Tom Benson

Head of Urban Intelligence Lab | Dar

Tom Benson is Head of the Urban Intelligence Lab (UIL) at Dar, where he leads a multidisciplinary team focused on applying data science, AI, and advanced urban analytics to city planning and strategy. UIL develops “city health checks” that integrate satellite imagery, mobility data, and environmental modelling to guide masterplanning, resilience planning, and economic development across the Middle East, Africa, and beyond. He is also a Research Affiliate at MIT’s Senseable City Lab, an Advisor to the Urban AI think-tank and a co-editor of Research Digest for CTBUH’s Vertical Urbanism journal.

Tom began his career in the British Army before moving into architecture and urbanism with Foster + Partners and Büro Ole Scheeren, contributing to large-scale international projects. He went on to serve as Research and Business Manager at MIT’s Senseable City Lab, where he advanced research on urban economics and decarbonisation, built global partnerships and played a pivotal role in establishing new Lab initiatives in cities such as Amsterdam.

At Dar, Tom is shaping UIL as a leading applied urban science team by bridging research and practice, translating cutting-edge methods into actionable insights for governments, development banks, and private clients. His projects and thought leadership have been profiled by outlets including the BBC, Fast Company, and MIT News.