Cities should scale with the people that inhabit them.
The Human Simulation Lab is a collective of students from the University of Waterloo building scalable optimizations to infrastructure through human modelling. Our agent-based simulations identify patterns through genetic algorithms to reason and respond to the dynamic needs of populations. Our research extends beyond just city optimizations, from realtime traffic and concert congestion to military planning and natural disaster relief—we intend to build a generalized human modelling software.
Urban environments are complex superorganisms, driven by human experiences. As populations grow and environments evolve, cities should evolve with their people. Skyline models citizens in cities to simulate transportation and reason about these patterns to optimize systems as they scale. We position humans not just as residents but as central figures shaping and being shaped by their environment.
We promote a future where urban development is an open and ongoing dialogue between city and citizen, embodying a dynamic urban social contract. For us, human simulation is a fundamental middle-layer for optimizing changing, uncertain scenarios.
To contribute by getting us in touch with cities and experts or providing micro-grants for compute, we ask that you reach out to our team. Your support will go a long way in advancing the cities we inhabit.