PhD opening on physics-based modelling of active mobility during heat waves
- Alexandre
- 22 hours ago
- 3 min read
Key-words : pedestrians and micromobility; urban design; adaptation to climate change; modelling; statistical physics;
Place : Institut Lumière Matière (CNRS & Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne), near Lyon, France.
Context. Active mobility modes, such as walking, cycling, and sometimes riding e-scooters, are sustainable modes of transportation [1], but are highly vulnerable to weather conditions, in particular the heat waves that are bound to get more frequent and more intense in the decades to come.
Hence the issue of how to best adapt urban infrastructure and arrange public space to make cities more resilient in the face of these changes. Various cooling solutions (e.g., planting more trees, installing water sprays, etc.) have been proposed [2], but their effect is rather local, spatially heterogeneous, and its impact on pedestrian and active navigation is still unknown.
Goals. The project aspires to gain insight into this major challenge by exploring them through the lens of fine-scale, physics-based modelling of mobility [3].
Missions. The PhD student will build on the agent-based models of pedestrian dynamics recently developed in the host team [4] and extend them to integrate the impact of micro-climatic conditions. This modelling framework is based on a coupling between a decision-making layer and a mechanical layer and accounts for anticipation as well as the local walking/riding discomfort. Armed with this framework, the postdoc will seek to optimise street design and the layouts of cooling solutions , with the aim of putting forward best practices. Ultimately, a platform to simulate the impact of cooling solutions on crowd flows will be developed to release the full potential of the findings of this innovative approach.
Besides modelling, the project will also include the conduction of controlled experiments and the collection of field data in case studies, in France as well as abroad.
Discussions with operational technical services will be encouraged.
Required competences:
* A Masters’ Degree in Physics, Applied Mathematics, Engineering or Computer Science
* Strong programming skills
* A keen interest in mitigating the impact of climate change and/or urban resilience
* The candidate must show a reasonable level of autonomy and be intent on exploring new interfaces between fields
* Discussions and interactions with urban planners and stakeholders are to be expected; fluency in French could be an asset (but is not required!)
Salary: around 2300 Euros gross salary per month. Social security is included. The PhD will benefit from specific funding for research mobility.
Duration of the contract: 3 years
Application process (apply before June, 28th 2026):
To apply, you should send a detailed CV including the contact details of 2 reference people (professors, supervisors, etc.) along with a cover letter to
For your formal application, please specify "[YYY_PhD]" in the title of the email, where YYY should be replaced by the biomechanical cost value e^speed for a speed of 1m/s according to this paper https://anr.hal.science/hal-03839185/ [4] .
Informal enquiries are welcome!
References
[1] Guide du Cerema CEREMA “Promouvoir les modes actifs dans les plans de déplacements urbains", 2016
[2] ADEME, Le kit technique de solutions de rafraîchissement urbain, 2025, https://librairie.ademe.fr/index.php?controller=attachment&id_attachment=3502&preview
[3] Cordes, J., Schadschneider, A., & Nicolas, A. (2024). Dimensionless numbers reveal distinct regimes in the structure and dynamics of pedestrian crowds. PNAS nexus, 3(4), pgae120, https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/
[4] Echeverría-Huarte, I. and Nicolas, A. “Body and mind: Decoding the dynamics of pedestrians and the effect of smartphone distraction by coupling mechanical and decisional processes,” Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, vol. 157, p. 104365, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2023.104365
