A question can trigger many answers, many conversations, and also open up more questions. During 2024, we set out to investigate what cities we live in, through a series of challenges, studies, and analyses that allow us to create an image to which we can contribute a great deal.

We live in cities that by 2050 will see 30% of their surface underwater, cities with critical points that concentrate hundreds of accidents a year, cities where we close schools that in the future will be key to providing education to neighborhoods that will be completely transformed, cities where older people will have to walk more than 15 minutes to reach a health and care center, cities that year after year see how forest fires occur closer and closer to the peripheral neighborhoods.

To address these challenges, we at the lab want to continue contributing to the city debate with data, technology, and new ideas so that decision-makers can, precisely, together with everyone, lead the transformation of urban planning.

Helen de la Fuente,
Interim Research Director City Lab Biobío

This dynamic query tool allows users to monitor and analyze traffic and accident patterns in key urban areas of San Pedro de la Paz. The viewer is designed to provide a comprehensive view of various indicators, allowing users to quickly identify the critical routes in the commune.

With the viewer, we can centralize and organize traffic and accident data in an attractive and accessible visual environment for everyone, provide a performance analysis of some key indicators to understand the traffic situation, and monitor its evolution over specific periods.

This work was carried out jointly with the Municipality of San Pedro de la Paz, a collaboration agreed upon during the first half of this year, and which in November delivered this very important product.

Marcela participated in a panel discussion about promoting bicycle use as one of the most efficient and safe modes of transportation in the city. The seminar, along with experts and local cycling advocates, explored how the bicycle plays a transformative role in urban environments.

A journey that began as an idea in November reached its conclusion. At the TVN studios, we awaited the announcement of the winners of the awards that recognize national innovation. From over 700 applications, our lab emerged as a finalist in the New City category—a tremendous recognition of our work.

It’s awards season, and City Lab Biobío is proud to introduce CityScopito! This smaller, more portable version of our urban simulation technology was on display at the PAU awards, with presentations by Francisco, its creator, and Diego, the best city science presenter this side of the globe.

Diego takes to the local stage to discuss the technological tools he develops with his most loyal followers: IT and telecommunications student interns.

At USM, his presentation was framed as an exploration, inviting attendees to collaboratively consider what tools could contribute to the lab’s city science initiatives. He placed particular emphasis on developments related to mobile phone and Waze data, language models, and physical simulation interfaces.

At the UdeC Telecommunications Congress, Helen and the team explored how future engineers can contribute to scientific and productive projects by joining interdisciplinary teams, mastering data management, and creating technological solutions.

The authority visited the laboratory along with the SEREMI of the Central South Region for Science and Technology, with the objective of learning about the lab’s analysis and visualization capabilities.

To explore potential collaborations in data simulation and analysis, the outreach director from the Institute for Disaster Resilience met with our teams.

We first met in Boston and later connected in Concepción. We talked with Pharu and Symnetics about the importance and flexibility of data analysis using globally advanced technologies.