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Didier Péclard

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PhD - Measurement and Modeling of Urban Verticality in Africa EPFL in Switzerland

Degree Level

PhD

Field of study

Environmental Science

Funding

Funded PhD position supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF); full-time 100% appointment for 48 months.

Country flag

Country

Switzerland

University

EPFL

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Keywords

Environmental Science
Remote Sensing
Geography
Spatial Analysis
Photogrammetry
Architecture
Earth Science
Sustainable Cities

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About this position

This PhD project is part of VERTICAF (Vertical Africa: Visualizing Urban Change, Negotiating Power, Designing Sustainable Cities), a comparative research initiative on urban verticalization in African cities. Based at EPFL Lausanne and linked to partnerships with the Universities of Dakar, Kigali, and Luanda, the project examines how cities in Africa are changing through vertical growth and what this means for urban futures.

The doctoral researcher will focus on developing and applying methods to measure, map, and quantify urban verticality across three case-study cities: Dakar, Kigali, and Luanda. The work spans the city, neighbourhood, and building scales, with attention to historic centres, peri-urban areas, and satellite settlements. A central part of the project is building a harmonized database of vertical urban change since 2000 and creating a data processing pipeline to extract building heights over time.

The research combines remote sensing, GIS, photogrammetry, geospatial analysis, and spatial databases, alongside targeted use of crowdsourced geolocated images to complement satellite observations. The student will also compile quantitative building profiles, capturing height, density, footprint, and temporal evolution for selected buildings in each city.

The position sits within an interdisciplinary project that brings together spatial analysis, political science, architecture, and urban studies, with a strong emphasis on understanding the environmental, social, and political dimensions of vertical urban change in African contexts.

Funding details

Funded PhD position supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF); full-time 100% appointment for 48 months.

What's required

Master’s degree (or equivalent) in geomatics, geography, data science, environmental engineering, quantitative urban planning, or a related field; strong interest in African cities and sustainable urban development issues; proficiency in remote sensing including satellite image processing, GIS, and photogrammetry; programming skills for geospatial analysis in Python (rasterio, geopandas, scikit-learn) or R; Google Earth Engine experience is a plus; experience with open-source tools such as QGIS, GRASS GIS, GDAL, and spatial databases; scientific rigor and autonomy; ability to work in an interdisciplinary and multicultural context; excellent writing skills in English; French required; Portuguese, Wolof, or Kinyarwanda is an asset; sensitivity to gender equity issues and North-South research dynamics.

How to apply

Apply through the online application portal; email applications will not be considered. Submit a cover letter, CV, master’s transcript, a recent academic paper demonstrating spatial analysis skills, and contact details for two academic references. Short-listed candidates will later be asked to apply to an EPFL Doctoral Program (EDAR or EDCE).

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Professors

Professor at EPFL

University Name
Country flag

Switzerland

Research Interests

Earth Science

Spatial Analysis

Remote Sensing

Photogrammetry

Sustainable Cities

Professor at EPFL

University Name
Country flag

Switzerland

Research Interests

Spatial Analysis

Earth Science

Architecture

Photogrammetry

Geography

Professor at EPFL

University Name
Country flag

Switzerland

Research Interests

Geography

Photogrammetry

Earth Science

Sustainable Cities

Environmental Science