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Study explores how to use AI to listen to the ‘heartbeat’ of a city

University of Missouri researchers develop an artificial intelligence tool that analyzes public Instagram posts to aid city safety, services and emergency response.
Eric Stann | Show Me Mizzou
people walking

Adobe Stock

May 21, 2025
Contact: Eric Stann, StannE@missouri.edu

When Jayedi Aman looks at a city, he notices more than just its buildings and streets — he considers how people move through and connect with those spaces. Aman, an assistant professor of architectural studies at the University of Missouri, suggests that the future design of cities may be guided as much by human experience as by physical materials.

In a recent study, Aman and Tim Matisziw, a professor of geography and engineering at Mizzou, took a fresh approach to urban research by using artificial intelligence to explore the emotional side of city life. Their goal was to better understand the link between a city’s physical features and how people feel in those environments.

This story originally appeared on Show Me Mizzou
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Jayedi Aman