"Meaningful innovation and technology can transform cities into dynamic living systems that reflect collective voices and shared aspirations, creating urban environments built for the people and by the people."

Cem Ataman is an Assistant Professor in the Urbanism and Urban Architecture (UUA) chair at the Department of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). His research focuses on how artificial intelligence, data, and design can work together to create healthier, inclusive, and sustainable urban environments. He investigates the role of digital technologies in transforming urban decision-making, with particular attention to citizen participation, digital twins, and data-driven design methods.

Building on these interests, Cem’s current research links big data analytics, stakeholder-centric decision-making, and data-driven design and planning systems in urban transformation areas. He develops conceptual and methodological frameworks that connect interpretive design knowledge with the analytical rigor of data science. Through the use of AI-based computational linguistics, natural language processing, machine learning, and spatial analytics, his research explores how large-scale human-generated data can inform collective design and governance processes. His work emphasizes the responsible and transparent integration of AI into urban planning, aiming to enhance rather than replace human judgment and creativity.

Cem actively applies these research approaches in practice. He has collaborated, and continues to collaborate, with municipalities across Europe, including Madrid, Hamburg, Eindhoven, Helmond, and Best, where he implements his methods in real-world design and planning contexts.

His major research interests are:

• Urban (Big) Data
• Digital Participation
• Artificial Intelligence in Architecture and Urban Design
• Sustainable and Responsive Cities
• Digitalization and Datafication in the Built Environment
• Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity in Urban Contexts

Cem holds a Ph.D. in Architecture and Sustainable Design from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), where he was a member of the Informed Design Lab. Before his doctoral studies, he earned his Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. He was awarded the Singapore International Graduate Award to pursue his Ph.D.

Throughout his career, Cem has received several awards and research grants that recognize the societal and technological relevance of his work, particularly his efforts to bridge design innovation and public engagement. In addition to his academic experience in Southeast Asia, he has been affiliated with several leading institutions in visiting and research positions, including TOBB ETU in Turkey, Politecnico di Torino in Italy, TU Delft in the Netherlands, and EPFL in Switzerland. Before joining UUA as an Assistant Professor, he pursued postgraduate studies in Information Systems in the Built Environment (ISBE) at TU/e.

Alongside his research, Cem has taught and continues to teach at both Bachelor’s and Master’s levels in Turkey, Singapore, and the Netherlands. His teaching integrates research-by-design, data literacy, and collaborative learning, encouraging students to connect conceptual thinking with real-world challenges in the built environment. He aims to bridge academic and practice-based learning in all the courses he teaches.