Published on: 4 February 2026, 1:36PM
Modified on: 4 February 2026, 2:12PM
Decoding the hidden grammar of cities
Designing better cities begins with understanding how they really work.
How can AI, data and advanced urban modelling help design cities that are more liveable, sustainable and healthy as climate change intensifies? In this video, Asst Prof Yu Qian Ang (Department of the Built Environment, College of Design and Engineering at NUS) explains how his research uses artificial intelligence, digital twins and city-scale modelling to understand how cities function and how they can be designed for better energy performance, comfort and health. A Presidential Young Professor, Yu Qian Ang leads the City Syntax Lab (https://www.citysyntax.io), where his team studies the energy–comfort–health nexus across buildings, neighbourhoods and entire cities. Using AI-powered perception models, physics-based simulations and urban building energy modelling, the lab supports better urban design and planning decisions that reduce energy use, cut carbon emissions and improve liveability.
