UDH – Urban Data Hub
The Urban Data Hub (UDH) aims to provide data on population-level urban trends at fine geographic resolutions, enabling linkage across sectors and supporting the study of complex urban dynamics. The initial focus is on mobility, housing, and aging.
Wicked problems in society – such as climate change, housing affordability, and health inequalities – are inherently complex. They involve multiple interdependent factors and conflicting interests, requiring interdisciplinary approaches and linked datasets to address effectively. Switzerland’s open data initiatives already offer rich, high-resolution data on the built environment. However, data on individuals – often collected through surveys or administrative sources – are typically inaccessible at fine geographic levels due to privacy constraints. As a result, population-level trends are usually available only at coarser geographic levels such as municipalities or regions, limiting insights into geographic and socioeconomic differences within cities.
The Urban Data Hub (UDH) aims to fill this gap by generating high-resolution urban indicators and maps through small-area estimation methods. Rather than only national or city-level statistics, UDH will aim to generate data at finer geographic scales to enable more granular analysis of urban issues. In its initial two-year pilot phase, UDH will focus on three core topics: (1) mobility in the transition to net-zero, (2) affordable and quality housing, and (3) healthy aging.
In the long term, by making its methods and resulting data accessible and usable, the Urban Data Hub will aim to support interdisciplinary research and policy efforts to better understand and address the complex challenges facing cities.
The Urban Data Hub (UDH) is partially funded by the Digital Society Initiative (DSI) and the Urban Analytics Unit (UNA) within the Department of Geography. The project brings together multiple disciplines and departments across the University of Zurich (UZH), including the Department of Business Administration, the Department of Geography, and the UZH Healthy Longevity Center (HLC).
Project duration: 01.09.2025 – 31.08.2027
Contact: Prof. Dr. Esra Suel