Transforming Urban Environments

Jefferson’s Institute for Smart and Healthy Cities was created to support the research, innovation and education that is happening across the university focusing on transforming urban environments into smart and healthy cities. The institute is conceived as an aggregator and facilitator of transdisciplinary research and education across multiple disciplines driving the future of our cities and communities. Supported by data and smart technologies, Smart Cities is an emerging paradigm in the development of urban environments in an attempt to build more efficient, healthier and livable cities.

We’re changing the way we live, work, travel and learn for a healthier future.

  • Understanding the entire city as a system and solving tomorrow’s most pressing problems: urbanization, public health, energy and transportation
  • Making a direct impact at the community and city scale by researching the intersection of environmental conditions, housing, workplace, transit, public infrastructure and health
  • Finding opportunities to further link the institute to our increasingly connected clinical systems
  • Partnering with technology incubators to provide students access and support through the co-invention process

The Institute for Smart and Healthy Cities is a collaborative effort between the College of Architecture and the Built Environment, College of Population Health, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce.


Cities Under Climate Threat: Venice – Philadelphia

In a joint effort, students from Thomas Jefferson University and Università Iuav di Venezia had an opportunity to showcase their projects at the Palazzo Badoer in Venice during the Venice Biennale 2023.

The exhibit was also featured at Design Philadelphia - one of the oldest design festivals in the country. For nearly a decade, Jefferson has been an active participant because we value engagement and understand the transformative power of design

DesignPhiladelphia Celebrates City’s Creativity & Innovation
 
Project Highlights

Rome 2050

The Smart and Healthy Cities Studio shows the complex interconnection between climate change and the macro, mezzo, and micro–contextual relationships between factors that have often not been considered. The studio offers solutions for how cities can be better prepared for future global crises and how to transform cities under climate threats into more resilient towns to support a fair city to live, work, and do business.

Dr. Makete Lab Image
Event: Thursday, October 10th, 4 - 7pm EDT

Smart & Healthy Cities Symposium

Mitigating Climate Change Effects in Cities

Jefferson’s annual International Smart & Healthy Cities Symposium offers a platform for industry experts — academics, scientists, entrepreneurs and leaders in architecture, engineering, population health and city government — to discuss important topics within the built environment.

The Symposium will focus on the interrelationship between climate change and urbanization, solution identification through community engagement, and population health. 

Grants & Proposals

News & Events

Research Areas

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Podcast

Institute for Smart & Healthy Cities Connects Three Colleges in Cross Disciplinary Effort

Jefferson's College of Architecture & The Built Environment, the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering & Commerce and the College of Population Health come together to develop cities in the face of climate change, social inequity, rapid urbanization and health disparities.