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TOPIC

Cities and regions

Climate change, biodiversity loss, demographic shifts, and social inequalities pose significant challenges for cities and regions. While densely populated urban areas grapple with high resource consumption, competing land use interests, and social tensions, rural regions undergoing structural change face questions about their future and the creation of equitable living conditions. 

Ensuring high-quality living conditions, maintaining public services, and protecting natural and environmental resources require integrated and transformative approaches. At the IÖW, we contribute to this mission through our research. We view urban and rural areas as interdependent systems that work in partnership. By fostering an exchange between research and practice, we collaboratively develop future visions for green, equitable, health-promoting, and circular cities and regions while exploring transformation pathways. Social innovations and institutional change play a key role in bringing these visions to life. 

Our approach to sustainable cities and regions is holistic and integrated. We strive to identify synergies and co-benefits across different fields of action, such as preserving natural spaces while promoting urban development. We support decision-makers and stakeholders in sustainable urban and regional development by providing knowledge, facilitating discourse on goals, strategies, and measures, and equipping them with practical tools such as calculation aids and guidelines. 

Ongoing projects

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Publications on the topic

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