Urban Research, Cities and Spatial Thinking

I am an urban researcher, educator and architect interested in understanding how cities are shaped by spatial structures, inequalities and everyday urban dynamics. My work explores the relationships between urban form, accessibility, socio-spatial inequalities and urban networks through GIS, spatial analysis, network science and urban data.

My research is particularly concerned with how urban morphology, street networks and spatial configuration influence opportunities, mobility and socio-spatial disparities across cities. By integrating geospatial analysis, configurational approaches and computational methods, I seek to better understand urban complexity and contribute to evidence-based urban research and planning.

Academic Background

I hold a PhD and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), and a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Urbanism from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM).

Throughout my academic trajectory, I have also developed an international experience in architecture and urban studies. I was an exchange student in Architecture at the University of Toronto, Canada, and later worked as an international visiting researcher at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, where I collaborated with research on spatial morphology and urban systems.

Research Interests

My research interests lie at the intersection of urban studies, spatial analysis and data-driven approaches to cities. I investigate themes related to:

  • Urban inequalities and socio-spatial segregation;

  • Spatial configuration and urban morphology;

  • Accessibility and urban opportunities;

  • Street networks and configurational analysis;

  • GIS and urban data science;

  • Spatial indicators for urban planning and policy.

I am especially interested in understanding how urban form and spatial organization shape everyday life and unequal access to resources, services and opportunities.

Research Groups and Collaborations

Over the years, I have participated in collaborative academic environments focused on cities, urban systems and spatial analysis.

My academic collaborations include the Urban Systems Research Group (SCU) at UFRGS and the Spatial Morphology Group (SMoG) at Chalmers University of Technology, where I engaged in research on urban systems, socio-spatial interaction networks and spatial morphology.

I value interdisciplinary and international collaborations that connect urban theory, geospatial methods and computational approaches to understand contemporary urban challenges.

Teaching and Educational Resources

Alongside research, teaching and knowledge dissemination are central parts of my work.

I develop educational resources, tutorials, workshops and methodological materials focused on GIS, spatial analysis, urban networks, urban data science and computational methods for urban research. My goal is to make analytical and geospatial tools more accessible to students, researchers and urban practitioners.

I am particularly interested in bridging academic knowledge and applied methods, helping transform complex urban analytical techniques into practical tools for research, teaching and planning.

Methods and Technical Expertise

My work combines urban theory with quantitative and computational methods.

I frequently work with:

  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS);

  • Spatial analysis and geocomputation;

  • Street network and accessibility analysis;

  • Urban morphology and configurational approaches;

  • Census and socio-spatial data integration;

  • Open urban data and spatial databases;

  • QGIS, Python, SQL and urban analytics workflows.

Through these methods, I investigate how cities function spatially and how urban structures shape social and territorial dynamics.

Publications, Projects and Ongoing Work

My publications and projects explore topics such as urban inequalities, accessibility, socio-spatial segregation, urban networks and spatial configuration, with applications primarily in Brazilian cities and metropolitan regions.

I am particularly interested in interdisciplinary research that connects spatial thinking, urban theory and data-driven approaches to produce meaningful insights for cities and urban planning.

Through this website, I share my publications, research projects, educational resources and reflections on urban methods, cities and spatial complexity.