municipal water demand is expected in the world’s cities by 2025.

video surveillance cameras operate

27 billion

in New York City.

gallons of untreated sewage and polluted water spill into New York Harbor each year.

City systems and data converge to form a mosaic of essential information.

1

1 zettabyte Current annual global IP traffic is 1 zettabyte

2 billion

and is expected to double from 2016 to 2019.

active social media users.

70–85dB

average noise level of traffic in Midtown Manhattan compared to 58 dB average in St. Paul, Minnesota.

1.75 billion subway rides taken annually in New York.*

*Based on 2014 statistics.

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NYU CENTER FOR URBAN SCIENCE + PROGRESS

THE SCIENCE OF CITIES Two important phenomena are occurring: the ability to collect, store, and process an expanding volume of data collected from myriad sources, and the increasing level of global urbanization that has resulted in more than fifty percent of the world’s population living in cities. Their convergence has led to the opportunity to use large-scale datasets and analytics to address fundamental problems and challenges of city operations, planning, and development. Building a science of cities requires new approaches that help us better understand the dynamics of complex urban systems and utilize that knowledge to make informed decisions about how our cities are planned and managed.

Raw Data

DATA COLLECTION

DATA FUSION & MANAGEMENT

From the amount of particulate matter in the air

Just as city agencies must work together to

at a given time of day to the number of minutes a

ensure that a city best serves its citizens, its data

stalled train adds to the population’s morning

must work together to provide useful and robust

commute, data are the foundation of Urban

information about city operations. The challenge

Informatics. Many data sources exist within

for urban scientists is to create the data

NYC’s agencies, and NYU CUSP is in a unique

standards, technologies, and methods for

position to unlock their potential to help the city

managing, curating, and integrating data sources

address its most pressing challenges. NYU CUSP

from a network of agencies and disparate data

also deploys new data collection methods using

sources to develop actionable strategies to

existing and novel sensors, from synoptic

improve urban quality of life. Of critical

high-resolution imagery to sound sensors,

importance to NYU CUSP is devising ways to

to develop innovative approaches to

maintain and store data that balance security

understanding the city.

and privacy with access and functionality.

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GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN APPLIED URBAN SCIENCE AND INFORMATICS

OPERATIONS. PEOPLE. INFRASTRUCTURE. Livable, productive cities rely on interdependent systems of citizen services, efficient operations, and reliable infrastructure. NYU CUSP’s activities advance a systems view of New York City—and other global cities—to understand and model how the city functions now, and how it can function better in the future.

Operations

People

Infrastructure

Public Safety

Transportation

Education Social Programs Urban Planning

Energy & Water

Healthcare

Environment

Government

ANALYSIS

IMPACT

More data do not necessarily create more

With its unique partnerships, NYU CUSP research

knowledge. Generating insights from big data

is a balance of applied research and fundamental

requires advanced analytical approaches that

scientific inquiry that delivers impact. Research

cut through the noise and clutter. To illuminate

projects aim to improve real-world challenges

findings of real significance that lead to

facing cities around the globe, ensuring that

meaningful impact, NYU CUSP uses techniques

NYU CUSP fulfills its mission to help cities

and methods including machine learning, data

become more productive, livable, equitable,

mining, agent-based modeling and simulation,

and resilient. Each project integrates diverse

visualization, and operations research, among

expertise from the informatics disciplines with

others. The center then hones these approaches

knowledge about urban domains to address

using urban data and real-world problems to

operational and planning challenges.

define the emerging field of Urban Informatics.

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NYU CENTER FOR URBAN SCIENCE + PROGRESS

IMPACTFUL RESEARCH FOR CITIES AROUND THE WORLD To benefit the city and other partners, NYU CUSP research is both mission- and impactoriented. We develop or integrate data analytics and technologies to specific ends and for the common good, such as improving building energy usage and controlling noise pollution. Our research teams are highly interdisciplinary, bringing together those with expertise in the physical and natural sciences, computer and data science, the social sciences, and engineering, as well as professional fields such as policy, design, and finance.

