PhD opening (M/F) on the physics-based modelling of active mobility during heat waves

Job Description

Thesis Subject

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. Within the frame of a collaboration with the Faculty of Architecture, Urbanism and Design of the University of Sao Paulo, the project aspires to gain insight into this major challenge by exploring it 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.

****************
For your formal application, please specify "[YYY_PhD]" in the title of your cover letter or 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/ .
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

Your Work Environment

The PhD will take place at Institut Lumière Matière (CNRS | Univ. Lyon 1), on a University campus near Lyon.

Constraints and risks

The PhD will include some field work in hot weather (case studies). A research stay at the partner University in Sao Paulo is to be expected.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

The research professions