Research with Real-World Impact
Urban Intelligence is a New Zealand-based research and software development company specialising in climate risk and resilience research, working at the intersection of risk modelling, decision science, and digital engagement.
Our team includes internationally recognised experts with PhDs across engineering, social science, public health, and environmental science. We combine multi-hazard risk assessment, participatory planning, and custom software development to help communities and organisations adapt with confidence.
Our work is grounded in peer-reviewed research, including publications in Nature Climate Change, Nature Sustainability, and Risk Analysis, and is implemented through tools such as our flagship platform, Resilience Explorer®.
Our Research Strengths
Natural Hazard and Climate Risk and Resilience Analysis – Multi-hazard, cascading risk, and systemic vulnerability assessment.
Climate Adaptation Planning – Dynamic Adaptive Pathways Planning (DAPP) and multi-criteria decision analysis.
Social Dimensions of Climate Change – Equity, wellbeing, and stakeholder engagement.
Infrastructure and Network Resilience – Interdependent systems modelling and recovery dynamics.
Data Science and AI for Adaptation – Machine learning, network analysis, and geospatial integration.
Our Research Team
Dr Tom Logan – Risk Analysis and Civil Systems Engineering
Rutherford Discovery Fellow, Fulbright Scholar, Immediate-Past President of the Australia–NZ Society for Risk Analysis, and Senior Lecturer Above the Bar at the University of Canterbury. Tom leads research on cascading climate risks, adaptation planning, and managing uncertainty, with work published in Nature Climate Change, Nature Sustainability, and Risk Analysis.
Dr Andrew Allison – Decision-Making Under Deep Uncertainty
Specialist in numerical modelling, DAPP, and coastal adaptation. Andrew has led numerous projects integrating physical science, decision analysis, and planning needs, helping organisations manage uncertainty in complex systems.
Dr Sarah Harrison – Social Science and Public Health
Public health and environmental social scientist with expertise in systems thinking, causal mapping, and social vulnerability to hazards and climate change.
Dr Stephen FitzHerbert – Socioeconomics and Indigenous Partnerships
Specialist in adaptation across Aotearoa and the Pacific, with expertise in indigenous partnerships, climate risk, and multi-disciplinary applied research.
Dr Paula Blackett – Environmental Social Science and Adaptation
Contributing author to the IPCC’s 5th and 6th Assessment Reports and lead for the Ministry for the Environment’s Coastal Hazards Guidance engagement process. Paula specialises in climate adaptation strategies, novel engagement, and systemic approaches to decision-making.
Dr Mitchell Anderson – Risk Analysis and Adaptation
Expert in spatial and quantitative risk assessments to inform adaptation planning and disaster risk reduction. His PhD research developed approaches linking social vulnerability to infrastructure resilience.
Dr Alison Floyd – Climate Adaptation and Policy
Environmental lawyer and social scientist bridging science and policy for climate adaptation. Alison focuses on place-based development, path dependency, and resilience-building during transitions.
Logan Brunner (PhD Candidate) – Risk and Resilience Analysis for Interdependent Infrastructure
Systems engineer with experience in Europe and New Zealand, developing models for energy systems and cascading impacts of natural hazards.
Horizon Europe Collaboration
Urban Intelligence is an experienced international research partner and is actively seeking European collaborators for Horizon Europe proposals.
We bring:
- Proven delivery of multi-country, multi-partner research projects.
- Strong links to New Zealand government, local councils, iwi/hapū, and infrastructure operators.
- Expertise in climate risk and resilience research, consequence modelling, adaptation decision-support, and digital engagement tools.
- Strong links to potential case study partner cities and communities for co-creating research.
Funding arrangement:
As a New Zealand SME, 70% of our costs in Horizon Europe projects are covered by the EU contribution, with the remaining 30% co-funded by the New Zealand Government’s MBIE Horizon Europe Partnering Fund. This does not affect the budget available to other consortium members.