CITIZEN SCIENCE

DATA FACILITY

In the digital age, every urban resident is a

The effective use of data has become essential

potential contributor to science. NYU CUSP's

for city management and policy development,

citizen science capabilities aim to harness the

for citizen engagement, and for academic

curiosity of millions of New Yorkers while raising

research. Yet the sheer volume of urban data is

community awareness about Urban Informatics

overwhelming—ranging from business records

and the work of NYU CUSP.

and public filings to administrative records in city agencies, and from real time data on energy

Citizen Science captures new streams of citizen-

use and particulate pollution to records of citizen

generated data and develops ways of turning

calls to 311.

that information into robust datasets that justify rigorous scientific conclusions. In the future,

Data collection is outpacing the capacity of the

this data will produce fresh insights and new

urban policy and research community to make

research projects.

the most effective use of the data. Researchers are able to analyze a few datasets at a time; but

Through education, connections with hacker and

the infrastructure necessary to collect, curate,

maker communities, and crowdsourced projects,

merge, and analyze city data on a large scale

Citizen Science also helps to develop the social

does not yet exist.

infrastructure needed to nurture citizen

NYU CUSP has established a Data Facility

engagement in urban science.

to support the empirical study of cities in conjunction with New York-based researchers, agencies, and citizens. NYU CUSP aims to reduce the multiple technical, legal,

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GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN APPLIED URBAN SCIENCE AND INFORMATICS

HUDSON YARDS IS MAKING HEADLINES

bureaucratic, capacity, and cost barriers to access so that the full research and policy benefits can be realized. The Data Facility has

The Hudson Yards project has received quite

two goals: (i) make certain that new and

a bit of media coverage since it is such a

existing urban data are made available to and

pioneering foray into data-driven development.

used by current and future members of the

This exciting new platform is expected to

research community in a state-of-the-art

offer benefits for tenants and owners of the

facility, and (ii) ensure that staff in government

site’s residential, office, and retail buildings, as

agencies and local citizens are engaged with

well as become a model for sustainable city

the ability to use the facility to address

communities. To learn more about this project,

important urban problems.

you can read CityLab’s article “Quantifying the Livable City” in The Atlantic.

QUANTIFIED COMMUNITY The Quantified Community Research Facility (QC) is a fully instrumented urban neighborhood that uses an integrated, expandable sensor network to support the measurement, integration, and analysis of neighborhood conditions, social interactions and behavior, and sustainability metrics. Through a diverse range of sensor and automation technologies, information on human, physical, and environmental elements can be processed in real time to better understand their interaction and effects of the built environment on human well-being.

The goal is to create a model for future urban development and planning that provides a healthy, productive, and resilient environment that responds to the changing needs and preferences of the local community. Current deployments are underway at Hudson Yards, the largest urban development project ever to occur in the US, as well as in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.

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NYU CENTER FOR URBAN SCIENCE + PROGRESS

TRANSPORTATION MODELING

Unlike satellite or aerial imagery, which is available only as long as an aircraft or satellite

NYU CUSP’s Transportation Modeling initiative

is overhead, Urban Observatory monitoring

will combine multiple streams of data to model

is persistent, continually mapping the same

the behavior of millions of New Yorkers on the

area. This persistent monitoring enables rich

city’s roads, trains, and subways. The expertise

comparative analysis of captured images

built through this initiative aims to improve

over time.

challenges in public transportation and

The first Urban Observatory site, located on

urban planning.

a building in Downtown Brooklyn, makes time-

Building a comprehensive model is complex

lapse videos using a 10-megapixel camera to

because it must account for the behavior of

take a photograph of Midtown Manhattan every

both physical systems, such as roadways, and

10 seconds. Data is aggregated and images

decision-making agents including pedestrians

from cameras are blurred—either naturally by

and drivers. Such a model must combine

turbulence in the atmosphere or using computer

micro- and macroscopic modeling, and do

vision techniques—so that no discernible images

so seamlessly. In developing these tools,

of individuals are acquired.

NYU CUSP will be at the forefront of research

The Urban Observatory provides both

on algorithms and modeling techniques.

synoptic data—a “big picture” look at a wide

Better models will assist in understanding the

urban area—and persistent observations

workings of public transport, allowing cities to

of exactly the same area over an extended

put more buses and drivers on the road at the

period of time. The cameras and sensors of

busiest times of day, and to plan more efficient

the Urban Observatory detect a variety of

public transport routes.

wavelengths—including visible light, reflected and thermal infrared—allowing the study of

URBAN OBSERVATORY

phenomena not visible to the naked eye. The

The Urban Observatory applies synoptic

data captured by the Urban Observatory will be

sensing techniques inspired by astronomy to

combined with other datasets at NYU CUSP,

develop new ways to study a city’s rhythms.

such as building information and demographic

Using techniques such as visible light, infrared,

data, to draw new insights from the images.

and hyperspectral cameras set atop tall buildings, the Urban Observatory can track energy usage, pollution, urban winds, power outages, and nighttime light patterns.

