In depth case presentations of transdisciplinary research projects.

Natural Sciences and Technology

Electricity from solar concentrating collectors

• Core analytical tool: building of an experimental real-world prototype (“living lab”)
• Core social partners: local companies, public officials and citizens
• References:
  • Di Bono, S., Filippo Paredes, & Fabio Maria Montagnino. (2018). Solar Living Lab: implementing sustainable experimentation process, responsible innovation and community engagement in a solar energy research facility.
  • Montenon, F. P., Giaconia, A., Fylaktos, N., Di Bono, S., Papanicolas, C. N., & Montagnino, F. M. (2016). Solar multi-generation in the Mediterranean area, the experience of the STS-MED project.  EuroSun 2016.

Flood management through introducing urban green

• Core analytical tool: flood resistance analysis of a real-world green infrastructure (“living lab”)
• Core social partners: public officials from the city of Tampere, Finland
• Reference:
  • website: Urban Nature Labs

 Biodiversity preservation in mountain area, Piedmont, Italy

• Core analytical tool: vegetation analysis and soil sample measurements
• Core social partners: citizens, nature park officials
• Reference:
  • Höchtl, F., Lehringer, S., & Konold, W. (2006). Pure theory or useful tool?: experiences with transdisciplinarity in the Piedmont Alps. Evironmental Science & Policy, 9(4), 322-329.
    

Sustainable self-sufficient energy production and use in two Austrian Energy Regions

• Core analytical tool: dynamic equations modelling
• Core social partners: public officials from the energy region Weiz-Gleisdorf
• Reference:
  • Binder, Cl. R. 2014. TERIM : Transition Dynamics in Energy Regions : an Integrated Model for Sustainable Policies. Final Project Report, 29 June 2014.

 Material flows (energy, water, materials) analysis of housing in Vaud and Zurich, Switzerland

• Core analytical tool < agent based modelling
• Core social partners < housing cooperatives, insurance company, public officials
• References:
  • Pagani, A., Laurenti, R., Binder, C.R.. Sustainability Assessment of the Housing System: Exploring the Interplay between the Material and the Social Systems. In Cl. R. Binder et al. (eds.). Sustainability Assessments of Urban Systems. Cambridge University Press.
  • website: Infoscience EPFL scientific publications

Biomedical research

Obesity prevention in North Karelia, Finland

• Core analytical tool: medical examinations coupled with epidemiological survey
• Core social partners: health prevention organisations, health professionals
• Reference:
  • Puska, Vartiainen, Laatikainen, Jousilahti, Paavola (eds). 2009. The North Karelia Project: From North Karelia to National Action. Helsinki: National Institute for Health and Welfare (open access).

Asthma incidence in Brooklyn (New-York State), United States

• Core analytical tool: community health survey
• Core social partners: local community health organisation
• Reference:
  • Corburn, J. 2003. Bringing Local Knowledge Into Environmental Decision Making: Improving Urban Planning for Communites at Risk. Journal of Planning Education and Research.

Quantative data collection and analysis

Socio-ecological services from increasing urban green in Gothenburg

• Core analytical tool: measurement of biophysical indicators of urban green, survey on perception of values of various socio-ecological services from urban green
• Core social partners: urban planners, citizens
• Reference:
  • Andersson-Sköld, Y., Klingberg, J., Gunnarsson, B., Cullinane, K., Gustafsson, I., Hedblom, M., … & Thorsson, P. (2018). A framework for assessing urban greenery’s effects and valuing its ecosystem services. Journal of Environmental Management, 205, 274-285.

Multi-criteria assessment of renewable energy options in Austria

• Core analytical tool: multi-criteria assessment
• Core social partners: policy makers
• Reference:
  • Madlener, R., Kowalski, K., & Stagl, S. (2007). New ways for the integrated appraisal of national energy scenarios: the case of renewable energy use in Austria. Energy Policy, 35(12), 6060-6074.

Health and well-being of homeless people in Toronto, Canada

• Core analytical tool: survey conducted by peer individuals from the homeless community
• Core social partners: non-profit organisations for the homeless
• Reference:
  • Khandor, E., Mason, K. 2010. The Street Health Report 2007: Community-Based Research for Social Change. In Kirst, M. et al. (Eds.). (2010). Converging disciplines: A transdisciplinary research approach to urban health problems. Springer Science & Business Media.

Well-being of immigrants in Albuquerque, United States

• Core analytical tool: social interventions and analysis of data from the interventions
• Core social partners: non-profit organisations
• Reference:
  • Goodkind, J.R., Githinji, A., Isakson, B. 2010. Reducing Health Disparities Experienced by Refugees Resettled in Urban Areas: A Community-Based Transdisciplinary Intervention Model. In Kirst, M. et al. (Eds.). (2010). Converging disciplines: A transdisciplinary research approach to urban health problems. Springer Science & Business Media.

Qualitative data collection and analysis

Re-designing 1950ies suburban dormitory towns

• Core analytical tool: social geographical mapping
• Core social partners: urban planners, citizens
• Reference:
  • Fortin, A., Carole Després and Geneviève Vachon. 2005. Design urbain en collaboration. Bilan et enjeux. Géocarrefour, vol. 80/2. https://journals.openedition.org/geocarrefour/8460?lang=fr

Climate change adaptation in mountain areas

• Core analytical tool: windows of agency analysis
• Core social partners: inhabitants of the mountain area
• Reference:
  • Lavorel, S., Colloff, M. J., Locatelli, B., Gorddard, R., Prober, S. M., Gabillet, M., … & Peyrache-Gadeau, V. (2019). Mustering the power of ecosystems for adaptation to climate change. Environmental Science & Policy, 92, 87-97.

