PhD Position: Modeling intraregional population dynamics and territorial cohesion in Gipuzkoa

This PhD project aims to model, analyze, and forecast intraregional migration flows in Gipuzkoa using analytical and data-driven approaches, providing tools for long-term territorial planning and policy evaluation. It focuses on understanding how population movements evolve across space and time, and how these dynamics interact with socioeconomic and infrastructural factors shaping regional development.

Positioned at the intersection of applied mathematics, physics, economics, and data science, the project offers a unique opportunity to work in a highly interdisciplinary environment. The research will integrate semi-analytical modeling, data-driven analysis, and numerical simulations within a dynamical systems framework, in order to capture both short-term variability and long-term emergent patterns of migration processes.

This interdisciplinary approach will provide students with hands-on experience in modern quantitative methods, including computational modeling and data analysis, to develop and validate models that support evidence-based decision-making. The project also has a strong applied dimension, aiming to contribute directly to territorial planning strategies and policy design in the Basque Country.

Research Objectives

Expected Contributions

• A quantitative framework linking population, jobs, housing, and mobility dynamics.

• Stability analysis to identify critical thresholds in territorial development

• Scenario evaluation framework for assessing the long-term impact of policy interventions.

• Decision-support tools for planners to promote balanced, resilient, and inclusive development in Gipuzkoa.

Research Environment

The PhD will be conducted at the City Science Lab Gipuzkoa, within a highly interdisciplinary ecosystem in collaboration with:

• MIT City Science Lab

• Department of Industrial Organization, TECNUN School of Engineering, University of Navarra

Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Navarra Department of Physics and Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Navarra

• MUBIL Fundazioa

Expected start time: September 2026

Candidate Profile

• Applied Mathematics / Physics

• Engineering (dynamical systems, industrial, telecom)

• Data Science / Computer Science

• Quantitative Economics / Econometrics

• Theoretical Ecology

Skills and interests:

• Mathematical modeling

• Data analysis

• Simulation of complex systems and scenario testing

• Interest in urbanism, regional planning, and policy applications

English proficiency and intermediate programming skills in Python are required.

Required documentation

Applicants should submit the following materials: