News & Highlights
Cities and Climate Change
The Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN) recently published its Second Assessment Report (ARC3.2). This is the result of an approx. five year process, gathering together more than 350 authors from over 100 cities worldwide to inform mayors, city officials and policymakers, urban planners, and a broad spectrum of researchers and advanced students in the environmental sciences on the development and implementation of effective urban climate change policies, leveraging ongoing and planned investments for populations in cities of developing, emerging, and developed countries. The ARC3.2 Summary for City Leaders was already presented in December 2015 at a UCCRN side session at the 21st UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris.
UFZ actively contributed to this Report as Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors and with specific Case Studies on Santiago de Chile, Dar es Salaam and Jena. The experience to be part of this huge initiative and long-lasting process was tremendous. The network that has been built provides an excellent basis for future collaboration.
On September 18, 2018, Dr. Kerstin Krellenberg and Dr. Nathalie Jean-Baptiste, both currently guest scientists at the Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology at UFZ, presented the main findings of the Report and talked about their personal experiences as Coordinating Lead Author and Lead Author of this Report:
Climate Change and Cities - Second Assessment Report of the Urban Climate Change Research Network
Symposia, talks and posters – contributing the IAPS in Rome
In July 2018, we engaged in an inspiring, international and highly interdisciplinary IAPS conference in Rome for one week. The acronym IAPS stands for International Association of People-Environment Studies: it’s all about environmental research from global to local aspects. This association especially relates to the needs and challenges of humans in their respective environments. The UFZ was well-represented with convening two symposia, giving several talks, and exhibiting a poster, all related to our key issue urban transformations. The symposia on Green Infrastructure (GI) dealt with the respective foci GI to human well-being, and GI for a diversifying urban society. Having been well-attended, we could experience exciting scientific discussions and foster our networking. Other formats, such as the Young Researchers Workshop and Poster Session gave splendid opportunities for our young researchers to exchange with experienced international senior scientists and shed light to their research questions from different research angles.
Contact:
Sigrun Kabisch
Ellen Banzhaf
photo by Sigrun Kabisch
Matthias Groß receives the Frederick Buttel Prize 2018
Matthias Gross received the 2018 Frederick Buttel International Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Environmental Sociology from the International Sociological Association (
ISA
). The Buttel Award, the highest award presented in the field, is given out once every four years. The award is presented by a branch of the International Sociological Association and intended for “outstanding contributions of scholars to the study of environment-society relations”, according to the ISA website. The awardee Matthias Gross was announced during the World Congress of Sociology in Toronto on July 18, 2018 in a speech by Professor Stewart Lockie, former president of ISA’s Research Committee on Environment & Society.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Matthias Groß
Research findings on large housing estates presented
On July 18th, 2018 scientists presented their newest research findings in a public event within the scope of Grünauer Kultursommer (cultural summer program in Leipzig-Grünau) in Stadtteilladen Grünau. First the editors introduced the recently published book “Großwohnsiedlungen im Haltbarkeitscheck” containing differentiated perspectives and challenges of large housing estates in Eastern Germany by means of examples. A central contribution focuses on development chances of Leipzig-Grünau based on the longitudinal study “Wohnen und Leben in Grünau” (Housing and Living in Grünau), executed by Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ).
Event with guests. © Raffaela Betz, UFZ
At the event, we welcomed the Czech and Polish partners Eva Szafranska (Lodz), Michal Kohout and Filip Tittl (Prague), who also contributed to the book. With this multinational view we especially discussed the different owner structures which were also examined and presented for Leipzig-Grünau by UFZ-researchers.
Before the event interested guests could get an impression of living in Leipzig-Grünau by a guided walk through the large housing estate.
Afterwards scientists of the UFZ presented recent research findings about 13, so-called smaller large housing estates in Leipzig. Development chances of these areas of industrial housing construction were examined and recently published in a brochure. Each area is analysed by multiple maps and graphics resulting in a derivation of specifics and potentials. In a comparison of all findings, the importance of the smaller large housing estates in growing Leipzig is highlighted. The results were discussed with and appreciated by representatives of urban planning and municipal policy as well as actors of local institutions. In the end of the event, brochures were available for all guests.
After the event we received several inquiries for sending the brochure which we’ll gladly do for interested persons or parties:
Hannah Kirschner
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Sigrun Kabisch
Collaborative workshop on children´s health
Scientists of the Thematic Areas
Chemicals in the Environment
and
Environment and Society
are going to hold a workshop on children´s health:
„Understanding the impact of social factors on children´s health in urban areas“
In order to comprehensively determine the influence of the environmental burden on children´s health, social factors of the living environment become important. The interdisciplinary approach needs shared concepts and a precise language for mutual understanding.
As a basis for the workshop, a literature review was conducted, which systematizes the understanding of a wide range of social factors.
29.1.2018, 13.00 - 16.30 p.m.
Kubus, Lecture hall 2A/B, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig
New Publication on the challenges of climate change
The Helmholtz International Research Group CLAVE, a cooperation between the UFZ and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, has published a book on "Climate change, urban vulnerability and adaptation at the municipal level. Santiago de Chile and other cities in Latin America". It emphasizes the challenges of climate change and related impacts in different municipalities of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile. It reveals the interlinkages of socio-environmental fragmentation and urban vulnerability and points out the institutional adaptive capacity at the municipal level. It highlights adaptation needs according to the assessed vulnerability, which were developed in strong colaboration with the municipalities. Perspectives of other Latin American Metropolitan Regions complement with an international dimension.
Contact:
PhD Kerstin Krellenberg