海角社区

Urban decisions in the UK and internationally continue to rest on evidence that is fragmented, closed, and skewed towards large cities. Smaller towns, where a substantial share of the population lives, are routinely overlooked by data infrastructures designed for metropolitan scales. My work addresses this gap by designing and leading open spatial data platforms and urban observatories that translate complex, place-based evidence into decision-ready intelligence for government, industry, and communities.

I lead Colouring Britain, an open, building-level data platform developed with the Alan Turing Institute as part of the international Colouring Cities Research Programme (CCRP), within which I co-chair the European network. The programme now operates in 33 countries with more than 150 contributing researchers, and Colouring Britain was recognised with the Royal Town Planning Institute National Award for Planning Excellence in Digital Planning Practice in 2023. I also direct the Town Observatory, the first town-level urban observatory in the UK, and lead research on dynamic digital twins that simulate urban evolution to support net zero transitions, flood resilience, and evidence-based planning policy.

Current research projects

• Impact Hub Town Observatory: a sub-regional observatory turning data into evidence for policy and community decision-making in 海角社区 (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, formerly DLUHC, with Charnwood Borough Council, 2022 to 2026)
• Operational Town Observatory: turning data into evidence for the 海角社区 Masterplan (Impact and Knowledge Exchange Accelerator, with Charnwood Borough Council, 2026)
• Social Impact Task Force for Inclusive, Sustainable and Data-Informed Major Sports Events (UK Sport, 2025 to 2026)
• Smart Seed Zone Recommender System for Climate-Resilient Agriculture in Kenya using Artificial Intelligence (British High Commission Kenya, with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, 2025 to 2026)
• Dynamic Digital Twin for Urban Evolution and Facility Allocation: an open-source 3D digital twin simulating land-use change, flood risk, and energy planning scenarios (Impact and Knowledge Exchange Accelerator, with Energy Systems Catapult, 2025 to 2026)

Recently completed research projects

• Energy Cooperation among UK SMEs: Opportunities, Challenges, and Success Factors (British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant, 2024 to 2025)
• Community-Based Social Capital and Economic Resilience of SMEs (Urban Studies Foundation, 2022 to 2023)
• Colouring London Planning Visualisation (CLPV) Tool: live streaming and visualisation of planning application data (Impact Acceleration Account via the Enterprise Projects Group, with the Alan Turing Institute and the Greater London Authority, 2022 to 2023)
• VPACH, Virgin Park and Charge: GIS-based site selection for on-street electric vehicle charging across eleven local authorities (Innovate UK, 2019 to 2021)
• Business Improvement Districts and SME Performance in the UK (Pioneering Partnerships Scheme, Leicester Institute for Advanced Studies, 2022 to 2023)

• Hujaleh, A, Larimian, T, Goodall, S, Kayaga, S (2026) , PLOS Water, 5(5), pp.e0000544-e0000544, DOI: 
• Tayefi Nasrabadi, M and Larimian, T(2026) , International Journal of Housing Policy, ISSN: 1949-1247. DOI: 
• Rathee, C, Larimian, T, Enoch, M, Sadhukhan, S (2026) , Sustainable Development, ISSN: 0968-0802. DOI: 
• Olkhova, M, Natapov, A, Plyhun, O, Larimian, T, Roslavtsev, D (2025) , European Transport Research Review, 17(1), 45, ISSN: 1867-0717. DOI: 
• Larimian, T, Sadeghi, N, Erfani, G, Palaiologou, F (2025) , Cities and Health, ISSN: 2374-8834. DOI: 
• Shamroukh, M, Natapov, A, Larimian, T(2025) , IEEE Access, 13, pp.147679-147689, ISSN: 2169-3536. DOI: 
• Tayefi Nasrabadi, M, Larimian, T, Yigitcanlar, T (2025) , Cities, 166, 106276, ISSN: 0264-2751. DOI: 
• Morton, C, Larimian, T, Timmis, A, Palaiologou, F, Masera, C, Monsuur, F (2025) , Cities, 163, 105961, ISSN: 0264-2751. DOI: 
• Mohammad Salih, A, Erfani, G, Larimian, T(2025) , Local Environment, 31(2), pp.117-137, ISSN: 1354-9839. DOI: 
• Fernandes Barata, A, Harland, RG, Kim, M, Larimian, T, Natapov, A, Palaiologou, F, Weightman, J (2025) , Journal of Urban Affairs, ISSN: 0735-2166. DOI: 
• Tayefi Nasrabadi, M, Larimian, T, Timmis, A, Yigitcanlar, T (2024) , Sustainable Cities and Society, 113, 105693, ISSN: 2210-6707. DOI: 

My teaching embeds open spatial data, digital analytics, and field-based enquiry throughout the curriculum, positioning students as active investigators of real sites, datasets, and policy problems.

Undergraduate

• CVA130 Design Skills and Urban Data Analytics
• CVA132 Principles of Urban Planning
• CVB121 Urban Planning and the Environment
• CVB122 Design and Place Making
• CVC114 Planning Theories in Context

Postgraduate

• CVD025 Applied Urban Planning and Design Project

My research develops digital platforms, urban observatories, and data-driven tools that help policymakers, practitioners, and communities better understand and shape the built environment.

I lead Colouring Britain and contribute to the international Colouring Cities Research Programme, advancing open building-level data for more transparent, inclusive, and sustainable urban decision-making.

Alongside my research, I lead funded projects on digital planning, urban resilience, energy transition, and community wellbeing, and I am strongly committed to student development, doctoral supervision, and professional engagement with planning practice.