UO - CUSP

CUSP Urban Observatory

Better cities through imaging.

Through the novel use of observational and analytical techniques, the Urban Observatory at New York University’s Center for Urban Science + Progress (CUSP-UO) studies the complex interactions between the physical, natural, and human components of the city as a coherent, definable system with the goal of enhancing public well-being, city operations, and future urban plans. With our persistent, synoptic imaging and sensing of NYC, researchers at the UO are developing insights into energy use and stresses on the power grid, measuring the environmental impact of cities on air quality, and characterizing how urban centers affect patterns of daily life and public health.

People

Gregory Dobler Director urban observatory; broad-band imaging energy proxies; rebound studies; circadiem disruption; ecological impact of urban lighting; infrared building dynamics; hyperspectral plumes; vegetative health	Federica Bianco Senior Research Scientist hypertemporal imaging, visible plumes, street level image analysis	Andy Karpf Project Manager water vapor and latent heat detection
Mohit Sharma Research Scientist network infrastructure; software defined radio; human mobility	Julien Baur Postdoctoral Researcher energy studies under the ARPA-E IDEAS grant	Steve Koonin CUSP Director

Research Projects

Energy

Imaging a city night skyline at different time scales we create models of energy consumption and electrical grid dynamics. Seconds-scale images provide insight into occupancy and activity patterns. Subsecond (hypertemporal) imaging of the same scene can reveal the phase of the electrical grid granular to individual housing units. Spectral wavelength imaging reveals the lighting technologies used in NYC (hyperspectral)

Broad Band Visible imaging of energy proxies
Hypertemporal imaging of energy
Rebound studies through hyperspectral imaging
Infrared building dynamics

Environment

Time-dependent visible wavelength imaging is used to identify soot plumes ejected from NYC buildings and track them as they are transported by urban winds. Hyperspectral imagery yields both the chemical content and concentration of those plumes, providing a unique method to measure air quality in NYC. Observations of chlorophyll in urban vegetation are correlated with data from in situ air quality sensors to measure the impact of urban energy use on vegetation. Nighttime imaging of the skyline is correlated with radar and volunteer data to study impacts of urban lighting on migrating bird ecologies.

Ecological impact of urban lighting
Visible and hyperspectral plumes
Vegetative health
Water vapor and latent heat detection

Human Factors

Using both remote and street-level imaging systems, we are quantifying patterns of life related to human mobility, determining technology adoption and usage characteristics, developing surrogate metrics for traffic safety, and measuring the public health impacts of light pollution via circadian disruption.

Light pollution and circadian phase delay
Rebound studies
Technology penetration
Time-dependent foot traffic
Surrogate traffic safety measures

Media

The work of the UO was featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal (By Robert Lee Hotz, December 11, 2015)

Support

Dr. G. Dobler research is in part supported by the James S. McDonnell Fundation : Dr. Dobler is the recipient of a 2015 James S. McDonnell Complex Systems Scholar Award to pursue the study of New York City as a complex system using imaging.

Energy studies at the UO are supported by DOE ARPA-E IDEAS Grant A18-0050-001
PIs :Bianco, Dobler
The IDEAS (Innovative Development in Energy-Related Applied Science) program provides a continuing opportunity for the rapid support of early-stage applied research to explore pioneering new concepts with the potential for transformational and disruptive changes in energy technology