Keynote Address: Understanding Urban Resilience Through Behavioral Mobility Data
Speaker: Professor Esteban Moro
Northeastern University – Social Urban Networks Lab, Network Science Institute
As part of the morning program, we are honoured to welcome Professor Esteban Moro, an internationally recognised scholar whose work bridges data science, network science, and the study of human behaviour in urban and socio-economic environments.
In his keynote address, Professor Moro will explore how cities and economies function as complex systems shaped by millions of interdependent decisions about where individuals live, work, and move. Drawing on recent advances in large-scale behavioural data analysis, he will examine how mobility traces, digital interactions, and labour market dynamics can be observed at population scale to reveal the underlying structures that drive resilience and inequality.
His presentation will highlight empirical research that integrates data from mobile phones, financial transactions, and social media with network and complexity-science models to understand how disruptive shocks—such as the pandemic or technological transformations—reshape urban systems. He will discuss how behavioural patterns shed light on the adaptive capacity of cities, the spatial organisation of labour markets, and the constraints that hinder equitable access to opportunities.
By grounding these insights in real-world applications, Professor Moro will demonstrate how data-driven methodologies can inform the design of more resilient, equitable, and adaptive urban systems. Attendees will gain a scientifically rigorous understanding of how behavioural mobility data can support evidence-based decision-making in complex socio-technical environments.
