All Things Urban

Cities in Europe are being confronted with new challenges in the face of increasing social inequalities, demographic and lifestyle changes and expectations for ecological development. These processes require new, innovative approaches to urban development which build upon existing urban structures. Housing in urban areas represents a central cross-disciplinary issue, within which societal problems – which have decisive effects on individuals and their quality of life – can be seen more acutely. The topic of urban housing is thus an area of research which comprises both abstract considerations about societal forms of cohabitation, and how politics and urban planning implement these ideas, as well as concrete, spatial-morphological, architectural and economic dimensions of urban planning. Understanding the complexity of this area of research, a comprehensive analysis must go hand in hand with recognising the need for alternative concepts for housing policy in the fragmented city. The International Doctorate Programme “European Urban Studies” is therefore focusing research on the transformation of European cities with a focus on (multidimensional) housing policy, in the context of current societal challenges – such as climate change, social fragmentation, spatial disparity, cultural differentiation, immigration and the transformation of the real estate economy – and what these challenges imply for the cities of Europe. Research Areas With this call, the International Doctorate Programme “European Urban Studies” is concentrating on research projects which address one of the following research areas specifically, but which can also be linked to at least one of the other research areas. Housing Policy and Urban Development At the focus of this research area is social housing provision and how it is developing in the context of a transformation to the welfare state and urban development. Research projects will be considered which look at the functional, institutional and urban-spatial transformation of social housing planning. Housing Forms and Social Diversity In this context, research should focus both on particular social groups’ specific needs with respect to housing forms, as well as on inquiries into innovative housing concepts. Inhabiting Urban Landscapes Urban landscapes are explored as complex, socioeconomic and ecological patterns of relations. This research focus aims to find future-oriented and landscape-related housing and forms of living in the context of current urban landscapes, as well as sustainable forms of urban development and city-regional development based in use of open space and landscapes. Housing, Urban Renewal and Heritage This research area focuses on contemporary urban redevelopment projects with a focus on housing. On the one hand this might comprise an analysis of the socio-spatial and urbanistic, the political and housing policy contexts and effects; on the other hand, questions on how to deal with existing urban structures and on the discursive (re-)negotiation of urban heritage shall be explored.

The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar is an international research university that is committed to the idea of Bauhaus and therefore has a traditionally international orientation. Its aspiration is to combine arts with sciences and technics which leads us to run a path that is unique in Germany.

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