At the Social Urban Networks Lab (SUNLab) at Northeastern University’s Network Science Institute, we help organizations make better, data-driven decisions about cities and people. We combine large-scale behavioral data (such as anonymized mobility traces and other digital signals) with advanced analytics to uncover how people move, interact, work, and access opportunity in urban environments.
What we offer
Urban human behavior models & analytics
We use anonymized mobile phone and other large-scale behavioral data to model how people move through and use cities—identifying patterns of activity, popular destinations, and the effects of transportation systems and infrastructure.Economic risk and urban resilience
We analyze how human mobility connects businesses and places, revealing dependency networks between venues and sectors. This helps partners identify vulnerabilities, economic spillovers, and resilience in urban economies during shocks such as pandemics, closures, or climate events.Community inclusivity and urban inequality
We measure how urban design, services, and infrastructure shape who meets whom, where, and when, helping partners understand gaps in access, diversity of encounters, and the distribution of opportunities across demographic groups and neighborhoods.Policy evaluation and impact analysis
Using spatial data and causal inference methods, we evaluate how policy interventions, infrastructure investments, zoning changes, or commercial developments influence human behavior and economic activity, providing evidence to refine or scale successful interventions.Urban health environments
We study how access to services, amenities, and environments (such as food outlets, parks, and social infrastructure) influences public health, behavior, and resilience, helping partners design healthier, more equitable urban systems.Labor markets and the future of work
We analyze how AI, automation, and skills transitions affect career mobility, unemployment risk, and wages across occupations, industries, and regions—informing workforce development, education, and strategic planning.
Why work with SUNLab?
- Experience: Over two decades of experience collaborating with private companies, public agencies, and NGOs on complex urban and economic challenges.
- Data-driven insights: Our work relies on large-scale, anonymized datasets that capture real-world behavior at scale.
- Predictive modeling: We build models to forecast trends and scenario outcomes, such as the impact of urban shocks, policy shifts, or infrastructure changes.
- Real-world impact: Our research supports decisions in urban planning, economic development, public health, and social equity, and has been covered by major media outlets.
- Interdisciplinary team: Experts in data science, network science, urban planning, economics, and the social sciences.
- Powerful tools & visual platforms: We translate complex data and models into intuitive dashboards and interactive tools (such as the Atlas of Inequality and Invisible Urban Dependencies) that help decision-makers explore scenarios and communicate findings.
Example applications
Retail & real estate:
Optimize site selection, understand and forecast foot traffic, segment and predict customer behavior, and assess how resilient locations and sectors are to shocks.Public health & health systems:
Analyze the impact of food environments, mobility patterns, and access to services on health outcomes; target interventions to communities most at risk.Human resources & workforce strategy:
Monitor urban labor market trends, identify emerging skills and occupations, and design strategies for talent acquisition, training, and mobility.Urban planning & development:
Design more resilient and vibrant urban environments by evaluating transportation, zoning, social infrastructure, and development interventions through observed behavior.
Partner with SUNLab
We are actively seeking collaborations with:
- Companies in mobility, retail, finance, technology, and real estate
- Public agencies focused on transportation, planning, public health, and economic development
- Nonprofits and international organizations working on urban inequality, climate resilience, and health
If you’d like to explore a partnership or discuss a specific project:
- Email: Esteban Moro, Director of SUNLab —
e.moroegido@northeastern.edu - Learn more: socialurban.net