Towards Healthy smArt MetropOliS (THAMOS)

At La Salle Campus Barcelona, we have started the research project “Towards Healthy smArt MetropOliS (THAMOS): Data-driven multidisciplinary strategies for pursuing sustainable mobility”. This project is a pioneer transversal collaboration between Engineering and Architecture research groups (GRITS — Research Group in Internet Technologies & Storage, GRETEL — Research Group in Technology Enhanced Learning, and IARC/IAM — Research Group in Mediterranean Architecture) aimed to come up with new strategies to assist contemporary cities on the transformation towards healthy smart metropolis, by exploiting data from both existing data sets and on-field sensors.

Nearly two thirds of adult Europeans are not physically active at levels recommended by the World Health Organization. Physical inactivity causes an estimated 600,000 deaths per year in Europe, with high cost for overweight and obesity therapies. Walkability and cyclability have recently emerged as powerful alternatives to strengthen the micro urban fabrics, promote the occupation of space, encourage physical activity and positively contribute to the dynamics of the urban realm, which enhances the citizens’ life quality. We believe that adjusting urban spaces to increase walkability and cyclability by reducing the environmental impact of motorized transport can foster citizens’ physical activity and, thus, improve the quality of life and health conditions of the population.