PhD - Measurement and modeling of urban verticality in Africa — EPFL

Full description

EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,500 people supporting the three main missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working environment at the heart of a community of more than 18,500 people, including over 14,000 students and 4,000 researchers from more than 120 different countries.

As part of the Vertical Africa. Visualizing Urban Change, Negotiating Power, Designing Sustainable Cities (VERTICAF) project, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation we are looking for a full time (100%) PhD student at EPFL Lausanne.

Vertical Africa : Visualizing Urban Change, Negotiating Power, Designing Sustainable Cities (VERTICAF) is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and co-led by Professors Didier Péclard (UNIGE), Armelle Choplin (UNIGE), and Jérôme Chenal (EPFL), in partnership with the Universities of Dakar, Kigali, and Luanda.

The Vertical Africa project (VERTICAF) aims to analyze the dynamics of verticalization in African cities and their implications for Africa’s urban future. It combines spatial analysis, political science, architecture, and urban studies to examine how vertical growth transforms cities environmentally, socially, and politically.

The project will be conducted in three cities—Dakar (Senegal), Kigali (Rwanda), and Luanda (Angola)—using a comparative approach focused on key urban areas, including historic centers, peri-urban areas, and satellite settlements.

VERTICAF’s scientific contribution is threefold: (1) to develop methods for measuring verticality and its impacts in data-scarce contexts, in Africa and elsewhere; (2) to document, both theoretically and empirically, the interactions between vertical growth, capitalism, governance, inequality, and everyday life; and (3) to co-design more sustainable and inclusive models for the future of African cities, which will represent a major challenge for global governance by 2100.

Information

Contract duration: 48 months

Location: Switzerland (EPFL), with fieldwork assignments

Start date: 02/2027

Thesis Topic

How can urban verticalization be measured, mapped, and quantified in African contexts with limited data, at the city, neighborhood, and building scales?

Tasks and responsibilities

• Build a harmonized database of urban verticality for the three cities (Dakar, Kigali, Luanda) since 2000;
• Develop a data processing pipeline to extract building heights at different points in time;
• Conduct targeted photogrammetric analyses and integrate geolocated crowdsourced images (Flickr, SenseCity) to supplement satellite data at the meso level;
• Compile “building profiles” (quantitative approach): measuring height, density, footprint, and temporal evolution for approximately 10 buildings per city.

Required Profile

Education

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in geomatics, geography, data science, environmental engineering, quantitative urban planning, or a related field;
• Strong interest in African cities and sustainable urban development issues.

Technical Skills

• Proficiency in remote sensing (satellite image processing, GIS, photogrammetry);
• Programming skills for geospatial analysis: Python (rasterio, geopandas, scikit-learn) or R; experience with Google Earth Engine is a plus;
• Experience with open-source tools (QGIS, GRASS GIS, GDAL) and spatial databases.

Soft Skills

• Scientific rigor and autonomy in conducting research;
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary and multicultural context;
• Excellent writing skills in English (the project’s primary publication language). Knowledge of French required. Knowledge of Portuguese, Wolof, or Kinyarwanda is an asset;
• Sensitivity to gender equity issues and North-South research dynamics.

Application

Applications (in French or English) must include

• A cover letter (max. 2 pages) addressing the topic;
• A detailed curriculum vitae;
• Master’s degree transcript;
• A recent academic paper (master’s thesis, article, internship report) demonstrating skills in spatial analysis;
• Contact information for two academic references.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

The selection process involves multiple stages, and short-listed candidates will be requested to apply to a specific EPFL Doctoral Program to qualify for a PhD at EPFL, i.e. EDAR or EDCE. Please check this page for additional information on admission.

Questions regarding the position may be sent to : [email protected]

Please note that applications submitted by email will not be considered; all applications must be submitted through the online application portal.

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