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GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN APPLIED URBAN SCIENCE AND INFORMATICS

EACH YEAR THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE IS CROSSED BY:

Vehicles

Pedestrians

Bicyclists

43.8 million 1.5 million 1.2 million

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NYU CENTER FOR URBAN SCIENCE + PROGRESS

AN INTENSIVE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE Our rigorous programs are designed to prepare you for a rewarding and fulfilling career in Urban Informatics, developing the technical and problem-solving skills to effectively use data for social good. Students are immersed in every aspect of this exciting, multidisciplinary field, both in the classroom and through hands-on learning opportunities in research, internships, and interactions with faculty and NYU CUSP partners.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS AT NYU CUSP

THE NYU CUSP CORE CURRICULUM

Graduate programs at NYU CUSP offer a unique,

Students customize their education by building

interdisciplinary, and cutting-edge approach

on core courses with different tracks, electives,

that links data science, statistics and analytics,

applied project intensives, and global

and mathematics with complex urban systems,

immersion offerings. All students participate

urban management, and policy. Our programs

in the following:

expose students to the inner workings of city

The Urban Science Core provides students

agencies and create opportunities to challenge

with a foundational understanding of the

themselves through immersive, hands-on data

theories of urban form and function, and the

projects. The curriculum emphasizes developing

application of data-driven approaches to urban

necessary technical skills and critical problem-

challenges. It offers an introduction to emerging

solving frameworks. The programs also provide

approaches in developing a “science of cities�

research opportunities and real-world

based on methods and logic from the natural

experiences through internships and practicums

and physical sciences.

that enable students to be successful in a wide range of career trajectories.

The Informatics Core prepares students to work with large-scale data from a variety of sources to address real-world challenges in the urban

MASTER OF SCIENCE

context. Students focus on applications such as databases and data management, data

in Applied Urban Science & Informatics

mining, visualization, programming, clustering

ADVANCED CERTIFICATE

algorithms, naive Bayes, model selection and specification, and regression models.

in Applied Urban Science & Informatics

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GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN APPLIED URBAN SCIENCE AND INFORMATICS

PROGRAM TRACK OPTIONS

FLEXIBLE PROGRAMS OF STUDY

The Urban Informatics track (UI) prepares

NYU CUSP offers the option to complete your

students with the technical capabilities required

coursework on a full-time or part-time schedule

for applied data science and “big data”

to accommodate your needs.

informatics. Courses include Principles of Urban

The one-year, full-time MS program is ideal for

Informatics, Machine Learning for Cities, Applied

students seeking immersion in a research- and

Data Science, and Urban Spatial Analytics.

project-intensive environment in order to

The Civic Analytics track (CA) is ideal for

complete their MS degree in an accelerated

students interested in utilizing analytics and

time frame. From August to July, you will learn

data-driven decision-making techniques to

from world-class faculty and researchers and

inform urban operations and policy decisions.

build a supportive network in preparation for

The Civic Analytics track provides students

your professional career. You will benefit from

with the skills and knowledge needed to develop

an academically and technically rigorous

and implement data-driven analytics projects

curriculum that goes far beyond theory.

within city agencies and other organizations.

The two-year, part-time MS program for working

Courses include Urban Decision Models,

professionals allows students to maintain

Urban Operations Management, Applied Data

their employment while attending the

Science, and Civic Technology Strategy.

graduate program on a convenient schedule.

The curriculum and elective offerings are the same as the full-time program. Part-time students take evening courses, many with an applied focus on collaborative projects and technical problem solving, which provide numerous opportunities for networking with peers, faculty, and experts in the industry.

NYU CUSP’s robust resources for remote collaboration and research maximize flexibility for busy professionals. Our two-year program students work side-by-side with their full-time student colleagues.