Re-designing an urban square to deal excessive heat during heat waves

• Core analytical tool: social geographical mapping (adapting David Lynch)
• Core social partners: citizens
• References
  • Foshag, K., Aeschbach, N., Höfle, B., Winkler, R., Siegmund, A., & Aeschbach, W. (2020). Viability of public spaces in cities under increasing heat: A transdisciplinary approach. Sustainable Cities and Society, 102215.

Sustainable mobility in Stuttgart, Germany

• Core analytical tool: real-world laboratory: social interventions and triangulation of observational data from the interventions
• Core social partners: citizens and non-profit organisations
• References:
  • Knorr, Ch., Heydkamp, C. Denkanstösse für alternative mobilitätsressourcen der babyboomer. Synthesebericht. Reallabor für nachhaltige mobilitätskultur. Future City Lab. Universität Stuttgart.
  • Website: http://www.r-n-m.net/

Humanities

Use of creative works to promote nature protection

• Core analytical tool: literary analysis
• Core social partners: Contemporary writers
• References
  • Website of the Land Lines project: https://landlinesproject.wordpress.com/
  • Higgins, D., Somervell, T., & Clark, N. (2020). Introduction: Environmental Humanities Approaches to Climate Change. Humanities 9(3), 94 (open access)

Nuclear colonisation of Asia-Pacif islands (orchid island etc.)

• Core analytical tool: literary analysis
• Core social partners: natural scientists and indigeneous writers
• References
  • Wendt’s, A., & Rapongan’s, S. (2017). Radiation ecologies, resistance and survivance on Pacific Islands. Adamson J. and Davis, M. (eds.). Humanities for the Environment: Integrating knowledge, forging new constellations of practice. Routledge, pp. 165.

Creation of a nature park in the Northern Black Forest, Germany

• Core analytical tool < historical analysis
• Core social partners: natural park managers
  
• References
  • Website: http://www.wissensdialog-nordschwarzwald.de/real-world-laboratory
  • Rhodius, R., Bachinger, M., Koch, B. (eds.). 2020. Wildnis, Wald, Mensch. Forschungsbeiträge sur Entwicklung einder Nationalparkregion am Beispiel des Schwarzwalds. Oekom Verlag (chapter 6).

Legal

Implementation of the regime on Access and Benefit Sharing of Genetic Resources

• Core analytical tool: legal analysis of contracts
• Core social partners: managers of microbial culture collections
• References
  • Dijkshoorn, L., De Vos, P., and Dedeurwaerdere, T., 2010, Understanding patterns of use and scientific opportunities in the emerging global microbial commons, Research in Microbiology 161(6): 407-413.
  • Dedeurwaerdere, T., 2010, Global microbial commons: institutional challenges for the global exchange and distribution of microorganisms in the life sciences, Research in Microbiology. 161(6): 414-421.

Equity in access to healthy housing infrastructure and neighbourhoods

• Core analytical tool: legal analysis of housing policies, effectiveness analysis of various legal tools
• Core social partners: public officials and non-profit advocacy for fair housing policies
• References
  • Website: http://publichealthlawresearch.org/product/housingreports

Methodological overviews of knowledge integration tools

Natural sciences and technology

Design thinking for developping nature based solutions

• DeLosRíos-White, M. I., Roebeling, P., Valente, S., & Vaittinen, I. (2020). Mapping the life cycle co-creation process of nature-based solutions for urban climate change adaptation.

Biomedical

Community health epidemiology

• Puska, P., Salonen, J. T., Tuomilehto, J., Nissinen, A., & Kottke, T. E. (1983). Evaluating community-based preventive cardiovascular programs: Problems and experiences from the North Karelia Project. Journal of community health, 9(1), 49-64.

Quantitative data collection and analysis

Participatory multi-criteria analysis

• Andersson-Sköld, Y., Klingberg, J., Gunnarsson, B., Cullinane, K., Gustafsson, I., Hedblom, M., … & Thorsson, P. (2018). A framework for assessing urban greenery’s effects and valuing its ecosystem services. Journal of Environmental Management, 205, 274-285.

Combining scenarios and participatory multi-criteria analysis

• Kowalski, K., Stagl, S., Madlener, R., & Omann, I. (2009). Sustainable energy futures: Methodological challenges in combining scenarios and participatory multi-criteria analysis. European Journal of Operational Research, 197(3), 1063-1074.

Qualitative data collection and analysis

Real-world Laboratories

• Beecroft, R., Trenks, H., Rhodius, R., Benighaus, C., & Parodi, O. (2018). Reallabore als Rahmen transformativer und transdisziplinärer Forschung: Ziele und Designprinzipien. In Transdisziplinär und transformativ forschen (pp. 75-100). Springer VS, Wiesbaden.

Humanities

Environmental humanities

• Kueffer, C., Thelen Lässer, K., & Hall, M. (2017). Applying the environmental humanities: Ten steps for action and implementation. GAIA, January 2017.

Legal research

Emprical turn in legal scholarship

• Shaffer, G., & Ginsburg, T. (2012). The empirical turn in international legal scholarship. American Journal of International Law, 106(1), 1-46.