Laboratory of Urban and Environmental Systems

The Laboratory of Urban and Environmental Systems (URBES) at EPFL focuses on describing and predicting land-atmosphere interactions, human-natural dynamics, and sustainable urban and rural systems. Research areas include urban climate, hydrology, soil-plant processes, urban structure, and sustainable design. URBES collaborates across disciplines like hydrology, ecology, epidemiology, and complex system science to quantify the impacts of human activities and guide the design of greener, healthier territories. Ongoing projects include investigating urban heat islands, developing guidelines for green corridors in humanitarian settlements, and studying the comparative ecology of cities.