Negev Urban Research - The national lab for urban innovation
Life here on the edge of the desert is rapidly changing: hot, dense, multicultural, and resource-constrained - a reality for many cities, and an impending future for countless others. The mission of Negev Urban Research, in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab, is to study these shifts through the lens of digital data and AI, deploying scalable solutions across the region and beyond.
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Located in Be'er Sheva and serving cities across Israel, the NUR Lab functions as a multidisciplinary workspace where researchers, designers, and decision-makers collaborate. By bridging data science and spatial planning, we develop novel tools and frameworks to build more equitable, resilient, and sustainable cities.
Research Focus
Desert cities
With extreme heat threatening public health, mobility, and local economies, NUR models microclimates, thermal comfort, and shade infrastructure. We translate environmental data into actionable design frameworks to help desert cities adapt to climate change and remain livable
In/Formal
Informal urbanization across the Negev offers critical insights into global desert spatial dynamics. NUR maps self-built settlements and off-grid networks, transforming bottom-up spatial intelligence into inclusive, adaptive planning frameworks.
Health@Place
Addressing severe regional health disparities, NUR partners with Clalit HMO and leading health institutions to analyze the spatial determinants of health. By integrating spatial data with health outcomes, we design interventions for healthier, more equitable communities.
Team
filter by:
Bar Roni
Head of Urban Policy, Research and Foreign Affairs in the Strategic Planning Division, Israel Planning Administration
Battat Merav
Lab Director
Architect and Urban Planner, SCE Architecture
Prof. Blumberg Dan G.
Vice President, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Chair of the Israel Space Agency
Dr Cicurel Assi
Clalit health services innovation lead and chief of family medicine southern region Affiliated Researcher
Cohen Yonatan
Director of Technology
Elfassy Natanel
Architect, Head of the SCE Negev School of Architecture, Co Founder of 3426, Partner at AN+ Architects
Gal Noam
Lead Data Scientist
Doctoral Researcher, Department of Spatial Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. Kaufmann Talia
Lecturer Hebrew University & SCE, consultant Algorithmic City Strategies
Prof. Larson Kent
Director City Science at the MIT Media Lab
Architect co-director of the Norman Foster Institute on Sustainable Cities
Lavi Roy
Head of Strategic Partnerships
Architect, Urban Designer, and Public Sector Strategic Planner.
Linker Gitit
Lead Geospatial Designer
Architect and lecturer at SCE
Mabar Keren
Head of Resource Development
Expert in Philanthropy, Donor Relations & International Partnerships
Dr. Noyman Ariel
Research Scientist MIT Media Lab
Dr. Oren Hila
CEO of the Tel Aviv Foundation
Ram Ravit
Chief Executive Assistant & Office Manager Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Dr. Ravid Batel Yossef
Director of Research
Expert in Urban Digital Twins, Faculty Member at the Negev School of Architecture
Dr. Rosner Manor Yaara
B.A. in Urban Planning, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Shafran Rinat
Senior Director of Science & Community Division at the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology
Dr. Shtern Marik
Researcher, Van Leer Jerusalem; SCE Architecture
Udelsman Tuval
Urban Research Developer
Former EMEA Service Data Analyst, HP Indigo
Prof. Yiftachel Oren
Professor Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Former Members
Merav Ferzinger | Malak Nemr Awisat | Maya Rodric | Kfir hadad | Noam Ganim | Rotem Rand | Shoval Brazani | Maya Gorovitz | Chen Winner