Spatial Data Scientist & Policy Specialist
Evidence for better urban decisions
About me
I'm Ruth Nelson, a spatial data scientist and policy specialist. I hold a PhD in Spatial Data Science and Policy (TU Delft), alongside an MRes in Space Syntax (UCL) and a Master's in Architecture (Nelson Mandela University). I am the coordinator for all research related to Sailing within the Municipality of Amsterdam. The canals have shaped Amsterdam's city form, and today remain central to urban mobility. I work across teams to develop evidence-based policy by co-ordinating the development of data tools, dashboards, spatial models, and qualitative research. Balancing the needs of residents, tourism operators, freight logistics, and the city's long-term liveability goals requires translating between technical evidence and competing political priorities.
Unequal Cities
My PhD explores the structural drivers of urban inequalities through a methodological approach that integrates critical theory with spatial data science. Seventy percent of the world's population live in countries where inequalities have increased over the past three decades. There is growing recognition that global understandings of inequality must be complemented by empirically grounded, context-sensitive analyses that incorporate spatial and temporal dimensions. Central to my work was the development of a theoretical framework that synthesises geospatial analysis and complexity science. This framework is operationalised through its iterative application to three empirical case studies drawn from both the Global North and South, enabling a comparative perspective on urban inequalities.
Read the dissertation →