Professorship for Open Space and Ecological Urban Design

The Professorship for Open Space and Ecological Urban Design deals with green and open spaces in the context of sustainable urban transitions. In particular, we are concerned with questions of planning and designing urban nature in terms of a multifunctional and resilient "green infrastructure" that provides multiple benefits for health and quality of life, social cohesion, environmental justice, adaptation to climate change and biodiversity. Our teaching focuses on the ecological foundations of urban design with special attention to the scale of the city and the urban region. Our research is inter- and transdisciplinary with a particular interest in the potential of innovative concepts for open-space planning and design in Germany and Europe. We contribute to application-oriented planning research and to the exchange of knowledge between research and practice.

• Promoting urban nature and biodiversity: Our research supports local stakeholders in cities and municipalities in their efforts to safeguard and develop green and open spaces in a way that creates a multifunctional and resilient urban green infrastructure.
• Planning and implementing urban green infrastructure: We explore how the concept of green infrastructure in landscape and open space planning can be improved through integrated, interdisciplinary, and co-creative approaches and how these approaches can be implemented at local level.
• Integrating nature-based solutions in cities: Nature-based solutions focus on tackling social challenges with ecosystem services. We explore how this approach can drive the protection and development of urban nature and contribute to the well-being of citizens.
• Assessing urban ecosystem services: With ecosystem services we can measure the importance of ecosystems for our well-being. Our research explores the potential of these approaches for more effective landscape and open space planning in urban regions.
• Strengthening local climate action: Cities and municipalities are required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions quickly and effectively. For doing so, many of them have ambitious climate goals. By developing new approaches to monitor climate action, we aim to support municipalities in their efforts.