Larson began research and teaching in 1998[16] at the
MIT School of Architecture and Planning. He currently has a joint appointment with the MIT Media Lab and Department of Architecture.[1]
CityHome
Larson introduced the CityHome concept in 2011,[17] using full-scale
homeprototypes to test technologies for high-performance, personalized places of living in response to a
housing crisis driven by a lack of
affordable housing.[18] The CityHome concept makes use of three independently configured layers: a high-performance
chassis layer consisting of modular
framing (construction) and
utility services,[19] an integrated infill layer that makes use of architectural robotics,[20] and a
responsive architecture layer that incorporates
adaptive facade modules.[21] In 2015 the CityHome research project was spun-off into Ori Living[6] for commercialization in collaboration with designer
Yves Béhar.[22]
CityScope
The CityScope[23] project is an
open-sourceplatform[24] developed by Larson and his team to combine
LEGO bricks in a
tangible user interface with
augmented reality and
real-time simulation to support experts and non-experts in a new decision-making process to make better cities.[25] CityScope applications have been deployed in cities around the world.[26][27][28] In 2016[29] Larson partnered with the city of
Hamburg and
HafenCity University to use CityScope to bring together the residents of Hamburg,
Germany to identify optimal locations to provide housing for a growing number of
refugees of the Syrian Civil War.[30] City residents used the CityScope interface to bring their local knowledge into the government’s decision-making process in order to reduce
social exclusion by locating refugees in proximity to existing communities and
social services.[31]
Lightweight Autonomous Mobility
Upon the 2010 death of
William J. Mitchell, former
Dean of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, Larson continued work on the
MIT CityCar, developing a full-scale prototype that integrated
wheel hub motor technology,
drive-by-wire control, front entry and egress, and mechanical folding so that three CityCars can fit in one parallel parking space.[32] Larson’s group worked with automotive suppliers in
Spain to develop a commercial version of the MIT CityCar called
Hiriko: a folding two-passenger vehicle with zero
turning radius robot wheels for high maneuverability in
urban areas.[33]
Larson’s living lab research focuses on developing computational tools to understand human behavior in natural environments, such as the PlaceLab,[41] an apartment-scale living environment instrumented with sensing for
data collection on applications that respond to human behavior, with an emphasis on proactive health, energy conservation, and the support of new ways of living and working.[42]
Larson and researchers from his MIT lab received 10-Year Impact Awards from the
Association for Computing Machinery Ubiquitous and Pervasive computing conferences in 2014 and 2019 for recognition of their work on living labs that, with the test of time, has had the greatest impact on the research community.[43]
The 15-minute City
Kent Larson was an early proponent of compact, walkable communities, which later became known as the
15-minute city concept for promoting sustainable living and improved quality of life. In a 2012
TED talk,[44] Larson discussed how cities in future can evolve into a high-performance network of 20-minute
communities by deploying design, technology, and
public policy innovation.
^
Eriksson, M., Niitamo, V. P., & Kulkki, S. (2005). State-of-the-art in utilizing Living Labs approach to user-centric ICT innovation-a European approach. Lulea: Center for Distance-spanning Technology. Lulea University of Technology Sweden: Lulea.
^Intille, S. S., Larson, K., Beaudin, J., Tapia, E. M., Kaushik, P., Nawyn, J., & McLeish, T. J. (2005). The PlaceLab: A live-in laboratory for pervasive computing research (video). Proceedings of PERVASIVE 2005 Video Program.