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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