A large research grant has been awarded to SPINlab in the NSFC JPI Urban Europe programme. The project focusses on SustaInable Mobility and Equality in mega-ciTy RegIons: patterns, mechanisms and governance (SIMETRI). The project consortium is led by Prof. Michael Batty from University College London and involves researchers from Birkbeck University of London, King’s College London, VU Spatial Economics, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, the University of Hong Kong and Sun Yat-sen University. The project will develop a platform for prediction and urban governance using the Pearl River Delta ‘Greater Bay Area’ mega-city region as a demonstrator, bringing sustainability indicators and simulation models from the Greater London and urban Holland (the Randstad) regions to inform the development of an urban data and simulation platform relevant to designing and testing scenarios for new modes of transport and the alleviation of socio-economic inequalities in the Bay Area. Eric Koomen of VU is responsible for developing the land use and transport modelling environment in this project.