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NYU CENTER FOR URBAN SCIENCE + PROGRESS

INTERNSHIPS

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

The internship program at NYU CUSP offers an

Attaining your MS in Applied Urban Science and

opportunity to gain relevant experience in Urban

Informatics from NYU CUSP will prepare you

Informatics and gain a realistic perspective on

for a range of careers in data-driven fields.

how data can be leveraged to improve cities.

Specialized career assistance and job placement

Through internships, our students develop

resources are available through the NYU

practical skills, hone their interests, and apply

Wasserman Center for Career Development,

their knowledge to make an impact on real-

which serves students and alumni alike. Some

world problems. Some of the recent internships

of our graduates have been hired at renowned

our students have completed include:

companies and organizations such as:

• Control Group

• Accenture

• Enstoa

• American Express

• Evolving Tech

• Apple Inc.

• Gro Ventures

• Bloomberg

• Microsoft Research

• Booz Allen Hamilton

• N YC Department of Information Technology

• Datapolitan, LLC

& Telecommunications

• Descartes Labs

• N YC Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice

• Enigma

• N YC Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics

• HR&A Advisors

• N YC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability

• IBM Watson

• Ontodia

• New York State Attorney General’s Office

• Switch

• NYC Police Department

• Taipei Economic and Cultural Office

• San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency

• US Treasury-Office of Financial Research

• Two Sigma

GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP Many students are awarded a Graduate Research Assistantship experience to help further their professional development by working with a faculty mentor and becoming immersed in research activities.

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GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN APPLIED URBAN SCIENCE AND INFORMATICS

GLOBAL DATA DIVES

EMPLOYMENT: DISCOVER, ASPIRE & PREPARE

As part of the co-curricular education at NYU CUSP, students have the opportunity to

NYU CUSP’s Employment: Discover, Aspire &

participate in a Winter Week immersion program

Prepare program (eDAP) offers technical and

in mid-January in one of the leading smart cities

social workshops, networking and mentoring

around the world. This mini-course targets the

activities, research seminars, and workplace

global perspective on urban skills needed to link

events to help students discover and customize

data science with the public good in a wide

a career path in the evolving industry of Urban

range of political, social, and economic contexts.

Informatics. An important function of eDAP is to assist students in exploring internship

Another global opportunity at NYU CUSP is the

and employment opportunities offered by

Spring Break Data Dive, through which students

NYU CUSP’s exclusive consortium of agency,

travel to different cities around the world to work

corporate, and academic partners. Coupled

on actual urban challenges using the analytics

with the resources provided by NYU’s

skills developed during the program. The host

Wasserman Center for Career Development,

city provides their datasets and a specific urban

NYU CUSP students have the unique ability

problem; students bring their expertise to offer

to prepare for recruitment in both the public

proposals using informatics techniques.

and private sectors. Our eDAP program includes: • C areer discovery activities that introduce the

INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES

technical and social science trends and tools applied in urban science

Individual and team-based projects provide

• Events that allow you to explore and learn

students with valuable chances to deal with

more about a particular domain

real-world issues and devise innovative strategies. Students are challenged to utilize

• O pportunities to learn the technical skills

Urban Informatics within the constraints of city

required for success in NYU CUSP's

operations and planning, while considering

programs as well as the field of urban

political, social, and financial ramifications and

science and informatics in general

issues of data privacy, validity, and transparency.

• A ssistance in cultivating the skills involved in a successful job search such as résumé building and interviewing, academic competencies including research methods and writing workshops, and workplace performance such as presentation and teamwork

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NYU CENTER FOR URBAN SCIENCE + PROGRESS

RECENT PROJECT SHOWCASE

• Digital Equality: Sensing, Citizen Science, Data Analytics & Visualization

NYU CUSP’s educational activities serve a broad

• From Light Variability to

group of students with diverse interests and are

Energy Consumption

therefore continually evolving. Opportunities for

• Learnr—A Seamless Education

research are endless, and students team up with

Volunteering Platform

classmates from a wide range of backgrounds under the guidance of a faculty advisor with

• New York City Economic Map

expertise in a particular area. Some of our recent

• Q uantifying Particulate Matter Exposure

projects include:

Distribution in NYC

• Analysis of Citibike Data and Modeling of

• Quantitative Analyses of Urban Topography

Time-Dependent Origin-Destination Matrices

• Urban Waste Analytics

• Building & Sustainability Informatics • B usVis: Interactive Exploration of NYC Bus Data

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT VARUN ADIBHATLA Varun is an NYU CUSP graduate from the Class of 2015. He is also a co-founder of ARGO (Advanced Research in Government Operations) Labs, which recently achieved LLC status. Varun originally attended NYU CUSP because he wanted to apply his experience in data and technology to real city problems.

