On 12 June 2025, the UAAU working group on new technologies applied to urban planning held the first session of its dialogue series with experts. Pablo Martínez Díez, co-founder of 300,000 km/s gave a lecture on the use of data in professional urban planning practice. He addressed, among other questions, where to find reliable data, how to assess their accuracy, the role of data in decision-making, and which digital tools can be applied in planning. The session was introduced and moderated by Borja López Rodríguez, Secretary of UAAU.

Led by students of the MADD-Master in Data Design at ELISAVA, shhh… presents unpublished data on the conflict of noise pollution in Barcelona. Only behind air pollution, noise pollution is identified as the second most harmful environmental factor to health in Europe, according to the WHO. In this interview, we talk about Barcelona’s role as an urban model for change in the European context, the importance of data visualisation in addressing health issues and what the agency of designers is in the realm of public health.

Interview for Cities to be blog by Anteverti

The Zaragoza Beats project has been recognized with the first National Prize for Data Visualization 'Ojo al dato', promoted by the Zaragoza Knowledge Foundation, in collaboration with the Zaragoza City Council and the Ibercaja Foundation.

A conversation with Mar Santamaría, urban planner and co-founder of 300.000 km/s, about the power of data to build cities that respond to the needs of the people who live and work in them.

Mar Santamaria, co-founder of 300.000 km/s, talks to Jordi Fornos, director of consultancy and international relations of CIMALSA, about urban data, how to manage it and the challenges that come with it.

Mar Santamaria Varas and Ana Badenas Izquierdo introduce the Urban Citizen Learning (UCL) project. This video has been developed within the framework of the S+T+ARTS Cross-fertilization programme.

Mar Santamaria, co-founder of 300,000 km/s, an urban planning agency with a clear objective: to make cities the most livable places on the planet. European Commission S+T+ARTS Award 2019, Spanish Urbanism Award 2019 and Catalonia Urbanism Award 2020, this agency wants to change things and is committed to healthy, fair and creative cities.

Cities around the world are again competing for tourist business as people resume travel after the worst days of the coronavirus pandemic. But local people in some go-to destinations say the popularity of short-term homestay rentals is a threat to their future. Millions of people worldwide regularly choose to book short stays in rooms or entire properties through online platforms such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com, enticed by the amenities offered by private hosts. But while the renewed interest in travel in recent months has pushed Airbnb’s profits to new highs, people living in tourism hotspots say landlords and developers have sought to push them out to develop properties for lucrative short-term holiday rentals. Tenants pressured to leave their homes often find it impossible to find other places in the immediate vicinity. Many have little option but to move further away, hampering access to workplaces, schools, and grocery markets at a time when food and fuel prices are stubbornly high. Local people trying to buy their first home say they have been priced out as speculators snap up properties for short-term let – often sight unseen. While some city authorities have sought to walk a line between welcoming tourism and supporting local tenants and first-time buyers, some landlords say that local regulations are making it more difficult for them to make extra money through Airbnb and other platforms. They contrast their listing of a single property with the behaviour of hosting companies that offer a range of properties to tourists and business travellers. Home rental platforms such as Airbnb say they are providing an in-demand service that benefits both tourists and homeowners. In this episode of The Stream, we’ll look at the impact that short-term holiday lets are having on local people in cities and other tourist destinations, and ask what they mean for community life.

CCCBLAB Interview

An interview with architect and urban planner Mar Santamaria on the present and future challenges of contemporary cities, public policies, data and urban rights by Nuria Moliner for CCCBLAB (Centre for Contemporary Culture of Barcelona).