Yulan Sheng, Research Fellow presented at the European Social Simulation Association (ESSA) Conference on the 25-29th August 2025. The ESSA 2025 Conference's special theme was “Social simulation in a socio-technical context: embracing societies’ complexities”. Yulan's presentation was titled: Beyond homes: Agent-Based Modelling of Energy Use of Slum dwellers and was co-authored by Sumedha Basu and Frin Bale. Abstract: Climate...
A groundbreaking study by lead author Yulan Sheng, Research Fellow in Urban Heat Systems has unveiled a powerful new method for predicting residential energy consumption, combining multimodal neural networks with transfer learning to overcome data limitations. By integrating both tabular and visual data, the model significantly outperformed traditional approaches in case studies across Barnsley, Doncaster,...
In a major step toward sustainable urban cooling, Sumedha Basu and Frin Bale, along with local stakeholders in Pune, India have co-created two systems maps that reveal the complex landscape of the city’s cooling infrastructure. Developed through a participatory mapping process, the visual frameworks offer policymakers a strategic overview of the socio-technical system, highlighting key...
On Wednesday 9th July 2025, the Sustainability and Society Collaborative Project hosted a seminar at the University of Tokyo featuring Dr Sumedha Basu from the Visions of Urban Heat Systems team. The presentation, titled “Narratives from the Heated Margins: Lived Experiences and Cooling Aspirations from the City of Pune, India” explored the human dimensions of...
Sumedha Basu, Postdoctoral researcher and Frin Bale, Associate Professor and Lead academic for the Visions of Urban Heat Systems project present an episode of What is The Future for Cities? podcast series exploring "A framework for exploring futures of complex urban energy systems". Where to find the podcast: Spotify Apple Podcast Amazon Music Youtube channel Podcasters Spotify Shownotes can...
A pioneering study titled CAPTURED (Complexity Appropriate Participatory Techniques Utilised for Reimagining Energy Policy Design) has brought together experts from government, industry, and academia to explore the UK’s green economy transition from 2025 to 2050. Led by Dr Kavin Narasimhan, in collaboration with Sumedha Basu and Frin Bale from the Visions of Urban Heat Systems...
Yulan Sheng, Research Fellow in Urban Heat Systems is lead author on a groundbreaking study of 143,000 homes in Sheffield that presents a fast, data-light tool to identify which properties are most in need of energy-saving upgrades. Researchers found that the size of a house and the condition of its external walls are the strongest...
On Wednesday 22nd January 2025, over 100 researchers, policymakers, and practitioners convened in Leeds for the Energy & Complexity 2025 conference—a pivotal event exploring the intersection of energy systems and complexity science. Held at Horizon Leeds and supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the one-day conference built on the legacy of a...
Dr Sumedha Basu, Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Urban Energy systems and complexity at the University of Leeds has written a new blog post for the Horizons Institute. As climate change intensifies extreme heat events, researchers are turning their focus to sustainable cooling solutions that don’t drive up carbon emissions. With support from the Horizons Connect...
Sumedha Basu, PDRA for Urban Heat Systems presents a compelling new paper. As cities rise as key players in global sustainable energy transitions, this new study highlights why their political influence remains limited. While urban governments are increasingly expected to lead clean energy efforts, they often face barriers rooted not just in resources or expertise—but...
