PhD Studies

We welcome PhD candidates who want to do deep research at the intersection of urban design/planning and AI, with a strong emphasis on projects that connect to real urban constraints and partner needs.

PhD Studies
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About this position

  • Develop a research agenda around a real planning and design problem
  • Build methods or tools and validate them empirically
  • Work with real-world data and, in many cases, partner feedback loops
  • Publish throughout the PhD, often as first author
  • Contribute to lab infrastructure when relevant (datasets, benchmarks, tools)
  • Fully funded project-based positions

What We Do

AAIRL focuses on concrete problems in urban design and planning where AI can augment human capabilities. Our core research directions include:
  • Human-AI interaction in design
  • Generative architectural and urban design
  • Built-environment analysis
  • Built-environment simulations
Much of our work is conducted with industry and government partners, so research is tested against real constraints: incomplete data, conflicting objectives, regulations, and implementation realities.

What We Look For

  • Strong motivation for research and writing
  • Quantitative or computational ability (ML, statistics, simulation, optimization—any subset can work)
  • Ability to work independently while collaborating with the group
  • Backgrounds welcome from architecture, CS, engineering, urban studies, etc.

Applying for This Position

Our lab has project-funded PhD student positions. To express interest, email Dr. Haya Brama with the subject line “PhD inquiry” and include:

  • CV
  • Transcripts
  • A short paragraph describing your interests and relevant experience
  • (Optional) writing sample / portfolio / GitHub / previous thesis

More details are available on Ariel University’s PhD website.