University of Seoul to Host SSUS Exploring Solutions for Future Cities
Exploring Solutions to Urban Challenges Through AI and Data
The University of Seoul is creating an international academic exchange platform to explore the advancement of future cities through artificial intelligence (AI) and data, as well as solutions for urban issues.
The University of Seoul announced that it will host the '2026 Seoul Symposium on Urban Sciences (SSUS)' from September 10 to 12 at the university’s College of Natural Sciences.
This year's event, themed 'Advancing Urban Intelligence Through AI, Data and Analytics,' brings together urban science researchers from Korea and abroad to discuss new directions for future city research based on AI and data analytics.
SSUS builds upon and expands the international academic exchange tradition of the 'Seoul Metropolitan Fora (SMF),' which the University of Seoul has organized since 1996.
Over the past three decades, these events have addressed a range of urban issues related to urban planning, transportation, environment, and policy. Starting this year, the symposium will launch afresh as SSUS, encompassing all areas of urban science and new research methodologies.
This event will feature keynote lectures by three globally renowned urban science scholars. Professor S.C. Wong of the University of Hong Kong will discuss urban transport networks and the variability of traffic flows, while Professor Alison Heppenstall of the University of Glasgow will share research findings on urban mobility, human behavior, and urban change modeling.
Professor Piyushimita (Vonu) Thakuriah of Rutgers University will present possibilities for a new 'Urban Intelligence' focusing on transportation and urban analysis using generative AI.
The specialized sessions will focus on how AI and advanced data analytics technologies can be practically applied to urban transportation and policy.
In the first session, 'Smart Mobility and Traffic Analytics,' Professors Fernando Bacao, Dong Ngoduy, Jang Kitae, and Lee Sooki will discuss subjects including LLM-based travel data analytics, real-time traffic control using digital twins, the use of electric vehicle data, and urban analytics in the age of AI.
The second session, 'Agentic City, Digital Twins and Policy Intelligence,' will see Professors Clayton C. Miller, Lee Sanghoon, Lee Seunghyun, and Jin Jaeteuk of the University of Seoul explore topics such as citizen-participated urban data and AI, agentic AI and digital twins, generative AI-based urban policy, AI readiness in cities, and algorithmic governance—seeking new possibilities for AI use in urban management and policy.
In particular, this year’s symposium is held in conjunction with the launch of 'Part B: Advanced Methods in Urban Science and Analytics' in the International Journal of Urban Sciences (IJUS).
The University of Seoul plans to develop the international academic network built through SSUS into a platform for continued joint research and new research achievements.
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The 2026 SSUS will begin with a welcome dinner on September 10, followed by the opening ceremony, keynote lectures, and specialized sessions on September 11. On the final day, September 12, there will be a 'Technical Tour' for participants to observe urban sites firsthand.
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