Reseacher - B3 Comparative Ecologies of Cities

Reseacher - B3 Comparative Ecologies of Cities

The centre currently runs several research programmes with the Future Cities Laboratory (FCL) as one of the programmes. It is home to a community of over 100 PhD, postdoctoral and Professorial researchers working on diverse themes related to sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure systems. In the course of their work, researchers actively collaborate with universities, research institutes, industry, and government agencies with the aim of offering practical solutions.

The project is centred on the proposition that urban pattern-process-function relationships provide valuable knowledge to advance the science of urban planning. The project builds upon emerging theoretical and empirical evidence that patterns of human settlement systems (urban patterns) shape social and ecological processes (urban processes), and such processes in turn, dictate the key demands of urban living such as social relations, mobility, economic exchanges, biophysical environment, ecological conditions, etc. (urban functions). The project will investigate such pattern-process-function relationships across a number of cities to develop generalizations that can be used as urban planning and design principles to guide sustainable urban development, which will be tested in design studios. The main methods employed are remote sensing, spatial pattern analyses, data mining from global datasets, applications of mechanistic and empirical models, and statistical modelling for 5 key domains: urban climate, hydrology, biodiversity, public health and social-economic exchanges.

• Contribute to the focus on socio‐economic interactions, such as in measuring urban vibrancy and urban mobility
• Generate database of metrics for measurement of urban patterns
• Apply selected metrics for characterization of urban patterns of selected cities
• Lead in undertaking spatial analysis of vibrancy-pattern relationships
• Work closely with other team members for integration of data with other work packages
• Assist the appointed project coordinator for project administration, including project reporting, coordination and budget tracking

• MSc in relevant discipline such as urban planning, urban design or urban system science
• Relevant research experience in research in spatial analysis of urban systems, such as in building morphology, urban street patterns, or urban landscapes and the handling of big data
• Demonstrated skills in visual representation of urban planning and design schemes
• Track record in scientific publications is strongly preferred
• Excellent presentation and communication skills
• High writing and speaking proficiency in English
• A strong team player who can multi-task and work effectively as part of a team

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in
science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education,
cutting-edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge
into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our
university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an
environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe,
yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to
develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:

• Detailed CV including the publication list
• A motivation letter
• Minimum of 2 referee letters
• 2 samples of publications
• Relevant works demonstrating quantitative skills in landscape planning or spatial analysis

Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

Further information about the Future Cities Laboratory can be found on our website . Questions regarding the position should be directed to Woan Shing Moo ([email protected] ) (no applications).