Since graduation, he has been doing just that. Varun took his education and is using it at his company to work toward rapid prototyping for solving city problems. ARGO currently has three projects going on: SCUBA, a Californian water usage data project aimed at water conservation; Learnr, an education volunteerism app; and its “flagship” product, SQUID, a street surface quality data collection and imaging device. Varun is thrilled that he is able to use his own company to help NYU CUSP create the Data Facility.

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GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN APPLIED URBAN SCIENCE AND INFORMATICS

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED URBAN SCIENCE AND INFORMATICS URBAN INFORMATICS TRACK (SAMPLE OF ONE-YEAR CURRICULUM)* PRE-FALL

FALL

SPRING

SUMMER

Urban Computing Skills Lab

Principles of Urban Informatics

Machine Learning for Cities

Advanced Topics in Urban Informatics

City Challenge Week

Applied Data Science

Urban Science Intensive I: City Operations & Applied Informatics

Urban Science Intensive II: Practicum

Civic Analytics & Urban Intelligence

Data Science Elective

Data Governance, Ethics, and Privacy

Select 1 from:

Domain Application Elective

Urban Spatial Analytics Urban Decision Models

Select 1 from: Science of Cities Research Seminar Civic Technology Strategy

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED URBAN SCIENCE AND INFORMATICS CIVIC ANALYTICS TRACK (SAMPLE OF TWO-YEAR CURRICULUM)**

YEAR 1

FALL

SPRING

Urban Computing Skills Lab

Principles of Urban Informatics

Domain Application Elective

City Challenge Week

Civic Analytics & Urban Intelligence

Data Science Elective 1

Urban Decision Models

Urban Science Intensive I: City Operations & Applied Informatics

Urban Science Intensive II: Practicum

Select 1 from:

Data Science Elective 2

Civic Technology Strategy

YEAR 2

PRE-FALL

Applied Data Science

SUMMER

Urban Spatial Analytics Data Governance, Ethics, and Privacy

INFORMATICS CORE

URBAN CORE

ELECTIVES

*Program may also be completed part-time over two years **Program may also be completed full-time in one year

Optional courses in global cities for both tracks include Winter Week and Spring Break Data Dive Curriculum is subject to change per semester

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NYU CENTER FOR URBAN SCIENCE + PROGRESS

PEOPLE ARE CORE TO OUR MISSION Cities are complex, and addressing their challenges is not a solitary enterprise. Instead, what is required is an interdisciplinary group of people collaborating on the same projects, but coming from very different perspectives with unique viewpoints and expertise. This is at the heart of NYU CUSP: talented students, faculty, and researchers using their skills to try to make cities better places to live.

NYU CUSP FACULTY

JULIA LANE

MASOUD GHANDEHARI

Professor, NYU CUSP/Professor of Public Service, NYU Wagner School of Public Service

Head of the Urban Observatory; Associate Professor, NYU Tandon School of Engineering

PhD in Economics, University of Missouri

PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University

Research Interests: Policy and data science, transportation planning, workforce turnover, and pensions and low-wage work

Research Interests: Sensing and infrastructural health monitoring: application to transportation infrastructure, and utilities

KAAN OZBAY Professor, NYU CUSP/NYU Tandon School of Engineering

CONSTANTINE E. KONTOKOSTA Deputy Director of Academics, NYU CUSP; Assistant Professor of Urban Informatics; Head of the Quantified Community, NYU CUSP/ NYU Tandon School of Engineering

PhD in Civil Engineering (Transportation), Virginia Tech Research Interests: Development of simulation models of large-scale complex transportation systems

PhD in Urban Planning, Columbia University Research Interests: Urban Informatics, Civic Analytics, urban energy and sustainability, and computational urban policy

STAN SOBOLEVSKY

STEVE KOONIN

Research Interests: Network science, big data analytics, and modeling of complex systems

