Postdoc: AI-driven Urban; Re; Design Health

Organisation/Company Utrecht University Research Field Computer science » Informatics Computer science » Programming Engineering » Computer engineering Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Final date to receive applications 15 Oct 2026 - 21:59 (UTC) Country Netherlands Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 40.0 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Do you want to use artificial intelligence, geospatial data science, and urban analytics to create healthier and more equitable cities? Are you excited about developing innovative AI systems that translate scientific evidence into practical urban design solutions?
Your job
At Utrecht University, you will be part of the transdisciplinary ELEVATE project:
Healthy living environments create healthy physical activity-related habits. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will lead the development of an innovative AI-enabled recommender system for urban (re) design. The system will combine street-view imagery (SVIs), geospatial data, mobility data, and qualitative insights to generate evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, planners, and researchers to create healthier urban environments. You will work closely with a transdisciplinary team, including social and industrial partners.
Your main responsibilities include:

• developing an AI-powered recommender system for healthy urban (re) design;
• integrating multi-source datasets, including street-view imagery, GIS data, smartphone mobility data, and qualitative insights;
• applying and adapting state-of-the-art foundational AI and machine learning models (e.g., multimodal AI, large language/world models) with specific fine tuning for ELEVATE;
• designing geographically context-sensitive urban design recommendations that promote active mobility (e.g., walking, cycling) related physical activity;
• fine tuning, evaluating, and improving model performance using local data and ensuring explainability, fairness, and robustness of the model outputs;
• collaborating with municipalities, urban planners, designers, and residents in model co-creation and validation workshops;
• contributing to the development of an interactive, publicly accessible web interface (e.g., with a chat facility) for the recommender system;
• publishing high-quality scientific articles in international journals;
• presenting findings at conferences and stakeholder events;
• contributing to the supervision of MSc students and collaborating within the broader ELEVATE consortium.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and collaborative researcher with a strong technical background and an interest in societal impact. You have:
Must have criteria:

• a PhD in computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, computational social science, urban analytics, geoinformatics, or a related field;
• experience with foundational AI model development/fine-tuning and machine learning and/or deep learning;
• strong communication and academic writing skills;

Good to have criteria:

• experience working with geospatial or image-based data;
• an interest in urban health, mobility, public space, or sustainable cities;
• the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams.

We offer:

• a position 1.0 FTE for 12 months. After a positive evaluation, the position can be extended to 29.5 months;
• a working week of 36 - 40 hours and a gross monthly salary between € 3.706 and €5.760 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale 10 under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development , various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities . You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment…