"Raising Sustainability" Most Popular Article

Taylor and Francis has produced a collection of the 'The Most Popular Articles from Planning Theory and Practice 2014-2015'. "Raising Sustainability" co-written by members of the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning (Carr, Becker, Evrard, Roos, Nienaber, McDonough, Hesse, & Krueger) has been selected and is currently free to download.
Get it here

Job posting - PhD in Economic Geography

The University of Luxembourg invites applications for the following vacancy in its Faculty of Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education.

Doctoral candidate (PhD student) in Economic Geography

• Ref F3-050004
• The position is limited to 3 years, with the possibility of a 1-year extension, 40h/week

Your Role

• Prepare a doctoral thesis in economic geography
• Assist the professor in his teaching activities, one to three hours per week
• Contribute to tutoring Master students

For further inquiries please contact Prof. Christian Schulz
christian.schulz@uni.lu

Your Profile

• Master in Economic Geography
• Experience in qualitative research methods (e.g. interview techniques, focus group discussions, document and discourse analysis) and in the use of related software tools (e.g. MaxQDA, AtlasTI)
• Research experience in economic geography
• Particular interest in sustainability-related innovations and transitions (e.g. alternative economies, degrowth)
• Excellent command of at least two of the following languages: English, French, and German.

We offer

• Working in an international team
• Innovative research endeavours  
• An interdisciplinary doctoral school providing conceptual, methodological and transferable skills

Further Information

Please upload your complete application (letter of motivation, CV, copy of diplomas) by 30 June 2015 clicking here and following procedures.

The University of Luxembourg is an equal opportunity employer

Job Posting - Migration Studies in Geography

The University of Luxembourg is looking for its Faculty of Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education within the Research Unit IPSE for a

Research Associate (M/F) – Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning

•  Ref: F3-140027
• Fixed-term contract from 1st October 2015 until 31st August 2016, 40 hours/week
• Employee status

Starting date: 01.10.2015

Your Role

The overall objective of the contract is to work in the European Migration Network (EMN), National Contact Point (NCP) Luxembourg on topics of migration, asylum and integration in cooperation with the European Commission.

Tasks
The research associate will work within the research project “EMN” in the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning.
Under the supervision of Professor Birte Nienaber, he/she will:

•  Follow the latest developments in the national and European migration policies;
•  Research the necessary data for the project;
•  Draft and finalise studies in English;
•  Prepare and coordinate the budget
•  Participate in meetings together with other national and European partners.

For further information please contact:
Prof. Dr. Birte Nienaber
E-Mail: birte.nienaber@uni.lu

Your Profile

•  Master (or equivalent) in Geography, Migration Studies or any other related field
• Experienced in the field of migration
•  Experienced in accounting and handling budgets 
• Ability to establish contacts at national and international level
• Ability to work independently and within an interdisciplinary team  
• Knowledge in data collection, tables and graphs creation and reporting 
• Experienced in the use of common computer software (Microsoft Office). Knowledge of accounting software will be considered as an advantage
•  Good communication and drafting skills

As the candidate will have to deal within a multilingual context, he/she must be fluent in English and French (written and spoken). Knowledge of German and Luxembourgish will be considered as an advantage.

We offer

• The research associate will work in an international environment at the University of Luxembourg and will be a member of the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning and of the team of the European Migration Network National Contact Point Luxembourg
•  He/She will have the opportunity to work closely with the Luxembourg and European migration experts and to participate in the EMN NCP meetings (especially in Brussels).

Further Information

Candidates should submit the following documents:

•  letter of motivation
•  curriculum vitae
•  copies of diplomas

Please apply online until 30 June 2015:
The University is an equal opportunity employer

l'énergie des sciences sociales

Dr. Alain Nadaï et Dr. Olivier Labussière sont rechercheurs de Centre International de Recherche sur l’Environnement et le Développement  (CIRED), Paris. En mars dernier, j'ai eu le plaisir de pouvoir les rencontrer et discuter avec eux, pendant le workshop, "Local Capacities, Political Energies". 


Ils sont heureux de vous annoncer la sortie de l’ouvrage, L'Énergie des Sciences Sociales.  On peut le télécharger ici.