Associate Professor of Practice PhD in Mathematics, Grodno State University

Director, NYU CUSP; Professor of Information, Operations & Management Sciences, NYU Stern School of Business; Professor of Physics

HUY VO

PhD in Theoretical Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Assistant Professor NYU CUSP/City University of New York

Research Interests: Urban Informatics

PhD in Computing, The University of Utah Research Interests: Large-scale visualization, big data systems, scalable displays, and high-performance computing

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GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN APPLIED URBAN SCIENCE AND INFORMATICS

LOGAN WERSCHKY

NEIL KLEIMAN

Assistant Professor of Practice

Clinical Assistant Professor, NYU Wagner School of Public Service

MS in Regional and Urban Planning, The London School of Economics and Political Science

PhD in Political Science, City University of New York

Research Interests: Civic Analytics, public service delivery, emergency response, and disaster recovery

Research Interests: Urban innovation, higher education, economic development, and public policy

CLAUDIO SILVA

ASSOCIATE AND   AFFILIATED FACULTY

Professor, NYU Tandon School of Engineering PhD in Computer Science, State University of New York at Stony Brook

JUAN BELLO

Research Interests: Big data and urban systems, visualization and data analysis, sports analytics and visualization, and geometry processing

Associate Professor, NYU Steinhardt PhD in Electronic Engineering, Queen Mary, University of London

ARUN SUNDARARAJAN

Research Interests: Endowing computers with listening skills

Professor, NYU Stern School of Business PhD in Business Administration, University of Rochester

JOSEPH CHOW Assistant Professor for Civil and Urban Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering

Research Interests: Platforms and digital governance, collaborative and sharing economies, contagion in networks and social media, digital products and markets, and data science

PhD in Civil Engineering, University of California, Irvine Research Interests: Transportation systems with an emphasis on multimodal networks, behavioral urban logistics, smart cities, and transport economics

ADJUNCT FACULTY HIMANSHU MISTRY Adjunct Faculty

SEMIHA ERGAN

MS in Urban Planning, NYU Wagner School of Public Service

Assistant Professor for Civil and Urban Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering

Research Interests: Urban design, urban planning, architecture, real estate, and GIS (geospatial analysis management)

PhD in Computer Aided Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University Research Interests: Urban challenges for AEC/FM, facility informatics for healthier buildings, and infrastructure information modeling and visualization

LOU RICCIO Adjunct Faculty PhD in Industrial Engineering, Lehigh University

TOM KIRCHNER

Research Interests: Modeling urban affairs with a focus on transportation, sanitation, criminal justice, and housing

Clinical Associate Professor, NYU College of Global Public Health PhD in Clinical and Biological Health, University of Pittsburgh

BOB RICHARDSON

Research Interests: Mobile health initiatives

Adjunct Faculty MA in Philosophy, University of Michigan Research Interests: Civic technology strategy, technology innovation, and diffusion

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NYU CENTER FOR URBAN SCIENCE + PROGRESS

TIM SAVAGE

DANIELA HOCHFELLNER

Adjunct Faculty

Research Assistant Professor & Senior Research Scientist

PhD in Economics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

PhD in Sociology, University of Bamberg

Research Interests: Policy entrepreneurship and policy-relevant statistical estimators using non-experimental data

Research Interests: Data linkage and confidentiality, and labor and retirement studies

MARTIN JANKOWIAK

RESEARCH SCIENTISTS AND   POST-DOCTORAL ASSOCIATES

Research Scientist PhD in Physics, Stanford University

FEDERICA BIANCO Assistant Research Scientist

Research Interests: Crisis informatics, problems in machine learning, and statistics

PhD in Physics, University of Pennsylvania

CHARLIE MYDLARZ Post-Doctoral Associate

Research Interests: Inference from astronomical time series, supernova physics, high speed photometry, and lucky imaging instrumentation and development

PhD in Soundscape Research, University of Salford Research Interests: Cyberphysical systems for large scale, high-resolution soundscape data capture from urban environments

DANIEL CASTELLANI Research Scientist MS in Software Engineering, Universidade Federal Fluminense in Brazil

REBECCA ROSEN Associate Director for Data Resources & Data Strategy

Research Interests: Big data, data analysis, and data facility

PhD in Neuroscience, Emory University

THEO DAMOULAS

Research Interests: Using new data approaches to document and improve the value of university research, and building data platforms for research management

