New York City's Leader in Urban Science

A unique academic research center at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering dedicated to the interdisciplinary application of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the service of urban communities across the globe.

“Cities have social, technical, and environmental components. Engineers like those we’re educating at CUSP address the important intersections between them. We want them to be at the leading edge of contributing to fundamental urban science while providing timely, practical, and actionable insights.”

– Professor Maurizio Porfiri, CUSP Director

Academics

NYU CUSP offers a Master of Science and Online Advanced Certificate in Applied Urban Science and Informatics, as well as a Doctoral Track in Urban Science. We empower our students with the knowledge and technical expertise to make cities around the world more productive, livable, equitable, and resilient. Our graduate programs offer a unique and interdisciplinary approach that links data science, statistics and analytics, and mathematics with complex urban systems, urban management, and policy.

Research

To benefit the city and other partners, NYU CUSP’s research is both mission- and impact- oriented. We develop and integrate data analytics and technologies to specific ends and for the common good, such as improving building energy usage and controlling noise pollution. Our interdisciplinary research teams bring together experts in the physical and natural sciences, computer and data science, the social sciences, engineering, and professional fields such as policy, design, and finance.

Partnerships

NYU CUSP partners with academic institutions, startups, city agencies, corporations, and individuals to further the field of urban science. By coming together and collaborating on research, we can leverage expertise from many different disciplines and perspectives to make an impact both in our communities and in the urban technology landscape. Whether through our Capstone Program, Global Data Dive, individual projects, or our newly founded CUSP Network, we are always open to new partnerships.

What is Urban Science?

Just like cities themselves, urban science is a field that is constantly changing and requires many different perspectives. At its core, urban science studies how cities operate, how they grow, and how they can be improved–all using data and evidence-based practices. At CUSP, we break this down into different methodologies. Sensing technology allows researchers to collect a city’s data (i.e. sound scapes, flood patterns, energy usage, spreading of disease) in novel and creative ways. Informatics practitioners analyze that data to formulate computational insights about the challenge at hand. Complexity researchers can then create models to make predictions about a city’s potential future. Sensing, informatics, and complexity can help to inform policy and decision makers at the city level. Specifically, CUSP focuses on using technology to impact urban health, infrastructures, and environmental concerns.