CASA Alumnus Julian Hoffmann Anton Honoured with the Freedom of the City of London

Julian was granted the Freedom of the City of London in a group ceremony this month. The awards reflect the theme for the Mayoral Priorities for 2023/2024, ‘Connect to Prosper’, set by the Lord Mayor. This year’s theme focuses on the City's expertise in areas including finance, law, art, and engineering, and brings together experts from diverse backgrounds to work on major global challenges like climate change and AI.

The Freedom of the City of London dates back to circa 1237; it was once essential to do business in the City, and continues today as an honour granted to experts in their field and people who have contributed significantly to the industrial, commercial or civic life of the City of London.

Julian Hoffmann Anton, who completed his Master’s degree at CASA in 2018 (Smart Cities and Urban Analytics MSc), is among 40 individuals honoured at the awards ceremony by the City of London Corporation, and is now designated a Freeman of the City of London. Since graduating from CASA, Julian has been working as a creative data visualisation designer and data science consultant. He specialises in 3D data visuals & animations with a economics/urban Data science background, creating captivating visuals to help bring data spatial analytics to life. 

He was invited to present his work to civil servants at the Corporation of London, working with Geographic Information Science and the Lord Mayor, and offered insights into the process of creating data visualisations and maps, including a modern-day 3D map of London superimposed with the area burned by the Great Fire of 1666, and ways of using data visualisation to catalyse change.

Fittingly the Lord Mayor, Professor Michael Raymond Mainelli, who presented Julian with the award, also has a background in spatial analytics. Prof Mainelli studied at the Harvard Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis and was a pioneer in the field of digital cartography in the 1970s.

Julian also recently worked with CASA’s Andy Hudson-Smith and Prof Adam Bennett on a project for the Greater London Authority. He identified a series of recommendations, workflows and challenges, from the perspective of a key user, to help develop future versions of the London Datastore, which makes data held by the GLA and other public sector organisations free and accessible to the public.

Commenting on the award, Julian said:

“For me, this recognition is both exciting and motivating. It rewards (my) passion for communicating complex ideas through data and design, at the intersection of Science and Art. As a Data Visualisation Designer, Map-maker, and Spatial Data Scientist, I’ve spent over 7 years creating and innovating with maps, which began during my time as an Urban Analytics Master’s student at CASA. My journey with Data Visualisation spans 10 years, and for more than 15 years I’ve explored Digital Art through mixed media. Receiving this honour placed me alongside a remarkable group of individuals, each excelling in their fields, and now counted among the “freemen” and “free sisters.”

More information

• Read more about the Freedom of the City of London Awards
• Visit Julian Hoffmann Anton’s website
• Read more about the London Datastore project

Images:  All data visualisation images by Julian Hoffmann Anton