Exchange Assistant Professor PhD in Computing Science, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom Research Interests: Probabilistic machine learning, spatiotemporal inference, Bayesian inference and kernel methods applied to Urban Informatics, biology, and sustainability

JUSTIN SALAMON Post-Doctoral Associate PhD in Computer Science, Pompeu Fabra University

GREGORY DOBLER Associate Director for Physical Sciences

Research Interests: Digital signal processing, machine learning, and data mining

PhD in Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania

RAVI SHROFF Research Scientist

Research Interests: Remote sensing, image processing, computer vision, physics, energy efficiency and monitoring, and air quality

PhD in Mathematics, University of California, San Diego Research Interests: Computational social science, criminal justice and policing, big data and the law, and applications of mathematical techniques to urban problems

SANTONU GOSWAMI Research Scientist PhD in Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso Research Interests: Data analytics, data synthesis, GIS, and remote sensing

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GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN APPLIED URBAN SCIENCE AND INFORMATICS

EXECUTIVES IN RESIDENCE

BRENDAN REILLY

STUART FELDMAN Executive in Residence

Bioinformatics, University of Pennsylvania

PhD in Applied Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Research Interests: Civic tech entrepreneurship and IP strategy for startups

Research Interests: Computer science and engineering

IRVING WLADAWSKY-BERGER

Entrepreneur in Residence

Executive in Residence

JURIJ PARASZCZAK Executive in Residence

PhD in Physics, University of Chicago

PhD in Physical Chemistry, University of Sheffield, UK

Research Interests: Innovation of socio-technical systems and digital currency

Research Interests: Urban systems, especially as they relate to urban resilience

NYU CUSP TRAINS STUDENTS TO IMPROVE OUR CITIES “ We designed our programs to offer an intensive, rigorous curriculum that provides students with an immersion in data analytics and big data, as well as a broad spectrum of urban domains, covering city operations, policy, and planning. The NYU CUSP learning environment combines technical and classroom training with real-world, experiential learning opportunities to ensure our students graduate with both solid analytic skills and an understanding of the challenges facing cities and public decision makers. Through hands-on, interdisciplinary projects working with city data alongside city agency domain experts, we strive to train students to explore, analyze, and communicate data in a way that drives social impact and effectuates real change in urban quality of life, social equity, sustainability, and resilience.

I believe our approach is unique in having students understand both the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of Urban Informatics, moving past simple correlations to instead using data analytics to achieve a positive impact for people who live in cities around the world.”

CONSTANTINE E. KONTOKOSTA, PHD, PE Deputy Director for Academics, Assistant Professor, & Program Director

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NYU CENTER FOR URBAN SCIENCE + PROGRESS

HELPING TO BUILD A BETTER, STRONGER, AND MORE EQUITABLE NEW YORK NYU CUSP draws its research strength from an extraordinary consortium—leading institutions of higher learning, leaders in the tech industry, and leaders in public service— that individually rank among the most prominent in their sectors, and together form an unsurpassed whole. Combined with the extensive urban and sustainability research strengths of multiple schools and departments at NYU and NYU Tandon School of Engineering, it is well positioned as a global leader in the study of Urban Informatics.

BUILDINGS & THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

A deeper understanding of how energy, water,

Hurricane Sandy demonstrated the dangers

and waste flow through buildings can support

extreme weather events pose to the city’s

data-driven decisions to improve building

citizens and its economy. NYU CUSP’s mission

energy efficiency. Policies to maximize energy

involves developing cost-effective risk

efficiency can be a cost-effective way to reduce

management and emergency management

total consumption, lower carbon emissions,

practices for both natural and man-made

stimulate new investment, and create jobs.

disasters and tools to advance urban resilience.

TRANSPORTATION

IN OUR OWN WORDS

Transportation service providers are confronted

“ I joined the NYU CUSP faculty because it is the only

with rising costs and aging infrastructure.

program of its kind in New York City and one of

Decreasing the time required to collect, analyze,

the first anywhere in the world training students to

and provide actionable information to system

collect and analyze urban data in a major city. My

operators and passengers can optimize

primary work at NYU CUSP is with the Data Facility,

transportation systems.

which provides a platform for multiple sources of data that both students and faculty can use in research and to collaborate with city agencies.”

