Research | Urban Inequalities, Spatial Data Science & Urban Policy

My research examines urban inequalities through the lens of spatial data science using GIS, accessibility modeling, and spatial statistics to inform more equitable urban policy. My work spans housing, mobility, and neighbourhood accessibility across a range of. different contexts.

Publications #

1. Nelson, RJ., Warnier, M. and Verma, T. (2026). Ethically informed Urban Planning: measuring distributive spatial justice for neighbourhood acessibility. [read Ethically informed Urban Planning here]
2. Nelson, RJ., Warnier, M. and Verma, T. (2025). MAP: Mapping Accessibility for Ethically Informed Urban Planning. [read MAP: Mapping Accessibility for Ethically Informed Urban Planning here]
3. Nelson, RJ., Pearce, B; Warnier, M. and Verma, T. (2025). Constructing Just Mobility Futures [read Constructing Just Mobility Futures here]
4. Nelson, RJ., Warnier, M. and Verma, T. (2024). Housing Inequalities: The Space-time Geography of Housing Policies. [read Housinng Inequalities here]
5. Nelson, RJ., Min Naing, K. and Beroche, H. (2023). Generative AI for Urban Governance.
6. Nelson, RJ., Warnier, M. and Verma, T. (2023). Conceptualising urban inequalities as a complex socio-technical phenomenon. [read Conceptualising urban inequalities here]
7. Nelson, RJ. (2022). Social inclusion through the urban lens: a comparative analysis of neighbourhoods of residential racial homogeneity and heterogeneity in Cape Town, South Africa. [read Social inclusion through the urban lens here]
8. Nelson, RJ.(2021). The spatial and social logic of the Minibus Taxi network: how access may support social inclusion in Cape Town, South Africa. Applied Mobilities, 8:1, 1-25 [read The spatial and social logic of the Minibus Taxi network. here]
9. Nelson, RJ.(2019). The Conservative City: An analysis of the urban morphological development of Cape Town, South Africa with a specific focus on emergent spatial and mobility systems that generate the opportunity for multi-racial co-presence. [read the Connservative City here]

Invited webinars #

Urban AI for Sustainable Cities, 2024
Hosted by:
Urban AI and Cornell Tech

Housing Inequalities, 2024
Hosted By:
Space Syntax Laboratory, University College London, UK

Insights into Emerging Technologies and Urban Inequalities, 2023
Hosted By:
UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape

Urban social inequalities: How can cities include people?, 2023
Hosted By:
IE University and All things Urban

Getting Density Right, 2022
Hosted By:
Young Urbanists in partnership with the Mayor of Cape Town

Social inclusion through the urban lens, 2022
Hosted By:
South African Centre for Cities

Conferences #

AMS Scientific Conference, 2026
Hosted By:
AMS Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands

GISRUK, 2025
Hosted by:
University of Bristol, United Kingdom

Urban Technology for Equity, 2024
Hosted by:
United Nations Innovation Technology Accelerator for Cities

Reinventing the City, 2024
Hosted By:
AMS Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands

African Transport Research Conference, 2024
Hosted By:
University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

GISRUK, 2024
Hosted By:
University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

Benchmarking Spatial Justice in Policymaking, Planning and Design, 2023
Hosted By:
TU Delft, Delft, Netherlands

Annual Meeting for the American Association of Geographers, 2023
Hosted By:
American Association of Geographers, Denver, United States

13th International Space Syntax Symposium, 2022
Hosted By:
Western Norway University, Norway

GISRUK, 2022
Hosted By:
University of Liverpool, UK

Fifth South African Cities Conference
Hosted By:
University of the Witwaterstrand, SA

Ocho Semana Conferencía, 2020
Hosted By:
Universidad Auntonoma de Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Masters in Research Conference, 2019
Hosted By:
Bartlett School of Architecture, UK

Workshops and Summer Schools #

Workshop in Inequalities across Scales of Space, Time and Domains, 2023
Hosted By:
Institute of Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy

Oxford School in Economic Networks, 2023
Hosted By:
Oxford University, UK

Organised events #

Workshop on Envisioning the future of Cape Town, 2024
In collaboration with:
Young Urbanists and TU Delft Global

Generative AI for Urban Governance Symposium, 2023
In collaboration with:
Urban AI

Urban AI for Regenerative Cities, 2022
In collaboration with:
Urban AI, TU Delft, the MIT Senseable Cities Lab, AMS Institute

Reviews #

• Cities Journal
• Annals of the American Associationn
• Applied Mobilities
• ERC Consolidator Grant
• Oxford Abstracts
• Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie

Associations & affiliations #

• South African Associate for the Local Government Information Unit [LGIU]
• Member of Young Urbanists South Africa [Young Urbanists]
• TU Delft Global Fellow [TU Global]
• Member of Urban AI [Urbanai]