Humanities

All research by its very nature is dynamic. The projects briefly introduced here are therefore to be understood merely as a momentary outline of the work currently done in the field of urban and metropolitan research. Numerous other research projects are being planned or have been initiated. Worldwide urbanization is on the increase, ­metropolises are growing into megacities. And yet, especially in our own area, there is also a ­reverse trend: Cities are shrinking, with various consequences for the community, its society and culture. In what kind of city do we want to live? The systematic research into urban space conducted by the humanities is an important societal contribution that far exceeds a merely scholarly concern. What is at stake in the final resort is to develop an idea of what cities will be like in the future. The city as a habitable location requires sustainable ideas for its future, and our research is a way of developing them.