Summer School 2017
Future cities
17.7.-21.7.2017
Annweiler, Germany

Content and Objective

More than half of the world’s population is presently living in cities. In Germany, this share even exceeds 75% and is increasing continuously. Cities in the 21st century face major challenges due to climate change and environmental pollution, scarcity of energy and resources, demographic and economic changes, new forms of work and life, mobility change, interconnection of infrastructures, and digitization. At the same time, cities are places of change for sustainable development and use of technical and social innovations.

Urban development is a complex task of society, which needs far more inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation than other challenges. Based on an analysis of the current situation and taking into consideration the prognosticated future development of framework conditions, science is to develop the fundamentals of holistic, future-oriented urban development. It is to provide knowledge for orientation to decision-makers and to accompany the transfer of solution approaches to practice in close cooperation with politics, industry, and society.

The 4th Trifels Summer School will focus on “Future Cities – Research for a Sustainable Urban Development.” It will address research issues that are of crucial importance to future urban development from the point of view of natural, engineering, social, and health sciences as well as from the perspective of architects and urban planners. The School will focus on cities in Germany and central Europe, with experience gained in international projects being considered as well. Presentations on the following topics are planned: Urban climate; environment; information, planning, and design; building and energy; health and risks; mobility; man and society.

Participants

The School addresses doctoral researchers in all disciplines relating to urban research, in particular at the universities that are members of the association “Begegnungszentrum Kurhaus Trifels”.

Venue

The Summer School will take place at the Kurhaus Trifels in the middle of the Palatine Forest. It is about 15 km from Landau (Pfalz) and 50 km from Karlsruhe. Since 2014, the Trifels Summer School has been one of the central annual activities of the association “Begegnungszentrum Kurhaus Trifels e.V.“ It fosters advanced scientific qualification and networking in particular of young scientists from different universities and disciplines.

Expenses

Participation at the Summer School is free of charge and includes catering and accommodation besides the course program of the Summer School. Travel expenses and additional costs for the field trip and the social event are not covered.

Application

Please use the application form below. Registration is open until June 25, 2017.

Organization Team

The 4th Trifels Summer School 2017 will be organized by the KIT Graduate School for Climate and Environment (GRACE) and KIT’s Urban Research Team:

Scientific coordinators:  

Professor Dr. Stefan Emeis, Spokesperson of the topic “Urban Systems and Material Flow Management“ of the KIT Climate and Environment Center
Professor Dr.-Ing. Stefan Hinz, Scientific Spokesperson of GRACE

Organization:

Dr. Heike Boos, KIT Urban Research Coordinator
Dr.-Ing. Andreas Schenk, Scientific Coordinator of GRACE
M.A. Ilse Engelmann, Administration GRACE

Contact: info@grace.kit.edu