Human-Centered Cities
We study how people experience and interact with built environments and intelligent systems, using AI, physiological sensing, immersive simulation, and real-world studies to design safer, healthier, and more human-centered cities.
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 Cycling and well-being
What makes a street feel good to ride?
Simulators
We study walking, cycling, and driving within one unified immersive simulator, where people share the same virtual city.
We also run driving simulator studies to understand driver behavior and how people 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