"City Science: Performance Follows Form" (Actar Publishers, NYC, 2023)
Aretian authors Ramon Gras Alomà (Aretian CoFounder and Managing Partner), Jeremy Burke (Aretian CoFounder and Managing Partner), and Fernando Yu (Lead Economist and Leadership Team at Aretian), and contributors Gauthier de La Ville de Baugé (Business Development and Operations), and Céleste Richard (Senior Urban Designer) are delighted to present our new city science book! Our team has worked together to present our urban analytics and design methodology as well as 100 global city profiles.
The book is prefaced by Harvard University Former Executive Dean Fawwaz Habbal, and counts with reference blurbs by world-class urban analytics and design leaders:
Sacha Stolp (Director of Innovation, City of Amsterdam),
Laura Narvaez Zertuche (Foster&Partners, London), and
Stephan van Dijk (Director of Innovation, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions).
This new book “City Science: Performance Follows Form” presents an extended study of 100 urban environments and metropolitan areas throughout the World, on the 5 different continents. This study replicates in a three-dimensional manner the morphological features of cities and metropolitan areas, as well as the economic and human systems that inhabit them. This research allows us to compare and contrast - in terms of urban performance - not only the quality of the architectural and urban design characteristics and civil engineering infrastructures, but also the impact that those systems have on the quality of life of citizens. This book answers some of the most crucial questions in modern urbanism such as: to what extent are cities able to provide 15-minute city standards? How are cities able to provide and shape a prosperous knowledge economy? As well as a good and efficient intermodal mobility and transportation system? Among other important urban topics.
You can buy the new (and discounted until the 15th of November!) Aretian book “City Science: Performance Follows Form” here.
After the 15th of November, you can find it at its regular price here.
Aretian is a Harvard-based urban design and analytics research firm that uses cutting-edge methodology to understand and improve urban and economic development through the intelligent and insightful use of data. Its work enables city planners and political leaders to avoid the pitfalls of bad urban design while harnessing the creativity and productivity of cities. Aretian has built a new scientific theory of cities that brings together innovative techniques in the fields of data analytics, complexity science and network theory-driven machine learning to produce high-resolution digital models of cities. These models enable Aretian to study cities more closely and accurately than ever before, developing fresh insights to share with the people who plan, design, build, develop and manage the metropolises of tomorrow.
"City Science: Performance Follow Form unfolds a universal story of cities as living beings, shaped by the delicate dance between art and science, tradition and innovation. It is a journey through the complicated relationships of urban design, where the cityscape reflects the soul of its people."
Sacha Stolp (Director of Innovation, City of Amsterdam)
"Ramon Gras and Jeremy Burke brilliantly succeed in showing how movement, interaction, transaction, and innovation are reflected in our understanding of the form and performance of the city, beautifully showcased in the exploration of 100 cities. This book is an admirable accomplishment."
Laura Narvaez Zertuche (Foster&Partners, London)
"By developing a rigorous methodological framework based on city form, network theory and complexity science, and clear and quantifiable measures and indicators, Ramon and the Aretian team offer us both a lens to better understand our cities and its dynamics, but also to better design and re-invent our cities to spur innovation, prosperity and well-being. This is much needed in the times of transition and change that we are currently in, and I would recommend everyone to read this book and think about how to implement its insights."
Stephan van Dijk (Director of Innovation, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions)
