Francesco Pilla

Professor Francesco Pilla is a Full Professor of Smart and Sustainable Cities at University College Dublin's School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, where he also serves as Co-Director of the Spatial Dynamics Lab. Previously, he held positions as MSc Director (2018-2019) and Undergraduate Director for the School of Architecture. With over 15 years of experience in GIS modeling and spatial data analysis, Professor Pilla's work bridges technology, urban planning, and community engagement to create more sustainable cities.

Professor Pilla's research focuses on developing geospatial analysis tools and environmental pollution models (air, noise, water) using GIS platforms to facilitate interoperability between research teams and end users. His approach integrates environmental pollution models with pervasive and community sensing applications for calibration and validation. A key innovation in his work is the integration of co-design principles through Living Labs in urban planning and citizen science initiatives to improve city life from an environmental perspective.

His recent publications reveal a strong focus on urban sustainability challenges, with significant contributions to air quality monitoring, sustainable transportation, climate adaptation, and citizen science methodologies. His work increasingly incorporates advanced AI techniques, including large language models and machine learning algorithms, to analyze urban systems and develop data-driven solutions for complex environmental problems. The research demonstrates a clear trend toward integrating diverse data sources and developing practical tools for urban governance and planning.

• Haagen-Smit Prize (2024) - Recognizing outstanding papers published in Atmospheric Environment
• Best eMobility Project - Electric Vehicle Awards 2024
• All Ireland community & council awards - Best Community Transport Initiative 2024
• Academic research award: tipping point for action from Financial Times (2023)

Professor Pilla leads numerous significant research projects including iSCAPE (H2020-SC5) as Coordinator, OPERANDUM (Principal Investigator for UCD) focusing on flood risk reduction with nature-based solutions, WeCount (Principal Investigator for UCD), and Connecting Nature (Principal Investigator for UCD). He has also secured funding through SFI Investigator grants for 'Scalable, Privacy-Enhanced Analytics for sharing mobility systems' and several Environmental Protection Agency projects. His collaborative work extends to partnerships with MIT through Fulbright/EPA TechImpact awards and IBM through Faculty Awards.

At the Spatial Dynamics Lab, Professor Pilla oversees research that combines geospatial analysis, environmental monitoring, and community engagement. His innovative 'Bike Library' initiative, which has expanded to multiple schools in Dublin, exemplifies his commitment to translating research into practical community solutions. The lab's work integrates advanced sensing technologies, GIS platforms, and citizen science to address urban environmental challenges through collaborative approaches.