Institute for Applied Research Urban Futures (IaF)
Since its foundation in 2015, the institute has hosted numerous research projects with many motivated employees. Under the umbrella of the IaF, the research-oriented Master's programme Urban Futures was established in the winter semester 2016/2017.
To support the development of the profile, the interdisciplinary Institute for Applied Research Urban Futures (IaF) was founded in 2014 as a central institution of the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. The IaF takes up inter- and transdisciplinary questions of urban developments and works on them in research projects. In order to be able to comprehensively grasp and research the complexity of urban topics, three research professorships with the denominations "Resource-optimised and climate-adapted construction", "Sustainable urban development strategies" and "Information, visualisation & management" were assigned to the IaF. Despite its supra-regional and international networking, the IaF sees itself primarily as a catalyst for applied research in cooperation with regional actors. It supports interdisciplinary cooperation as well as the dynamisation and expansion of research cooperation with practical partners from business, administration and civil society.
Profile
The complexity of urban processes, social dynamics and digital information spaces requires an inter- and transdisciplinary approach in research, teaching and practice. To develop feasible solutions for the sustainable transformation of our cities and communities, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam has founded the Institute for Applied Research Urban Futures: Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary issues are addressed here in a cross-departmental and practice-oriented manner and integrated into teaching.
Goals
- Understanding cities as complex systems,
- Creating orientation knowledge for the future,
- Sharpen inter- and transdisciplinary perspectives on cities,
- Developing competence in dealing with the limits of knowledge.
Main focus
- Resource-efficient and climate-adapted construction,
- Regional and Social Transformation,
- Information and Visualisation,
- Mobility and traffic management.
Projects from the IaF
Weitere Projekte
GraDiM: Granularities of Dispersion and Materiality – Visualising a Photo Archive on Diaspora
In collaboration with photographer Frédéric Brenner and his international project team, the GraDiM research project is developing theoretical and technical concepts for the visualisation of a photo archive with particular sensitivity for a collection documenting the Jewish diaspora.
CLIMATE MAPS: Visualising Local Climate Futures
Cooperation with the daily newspapers taz and UCLAB with the aim of conveying climate information via various channels using data visualisations. For this purpose, both physical and digital postcards with visualisations on different aspects of climate protection in Germany were designed and produced.
Amazonia as a Laboratory for the Future – Networking-Understanding-Communicating
Starting from collection objects, overcome borders and create spaces of networking, understanding and mediation.