Duration /
2016 – 2019

Funding /
EU ERA NET

A/S Team /
M. Mosteiro Romero, J. Fonseca, A. Willmann, A. Elesawy, A. Schlueter

Key Partners /
City of Zurich
Prof. Kay Axhausen (ETH Zurich)
Prof. Arjan van Timmeren (TU Delft),
Prof. Akkelies van Nees (Bergen University College)

SPACERGY builds upon the need of planning authorities to implement new models for integration of ‘prosumers’ and smart mobility departing from the exploitation of their reciprocities in future patterns of urbanization. Several policies are made by each nation, but effective and practical implementation tools are missing. SPACERGY focuses on the role of optimized mobility, spatial morphologies, infrastructural elements and local community participation in regards to the smart use of local resources. The project addresses a knowledge gap in relation to interactions and synergies between spatial programming, energy and mobility systems planning and stakeholder involvement necessary to improve models of development and governance of urban transformations.

Based on detailed spatial morphology and energy use modelling, SPACERGY will develop new toolsets and guidelines necessary to advance the implementation of energy efficient forms of development. New toolsets will be tested in three urban areas under development in the cities of Zurich, Almere, Bergen, and verified by action research in Brescia, acting as living laboratories for real-time research and action in collaboration with local stakeholders.

As part of this project, the A/S team is developing an urban energy modelling framework to be integrated with agent-based transportation microsimulation in order to achieve a dynamic energy simulation at the district level incorporating spatio-temporal modelling of user behavior and occupancy. Through the identification of the qualities and quantities of the demand of energy services as well as modes of operation and regulation of building systems and transportation for various scenarios, synergetic scenarios will be analyzed and a dynamic model for optimization and operation analysis of distributed energy infrastructure at the district level will be developed in order to simulate the interaction between urban form, grid operators, users and local infrastructures.

The results of this research project will help planners and decision makers to facilitate the transition of their communities to a more efficient, livable and thus prosperous urban environment.

Selected Publications /
1 / D. Maiullari, M. Mosteiro-Romero, R. E. de Koning, Remco, A. van Timmeren, A. van Nes and A. Schlueter. SPACERGY: Space-Energy Patterns for Smart Energy Infrastructures, Community Reciprocities and Related Governance. Delft: BK Books, 2019. DOI ETH Research Collection