Human-Centered Cities
We study how people experience and interact with the built and increasingly automated world around them. Using physiological sensing, immersive simulation, and real-world studies, we investigate how humans perceive, respond to, and interact with physical environments, intelligent systems, and emerging technologies, and use these insights to design safer, healthier, and more human-centered environments.
Research
01 Human-AV interaction
When the car hands back control, is the driver ready?
02 Immersive multi-agent simulation
How do drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians behave when they share the same virtual street?
03 Pedestrian well-being
How does the street feel to the person walking it?
04 Human-centered public transit design
Can stations and vehicles be designed to make the commute feel better?
05 Urban form and well-being
Does the shape of a city change how people feel in it?
06 Indoor environments, well-being, and learning
Can a classroom help students feel and learn better?
Simulators
We study walking and cycling in immersive virtual reality, using our bicycle and pedestrian simulators.
We also run several types of driving simulators to study how people drive, and how they share control with automation.
News
Selected publications
- 2026 A multimodal human-centered framework for assessing pedestrian well-being in the wildYasaman Hakiminejad and Arash Tavakoli - Urban Mobility
- 2026 How is the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry adopting artificial intelligence? A cross-sectional survey studyShiva Azimi, Yasaman Hakiminejad, Dhruv Jaydeep Shevade, and Arash Tavakoli - Results in Engineering
- 2026 Urban forms across continents: A data-driven comparison of Lausanne and PhiladelphiaArthur Carmès, Léo Catteau, Andrew Sonta, and Arash Tavakoli - Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
- 2025 Simulation for All: A Step-by-Step Cookbook for Developing Human-Centered Multi-Agent Transportation SimulatorsShiva Azimi, and Arash Tavakoli - IEEE Access
- 2025 Public transit of the future: Enhancing well-being through designing human-centered public transportation spacesYasaman Hakiminejad, Elizabeth Pantesco, and Arash Tavakoli - Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Join
We’re looking for students and collaborators curious about bodies, behavior, and cities. Get in touch