International Symposium on Urban Systems
About
The International Symposium on Urban Systems offers the opportunity for academic scholars, planners, policymakers, and innovators to explore the multifaceted nature of the urban environment. It is a venue where we will examine the intricate web of relationships, challenges, and opportunities that are shaping our cities.
Cities are ecosystems shaped by layers of infrastructure, social networks, economic forces, and ecological environments. In this context, urban systems are best understood as interconnected and evolving networks that require integrated solutions across disciplines.
What distinguishes cities from the non-urban world is the tractable role of governance. In that sense, cities are shaped by a diverse but perhaps easier to track array of factors: political agendas, historical legacies, technological advancements, and the challenges of an ever-growing population. This makes urban systems unique from the point of view of decision implementation, but also in their potential to create profound impact—both positive and negative—on the lives of billions of people.
At this symposium, we will delve into how cities operate as complex systems, exploring the intersections between people, technology, and the environment. We’ll explore questions such as: How can we design urban spaces that are livable and resilient? What role do information and technology play in optimizing city services? How well can we model the interaction of physical, natural, and human systems? How can cities offer the opportunity to design for equity?
We look forward to seeing you and your work in these areas. Final submissions will be compiled as a printed volume and distributed as the symposium preceding. Presentations will be six minutes in length, followed by four minutes of discussion and questions.
Venue and Schedule
Venue: New York University Campus (40 Washington Square S, New York, NY 10012 USA)
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Sessions and Moderators
Session 1: Local Law and Policy
Session moderator: Katrina Wyman, Professor, NYU School of Law, Director of Environmental and Energy Law Program
Session 2: Climate and Exposure
Session moderator: George Thurston, Professor, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Population Health
Session 3: Public Health
Session moderator: Jo Ivey Bouffort, Professor, NYU School of Public Health, Director of the Doctor of Public Health Program
Session 4: Urban Design
Session moderator: Mitchell Joachim, Professor, NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Co-founder Terreform ONE
Session 5: Placed-based Innovation
Session moderator: Simon Sylvester-Chaudhry, Executive Director CIVLAB
Session 6: Housing
Session moderator: Jenna Dyer, Analyst, New York City Office of Management and Budget
Registration
Registration will be processed until capacity is reached.
Registration fees
General Admission: $95.00
Student Admission: $65.00
Submit a 150 word abstract using the link above (one submission per corresponding author). The submission will be reviewed for level of fit to the symposium emphasis. We will then reach out for submission of the full paper (3 pages single space including figures). The full paper will be reviewed for incorporation in the symposium booklet. Submissions will be processed on a rolling basis until capacity is reached. The presenter will be the corresponding author. Please note that September 1st will be a hard deadline for final manuscript submission; and all presentations require an accompanying manuscript.
Organization
Symposium Chair
Masoud Ghandehari, Professor, NYU School of Engineering
Steering Committee
Jo Ivey Elizabeth Boufford, Professor, NYU School of Global Public Health
Katrina Wyman, Professor, NYU Law School
Mitchell Joachim, Professor, NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study
Allison Taylor, Associate Professor, NYU Stern School of Business
George Thurston, Professor, NYU School of Medicine
Contact
Sohei Yamada, Symposium Secretary, admin@urbansystems.org