Mission statement

Our long-term vision at the research department is to shape the way societies in the 21st century develop and utilize their urbanized environment.

We view urbanization as a profound, multidimensional process that extends far beyond the construction of cities and the urbanization of rural areas, encompassing all aspects of life, from open spaces and landscapes to infrastructures, resources, institutions, techniques, and practices, along with their interrelationships.

Our fundamental assumption is that landscapes and ecosystems are essential components of this complex structure, serving both as resources for urbanization and being changed by it.

We see urbanization as an eco-social process that aims not only for improved living conditions, economic prosperity, cultural and social unfolding but is also closely linked to pressing challenges such as social injustice, excessive resource consumption, climate change, and global species extinction.

In this context, we consider it our central task to overcome traditional dualisms between "urban" and "rural" and between "wilderness/nature" and "culture." This is essential for fostering an integrated understanding of urbanization as a dynamic and complex process of eco-social interconnection. Such an understanding is a prerequisite for addressing the associated issues and developing appropriate solutions.

Our research and teaching activities are aimed at making a significant contribution to changing urbanization in light of the associated problems. Our main goals are:

CO-HABITATION: The development and transformation of urbanization into an inclusive process that actively involves non-human life forms and reduces injustices in urbanized environments.

CO-CREATION: The conception and implementation of planning processes for open spaces and landscapes based on democratic participation, dialogue, mediation, constructive conflict resolution, and communal appropriation.

CONTEXT-SPECIFICITY: The development of open space concepts and designs derived from a thorough analysis and reflection on ecological, socio-cultural, historical, and spatial contexts and relationships, as well as the consideration of changing notions of the relationship between humans and nature.

CLIMATE ADAPTATION: Researching, developing, and implementing integrated, nature-based strategies for adapting to climate change and addressing the climate crisis in the context of urbanization.

Our teaching methods include analytical and reflective approaches, as well as practical, digital, experimental, and artistic approaches. We encourage our students to address the challenges of urbanization in innovative and holistic ways by connecting spatial designs and plans for open spaces and landscapes with eco-social processes and interactions.

Our teaching and research are an integral part of the architecture and spatial planning programs at the Vienna University of Technology. Our goal is to inspire our students to develop innovative approaches in the design of cities, open spaces, landscapes, and regions and to establish an effective connection between theory and practice.