Job Posting

The University of Luxembourg is looking for its Faculty of Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education within the Research Unit IPSE for a

Research Associate (M/F) – Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning

• Ref: F3R-IPS-PAU-15SPMI (code budgétaire du projet)
• Fixed-term contract, start date as soon as possible until 31st October 2015, 40 hours/week
• Employee status

 Project outline
The overall objective of the contract is to help develop and draft the Luxembourg national report for the International Migration Outlook (SOPEMI) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in cooperation with the European Migration Network, National Contact Point Luxembourg, and the Luxembourgish Reception and Integration Office (Office luxembourgeois de l’accueil et de l’intégration - OLAI).

Your Role
The research associate will work within the research project “SOPEMI” in the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning.  Under the supervision of the Professor Birte Nienaber, he/she will:

• Follow the latest developments in the national migration policies;
• Research the necessary data for the SOPEMI report 2015;
• Draft and finalize the report in accordance to the OECD regulations in English language;
• Prepare a national annual expert meeting and discuss the national migration topics with the OECD officials;
• Participate at a meeting together with other national experts at the OECD.

For further information please contact:
Prof. Dr. Birte Nienaber
E-Mail: birte.nienaber@uni.lu
Tel: +352 466644-9318

Your Profile

• Master (or equivalent) in Geography, Migration Studies or any other related field
• Experienced in the field of migration
• Ability to establish contacts at national and international level
• Ability to work independently and within an interdisciplinary team
• Knowledge in Data collection, tables and graphs creation and Reporting
• Experienced in the use of common computer software (Microsoft Office)
• Good communication and drafting skills

As the candidate will have to deal with in a multilingual context, he/she must be fluent in English and French (written and spoken). Knowledge of German and Luxembourgish will be considered as an advantage.

We offer

• The research associate will work in the international environment of the University of Luxembourg and will be member of the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning
• He/She will have the opportunity to work closely with the Luxembourg and OECD migration experts and to participate in the OECD annual expert group meeting.

Further Information

Candidates should submit the following documents:

• letter of motivation
• curriculum vitae
• copies of diplomas

Please apply online by May 22nd, 2015.
The University is an equal opportunity employe

28 May 2015 - Introducing Prof. Dr. Birte Nienaber

Seit September 2013 ist Birte Nienaber Professorin für Politische Geographie an der Universität Luxemburg. Am 28. Mai hält Prof. Nienaber ihre öffentliche Antrittsvorlesung,
Zur Rolle der Geographie in den Border Studies, um 18 Uhr im Raum Piaget (Bât III) auf Campus Walferdange.

Die „Border Studies” sind ein Forschungsfeld im Schnittpunkt von sozial- und kulturwissenschaftlichen Disziplinen, die Grenzen und Grenzräume analysieren und deren Auswirkungen betrachten. Dieses Forschungsfeld gewinnt in den letzten Jahren deutlich an Bedeutung. Während innerhalb der Europäischen Union die nationalen Grenzen durch die Schengen Abkommen geöffnet sind, werden sie an den EU-Außengrenzen zunehmend starrer und die politischen wie sozialen Folgen immer deutlicher. Die Vorlesung wird sich damit befassen, welchen Beitrag die Geographie zu diesem Forschungsfeld liefern kann. Was sind Grenzen aus geographischer Sicht ? Welche geographischen Implikationen lassen sich daraus ableiten ? Welche Chancen und Herausforderungen bietet das Thema für die Wissenschaft ?

Birte Nienaber is Professor in Political Geography at the UL, Member of the UniGr-Center for Border Studies, Coordinator of the European Migration Network (NCPLU), and National Contact Point for the European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion (ESPON). She will deliver her inaugural lecture entitled, The Roll of Geography in Border Studies,

May 28, in the Piaget Room, (Building III), on Walfer Campus.  (Lecture in German)

Dr. Gerald Taylor Aiken, Transition Initiatives to Low Carbon Futures as a Social Learning Process for Sustainability

Tuesday, May 12,
19.00-20.30
Bâtiment des Sciences, 1st floor, lecture room 3 (BS 1.03)

At the last public lecture given in the frame of the interdisciplinary course “Science & Citizens meet Challenges of Sustainability,”

Dr. Gerald Taylor Aiken will speak about, Transition Initiatives to Low Carbon Futures as a Social Learning Process for Sustainability

The Transition movement, since emerging from Totnes in 2007, have proliferated worldwide and emerged as a important grassroots community response to climate change and peak oil. Transition has also been of increasing theoretical interest, but not yet analysed as a site for social learning. Social learning processes--such as backcasting, open space techniques, preparing energy descent action plans--are integral to Transition initiatives. Because of this, the community Transition imagine acting for sustainability is not only a place-based and small-scale social arrangement of togetherness, but also a process where opening up to (environmental) others can be deliberately and purposively fostered. This is often carried out through what Transition call ‘deepening’ exercises based on, among others, the work of Johanna Macy. The chapter is empirically based on in-depth ethnographic research with three Transition groups. Understanding Transition’s community as a process transcends traditional understandings of community as place-bound and locally-rooted, it also looks to the profound implications that the more ecosophic subjectivities required for sustainability can be purposively produced. 

Gerald Taylor Aiken is a Post Doctoral Researcher in the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning at the Research Unit ‘Identités, Politiques, Sociétés, Espaces’ at the University of Luxembourg. He received his Ph.D. from Durham University in 2014 on the role of ‘community’ within grassroots environmentalism. He previously taught Geography at Leeds University and writes on the role of community in the transition to low carbon futures. He has previously published on Transition Towns amongst other community-based social movements.

Forum - für Politik, Gesellschaft und Kultur

The April 2015 issue of Forum - für Politik, Gesellschaft und Kultur focuses on urban and regional planning in Luxembourg.  It includes some contributions by members of our institute, Prof. Markus Hesse, Prof. Christian Schulz, Tom Becker (Research Associate), and Annick Leick (PhD candidate).  You can find a full list of contents and links to the individual articles here.

Lux Art

New from Trent Carr (sustaingov website art):  Lux City, pencil crayon on white board (ca. 50x60cm)

When the Heart Went... Documenting Hamilius, Part I

In 2010, Antevita Films produced Hamilius, Hip Hop Culture in Luxembourg, a film by Alain Tshinza documenting youth life in the underground passages of the bus station.

Now, demolition at Hamilius is in full swing. The underground is still open, and if one gets there quick enough - tractors are busy crashing away at the walls and fixtures - one can visit a spontaneous and temporary art exhibition telling the final stories of what is soon to become a space of memory. Some photos:

bla bla car pooling

Luxembourg has mobility problems.  We all know this. Bus connections are often so miserable, one often considers taking at least part of the journey by foot. As most buses head into the city centre (Hamilius and LuxGare being the main transfer stations) and then back out again, it can be particularly dire to have to get from point A to point B during rush hour. While weekends are not so busy, fewer buses on Sunday render transport difficult once again. Domestic train connections, while more efficient, are often overfilled and often get bogged down by necessary change-overs in LuxCity, lengthening any one-way trip by up to an hour.  Night trips are also a problem. It is never clear how to get back home after seeing a movie on Kirchberg, a concert at the Rockhal, eating dinner at a friend's, or attending a conference in the city. Taxis are sometimes an option, but drivers often a) invent road blocks; b) don't know the way; c) don't have change; or d) forget to turn the meter on.  Webtaxi.lu is a fantastic company for those who want to avoid those silly late-night spats. Ask them, too, to teach you about how to identify properly certified taxis. But all Lux taxis are always expensive, and it is a particularly unlikely option if the travel distance is far. Alas, there is the bike - always a glorious fresh air option for anyone who like hills, heavy traffic, and arriving at their destination in need of a shower.

Of course, Luxembourg's biggest mobility problem is the one faced by cross-border labour.  Highways between 7-9 am or 15-18 pm are jammed.  Seats on the trains between Trier and Lux are often taken up, especially Sunday nights and Friday evenings. If there is construction, take precaution: A few weeks ago, the train was substituted by a bus whose driver subsequently got lost. It took 90 minutes to get from LuxCity to Wasserbillig, beetling up and down and around the winding roads. On a positive note a great double-decker CFL train now runs between Lux and Koblenz.

