Ákos Balog

Research Data Scientist | Postdoctoral Researcher
Geographic Data Service · University of Liverpool

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About

Who Am I?

Data Scientist specialising in geographic data science, agent-based modelling and urban analytics. My work focuses on using spatial data and simulation to understand how people, places and urban systems interact, and to generate insights that support policy and decision-making.

I am currently a Research Data Scientist and Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Liverpool, working within the Geographic Data Service (GeoDS) and the Geographic Data Science Laboratory (GDSL) on applied research across spatial inequality, population, transport and retail.

My PhD at the University of Liverpool has focused on developing agent-based models of retail centres and consumer behaviour, alongside geodemographic and spatial approaches to understanding retail resilience and urban change. Alongside this, I have also contributed to projects including Night Ped Sim City, the Horizon Europe BENEFITS project, and a transport digital twin project with Podaris, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and partners in South Korea.

My wider research interests include geodemographics, microsimulation, digital twins and emerging forms of spatial data, particularly their application to understanding and improving cities and retail systems.

Education

  1. 2022 - 2026
    University of Liverpool logo

    Integrated Masters-PhD in Data Analytics and Society

    University of Liverpool

  2. 2019 - 2022
    University of Liverpool logo

    BA (Hons) Geography and Planning (1st Class)

    University of Liverpool

Projects

Current and Previous Work

Previous Projects

Research

Research Interests

Themes

Retailing, Retail Spaces and Consumer Behaviour

Investigating the spatial dynamics of retail centres, footfall patterns, and how consumer behaviour shapes and is shaped by the built environment.

Transport Geography, Infrastructure Planning and 15-Minute Cities

Exploring accessibility, modal shift, and the role of transport networks in enabling or constraining urban life with a focus on proximity-based urban planning.

Spatial Inequality, Place-Based Policy and Digital Planning

Analysing how spatial inequalities manifest across urban and regional scales, and how data-driven approaches can support more effective place-based interventions.

Approach & Methods

Spatial AnalysisExamining geographic patterns and relationships
Spatial ModellingPredictive and explanatory spatial models
Machine LearningClassification, clustering, and regression
StatisticsInferential and descriptive statistical methods
GeodemographicsPopulation segmentation from spatial data
Network AnalysisTransport and street-level graph methods
Data VisualisationCommunicating spatial findings clearly
DashboardsInteractive tools for decision-making
Digital TwinsSimulation-based urban representations
Publications

Selected Work

Publications

  1. Developing an open, national-level, small-area geodemographic classification of consumer behaviour

    Á Balog, L Dolega, R Mahabir, P Ballantyne, P Williamson

    International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 1-16·2026

  2. Leveraging advanced technologies for (smart) transportation planning: A systematic review

    H Son, J Jang, J Park, A Balog, P Ballantyne, HR Kwon, A Singleton, ...

    Sustainability 17 (5), 2245·2025

Under Review

  1. Network Contagion and the Persistence of Inequality: An Empirically Grounded Agent-Based Model of Unemployment Recovery

    Balog, A., Melios, G., Aslam, N.S., Tzivanakis, N., Moore, H.

    Social Networks. (Awaiting review)

  2. A framework for transport digital twin design and implementation for urban decision-making: Lessons from twin cities in the United Kingdom and South Korea

    Kwon, H.R., Ballantyne, P., Balog, A., Jang, J., Son, H., Hwang, J., Singleton, A.

    Harvard Data Science Review. (Submitted for special issue)

Working Papers

  1. Using LLMs to Generate Synthetic Mobility Data

    Balog, A., Murphy, J., Reyes, P., Cucchietti, F.

    Target journal: Urban Transitions

  2. Nighttime PedSim City: Developing an ABM of Nighttime Walking for Policy Testing Scenarios

    Filomena, G., Balog, A., Garofani, G., Nausto, A.

    Target journal: Cities

  3. From Visitation to Performance: Empirical Validation of an Agent-Based Model of Retail Centre Competition

    Balog, A., Filomena, G., Dolega, L., Mahabir, R.

    Target journal: Computers, Environment and Urban Systems. Available at SSRN 6753765
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Contact

Get in Touch

For research, collaboration, or enquiries, please reach out via email or via LinkedIn.

sgabalog@liverpool.ac.ukLinkedIn