Table 1 Generic five-step protocol for applying the Urbanome Framework in any city
Step | Purpose | Typical inputs | Core methods / outputs |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Scope | Define study boundary, priority challenge, baseline period | City boundary maps, census profiles, sustainable development goal or master-plan targets | Geographic study area; problem statement; baseline Key Performance Indicator (KPI) list |
2. Gene ID | Catalogue modular urban genes and assign a unique ID to each (self-contained service units) | Sector inventories (transport, energy, waste, water), policy archives, asset registers | 1. Identify one modular city function (e.g. mobility, energy, waste). 2. Map its governing rules and hard/soft assets (infrastructure, tariffs, main stakeholders). 3. Register the gene with a unique identifier and metadata tags (sector, scale, data owner). |
3. Expression (Operationalisation) | Operationalise each gene into service workflows and data streams | IoT streams, open-data portals, administrative records, household or origin-destination surveys | Validated service workflows and data flows; standardized performance metrics (e.g. Vehicle-Kilometres Travelled, PM2.5); data quality assurance/quality control |
4. Pathways | Detect cross-sector routines and apply policy ‘mutations’ | Multi-layer graphs, time-series of expressions | Network/sequence analysis → pathway motifs |
5. Phenotype | Assess baseline phenotype; test edits | KPI dashboard, simple scenario or agent-based model | Baseline phenotype; simulated edits; sensitivity results |
