Description
Half of the world’s population—around 3.5 billion people—currently lives in cities, and this figure is expected to rise to 68% by 2050. Urbanisation, along with changes in land use, is a significant driver of biodiversity loss across the globe. While digital technologies such as networked sensing, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing are transforming urban life under the banner of the "smart city," these innovations have largely overlooked nonhuman elements of the urban ecosystem. A more-than-human perspective on smart cities calls for recognizing and designing for the complex interrelationships between humans and nonhuman entities, including plants, animals, bacteria, and even elements like water, air, and sensors, within urban environments. In the face of an unprecedented rate of species extinction with serious global repercussions, there is growing recognition among scholars, practitioners, and policymakers that a human-centric approach to smart cities is no longer viable. This PhD research project aims to engage diverse urban populations through creative design methods to prototype innovative solutions that support more-than-human smart cities. It will contribute to developing a robust interdisciplinary framework for leveraging digital technologies and urban data in support of a more inclusive and sustainable urban future. The research will adopt applied methods such as speculative design, participatory design, interaction design, data visualisation, and data physicalization to explore and implement these goals.
The successful candidate will work under the guidance of Dr Sara Heitlinger and Professor Stephanie Wilson, in the Centre for Human-Computer Interaction Design. The PhD student will be part of the Mosaic project, which has received an investment of £1.6million from UKRI.
About the Mosaic project:
Mosaic is a four-year programme of collaborative, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral research and innovation that will deliver a step change in how we design, plan and build our cities for thriving multi species cohabitation. The research is investigating large-scale transformation of smart cities from a human-centered perspective, to a more-than-human one.
About the Centre for Human-Computer Interaction Design:
The Centre for HCI Design (HCID) is a leading Human-Computer Interaction group in the UK, based in the Department for Computer Science at City St George’s, University of London. They take great pride in their outstanding research, teaching and consultancy services. Their concern is for how technologies entangle in the many and varied forms of life, and the possibilities for creating the conditions for better ways of living together. HCID is a collective endeavour, and their work and collaborations are guided by their charter.
Qualification
Eligibility and requirements:
These are the essential criteria for this PhD studentship:
- MSc degree in HCI, Computer Science, Design, Sociology, Anthropology, Urban Planning, Architecture or Art or related field, or equivalent experience in a relevant discipline.
- Demonstrable aptitude for original research
- Good understanding of more-than-human literature from design and HCI
- Both creative and technical aptitude
- Skilled in design research methods such as participatory design, interaction design, physical prototyping or data visualisation
- Proficiency in qualitative research methods (for example interviews, co-design, workshops, cultural probes)
- Commitment to and interest in the topic
- Demonstrate the ability to conduct independent research
- Able to take initiative and work as part of a team
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills
- Excellent time management and organisational skills
- Be self-motivated, proactive, and possess creative problem-solving skills
Please note
This is an in-person role, and you are expected to be on campus for at least 60% of your time.
Studentship and support:
The studentship is for 3 years, is open to international candidates and will cover fees, stipend (in line with UKRI rates), fieldwork, training costs and travel for conferences and events (up to an additional £4,000 total). The successful candidate will also benefit from a comprehensive programme of training to develop their research and transferable skills. Start date July/October 2025.
Additional income: Each student may also have the opportunity to earn around £2,200/year on an average (max. is around £4,300/year) through a teaching assistantship.
If you are interested in applying, you are welcome to contact Sara Heitlinger who is happy to address any initial informal enquiries: sara.heitlinger@city.ac.uk
How to apply:
Online applications should be submitted via the course page by clicking the 'Apply' button, and apply for Human-Computer Interaction
As part of your application, submit a personal statement (max 1000 words), answering the questions below and how you meet the essential criteria. You should also submit a CV and a sample of your academic writing. This should be a single piece of work (e.g., an academic paper, dissertation or individual project, or coursework).
Personal statement:
- Tell about your interest in the topic of this PhD and any experience you have related to this topic. If you like you can include an image of something you have made. [250 words max]
- Tell about your interest and any experience in working with design (for example: interaction design, critical design, iterative design, participatory design, speculative design) [250 words max]
- Tell about your interest and any experience in undertaking research (knowing how to answer challenging questions reliably and understand the quality of your answers and where they can be applied) [250 words max]
- A core element of the Mosaic project involves working collaboratively with other team members and external partners. Please tell us about a time when you've worked with others. What did you bring to and learn from the group? [250 words max]
Interviews will take place in May.
For queries regarding the application process, please contact pgr.sst.enquire@city.ac.uk.
City St George’s, University of London is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in all its activities, processes, and culture for their whole community, including staff, students and visitors.
They welcome applications regardless of age, caring responsibilities, disability, gender identity, gender reassignment, marital status, nationality, pregnancy, race and ethnic origin, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation and socio-economic background. City St George’s operates a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants.
For More Info: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DMP162/phd-studentship-more-than-human-smart-cities
