Our mission is to conduct high-quality, innovative and trans-disciplinary research, to foster knowledge sharing and to review policy matters in the area of urbanism.
Born out of our collective curiosity for cities – and the people and places shaping them – the Urban Intelligence Unit (UIU) was formed in late 2012, as a research wing of Future Cape Town, to experience, explore and engage with this curiosity.
Embracing a trans-disciplinary approach – based on the simple yet radical idea that everybody contributes, beyond their individual expertise – our team background ranges from finance to the arts, psychology to law, urban infrastructure to graphic design – all of which contributes to forming the diverse and broad perspective we feel necessary to approach contemporary urban challenges and complexities.
Our mission
-
To carry out innovative, trans-disciplinary research
-
To foster knowledge sharing in the area of urbanism
-
To facilitate and conduct research into and reviews of policy matters
Our work
Our current research projects include Future Spaces, which explores the potential role of multimedia in exploring and understanding public spaces, and Your City Idea, involving testing of the use of installations in public space as a study of public engagement and participation.
We are also passionate about becoming a centre for the dissemination of knowledge infographics and data visualisations, hosting knowledge share sessions for our team and the public in the form of the Urban Knowledge Network and supporting the research programmes of other organisations.
Within Future Cape Town, the team plays an important role by supporting the advocacy aim of the organisation, with reviews and research into urban policy matters, the formulation of position statements, and producing discussion papers to support the Future Cape Town summits.
If you need a nimble, dynamic, open-minded team to support your organisation, we would love to explore working with you.
Write to uiu@futurecapetown.com.
@UrbanIU