DR. JULIA LANE Professor at NYU CUSP

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Coventry

Pittsburgh

New York Shanghai Abu Dhabi

Academic Partners NYU Portal Campuses NYU Global Network Sites

ACADEMIC PARTNERS

AGENCY PARTNERS

• New York University

• Department of Buildings (DOB)

• Carnegie Mellon University • City University of New York

• D epartment of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS)

• University of Warwick

• Department of City Planning (DCP) • Department of Design and Construction (DDC)

NATIONAL LABORATORIES

• Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)

• Brookhaven National Laboratory

• Department of Finance (DOF)

• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

• D epartment of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DOITT)

• Los Alamos National Laboratory • Sandia National Laboratory

• Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR)

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

• Department of Transportation (DOT)

• IBM

• Fire Department City of New York (FDNY)

• Microsoft

• Mayor’s Office of Operations

• Consolidated Edison Company of New York

• Mayor’s Office of Sustainability

• National Grid

• Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)

• Lutron Electronics, Inc.

• N ew York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC)

• Siemens

• New York City Police Department (NYPD) • The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey

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NYU CENTER FOR URBAN SCIENCE + PROGRESS

A MESSAGE FROM STEVEN E. KOONIN DIRECTOR OF NYU CUSP

NYU CUSP is a unique, pioneering program that is leading and defining the science of cities. We bring together students with diverse technical backgrounds and a common desire to improve urban lives, giving them the opportunity to learn from expert faculty and make the most of extraordinary research experiences.

The digital age has produced an incredible ability to collect, store, and analyze data. Concurrently, globalization has flooded urban centers with new inhabitants who place increased strains on resources and infrastructure. Bringing big data to bear on urban societal problems—from clean air to transportation to healthcare—is at the heart of NYU CUSP and a path to improvement of both existing and newly built cities.

The world’s cities are competing for talent and capital like never before. As a native New Yorker, I am particularly heartened to know that NYU CUSP’s researchers and students are working side-by-side with city and state agencies, and industry and university partners to move this city forward and advance the field of Urban Informatics.

Our work is generating new understanding and technologies, and in turn new ventures and new jobs.

More broadly, we will share the lessons we learn with the rest of the world to make cities around the planet better places to live and work.

I invite you to join us on NYU CUSP’s historic mission. You will develop skills and experiences on which to draw for life—professionally as well as personally.

Steven E. Koonin, PhD Director of NYU CUSP

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GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN APPLIED URBAN SCIENCE AND INFORMATICS

CONNECT WITH NYU CUSP With initiatives like a public online portal of more than 1,200 datasets about New York City operations—from social services to public safety to businesses—New York City is becoming the world’s leading digital city. If you are interested in using data to improve urban life, this is the city in which to do it.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered for the MS program, you

For detailed information on the application

must display a strong quantitative background

process and to complete the online application

through either academic preparation, work

for admission visit cusp.nyu.edu.

experience, or self-teaching. Students come

FINANCIAL AID

from a multitude of different backgrounds in the sciences, engineering, mathematics, social

In addition to the financial aid options available

sciences, and even humanities fields, but all

to all NYU graduate students, including the

have strong interest in honing their analytical

Unsubsidized Stafford Loan Program, other

skills and learning to apply them to urban

federal loan programs, the Federal Work Study

challenges. Successful applicants generally

Program, private loans, and external grants, there

have a distinguished academic transcript and

are several funding opportunities specifically for

standardized test scores.

NYU CUSP students. These include fellowships, scholarships, and paid internships.

Applicants should have training in some of the following areas: single-variable calculus; basic programming and computer science; statistics and probability; and geographic information

FOR MORE INFORMATION

systems and spatial analytics. A selection committee may deem some applicants in need

For admissions information, contact us at

of further training to be admissible to the

cusp.admissions@nyu.edu.

program. In such cases, accelerated instruction

For general inquiries, contact us at

will be available during the pre-semester City

cusp-information@nyu.edu or 646.997.0500.

Challenge Program.

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1 MetroTech Center 19th Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 646.997.0500 Admissions Information: cusp.admissions@nyu.edu General Inquiries: cusp-information@nyu.edu NYUCUSP @nyu_cusp

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