The aim of this RTG-UGI is to inspire and train young researchers to develop novel solutions for Urban Green Infrastructures (UGI). 

By developing networks of green and blue open spaces with multiple ecosystem services, the sustainability, resilience and quality of life of cities will be improved. Doctoral candidates undergo a specific and innovative qualification program that enables them to conduct UGI-related research in their respective disciplines at the highest academic level, while training them in inter- and transdisciplinary research within a systems thinking approach. They collaborate with, and receive support and guidance from, leading researchers in the fields of urban planning, ecology, engineering, and environmental medicine. The Research Training Group (RTG) therefore represents a cornerstone in the careers of young scientists in integrated urban research.

The Research Training Group develops within a social-ecological-technologcial systems framework with three interacting UGI research clusters on urban transformation (cluster 1), climate resilience and energy efficiency (cluster 2), and sustainable stormwater management (cluster 3). In particular, it focuses on the potential of three strategies:

  1. operationalizing to transform complex urban environments through the development and implementation of prototype UGIs,
  2. substituting urban-engineering structures and processes, and
  3. integrating natural elements into built structures to reduce dependence on fossil energy and non-renewable resources.

The Research Training Group UGI integrates urban planning and design, urban ecosystems, and human health. It harnesses an innovative concept of social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) to tackle current issues in urban environments. Specifically, it will conduct cutting-edge research in UGIs, i.e., parks, green streets, and sustainable drainage systems, to understand the underlying mechanisms of ecosystem functions and services. Furthermore, the RTG will conduct social research in collaboration with urban communities and policymakers to approach problems at multiple levels, from individuals to governing bodies. 

The research is divided into three interactive and interdisciplinary clusters. A unique and rigorous training program will be led by experts in urban governance, mobility, architecture, ecosystem, and human health to achieve transdisciplinary research and education. Furthermore, candidates will work with policymakers and other scientists since urban transformation is a collaborative and international endeavor. The RTG will educate motivated scholars equipped to approach urban-centered problems with advanced tools to understand and propose sustainable solutions for people and ecosystems. 

Meet our team on our homepage!


Research Program & structure

Within the overarching research objectives of this RTG the following specific objectives related to urban green infrastructure (UGI) are addressed:

  1. To advance a systemic understanding of the interrelationships between social, ecological, and technological processes in the urban environment in an inter- and transdisciplinary study.
  2. To develop innovative UGI that smartly blends green, blue, and gray infrastructure in three fields of application: transformation of urban space for biodiversity and quality of life (cluster 1); indoor and outdoor climate (cluster 2); and urban stormwater management (cluster 3).
  3. To explore three strategies for the transformation of urban areas via UGI towards sustainability and resilience: operationalization, substitution, and integration.

Within the SET framework, we propose to investigate the potential of operationalization, substitution and integration in the development and implementation of novel UGI within three Research Clusters (RC) that each focus on important challenges in urban development, thereby providing testbeds that explore the feasibility of the approaches:

Cluster 1: Transformation of Urban Space with UGI investigates the interactions and the potential of UGI as a driver of change in the transformative production processes of urban reconstruction. There will be a focus on synergies between biodiversity and the multifunctionality of green corridors concerning the connectivity of natural habitats and the attractiveness for walking and cycling. The cluster will identify innovative governance mechanisms for UGI implementation.

The subprojects of research cluster 1 are

Cluster 2: Improving Urban Indoor and Outdoor Climate focuses on urban plant–climate–energy–human–health interactions to explore how thermal comfort can be increased under climate change by the integration of UGI into the built environment. This would also reduce energy consumption and the related carbon footprint of buildings, and enhance human health.

The subprojects of research cluster 2 are

Cluster 3: Sustainable Urban Storm Water Management addresses the urban plant–water–soil interactions to examine the potential for substitution of technical water management in terms of both water quantity and quality and to promote biodiversity and food production, thermal regulation, and carbon storage in soils, while reducing human health risks.

The subprojects of research cluster 3 are

The three overarching research areas of the RCs are of particular relevance for sustainable urban development, they are suitable to explore synergies and trade-offs between different functions of UGI, and are well represented at TUM. Each RC consists of 4–5 subprojects of different disciplines. Integration of the disciplines will be achieved by a focus on the same study sites or experiments (called Urban Labs), and integration among clusters and subprojects by co-supervision of doctoral candidates, by organizing joint workshops with milestones of the qualification process, and finally through a synthesis project on UGI principles