2015 presents some challenges to the University as it restations in Belval. Labour and students will have to radically reconsider their means of transportation. Good news for some residents of Luxembourg is the announcement that trains will run from Clervaux straight through to Belval. 

Car-pooling has come up in a number of conversations as one possible means of transportation that many residents and Cross-border commuters might consider.  Luxembourg doesn't need to reinvent the wheel here. Instead,  I would like to promote here an excellent car-pooling service,
Bla Bla Car already up and running and receiving great reviews. Some have already discovered it.  But I know that many more would be interested.  Here, one can create an account and if you are a driver you can search for passengers, and vice versa. Both are given reviews at the end of it, boosting confidence for both passengers and drivers. Available in all the commonly spoken languages in Luxembourg (except, sorry, Luxembourgish): Portuguese, English, German, and French.  It's an excellent way to get connected and moving!

Findings and Interpretations - Meeting at the ETH Zürich to discuss the Glatt

Last week, 12th March, Markus and Constance travelled to the ETH Zürich to present and discuss the findings of our SUSTAIN_GOV-study on spatial planning, land use and governance in the Glatt region of the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Present were some of the project partners Dirk Lohaus (IBA Basel), Prof. Dr. Christian Schmid (ETH), and Dr. Reto Nebel, ETH, who helped us in the initial phases of getting the project started, and getting us connected. Engin Imrak and Dr. Ileana Apostol, and Dr. Marco Pütz (WSL Birmensdorf), were also present, who in the past have kindly let us pick their brains about general issues concerning spatial planning in Zürich and in the Glatt. Special thanks to Dr. Nebel for helping make the event on March 12, 2015, happen.

After a few words of welcome, thanks, and context, Carr presented “Befunde und Interpretationen“ based on our study. This was followed by some comments and questions from Nebel, who kindly volunteered as our discussant, who sparked a great discussion afterwards. As in our previous project, SUSTAINLUX, this workshop fulfilled the purpose of discussing our interpretations of the research findings together with local experts. As it is generally useful to take an independent and unbiased look at a certain local or regional setting, the local experts’ perspective is helpful in providing an appropriate analytical framework. Methodologically, this is important for achieving or ensuring “Richtungssicherheit” – a certain sense that our interpretations are basically shared by the local partners and thus be considered relevant or in the right direction.

Carr presented primarily empirical research with some preliminary conclusions for consideration. The lively debates that transpired showed that the results can be interpreted in a variety of directions. It is clear now that our research speaks to wider discussions on urbanization in conditions of growth pressure, suburban development, planning practice and institutional fragmentation and mismatch, the orthodoxy of density planning, democratic practices and political theory, (im)possibilities of sustainability or social justice, inter-municipal development/co-operation/conflict. We look forward to exploring these and other conceptual angles in the coming months.

In closing the evening, Hesse presented some thoughts on the comparative dimension of urban research, “Zürich/Glatt aus der Sicht von Luxemburg.” There is not only a stunning range of similar developments going on in both countries, and related attitudes to be found among planning institutions. Switzerland and Luxembourg have also experienced a rather comparable trajectory of socio-economic and spatial development for which two issues seem to be particularly important:

- first, the fact that this unfolded against the background of small states within a certain niche of capability and sovereignty to act,

- second, the clash between the old and the new as a consequence of modernity and the - neither deliberate nor accidental - internationalisation of the two countries and, particularly, of their economies.

The workshop was thoroughly productive, and we went away with renewed inspiration, concerning the various themes, dilemmas, and implications that were discussed. We’ll keep you posted on findings and results soon.

A few notes on abstract writing*

by Markus Hesse and Gerald Taylor Aiken.

* This note benefited greatly from a recent discussion of our thoughts on academic writing in general, and abstract writing in particular, on a Geography-seminar in the context of IPSE’s doctoral school at the UL.



Conference presentations (aka ‘papers’) are something that researchers are used to prepare not only because this is the standard occasion for letting others know about what you are doing, but also because conferences and workshops offer a setting for developing new ways for your research. Presenting your thoughts against an informed audience gives you important inspiration for your own work, which can be strategically relevant.

The value of conference participation is that, first, most audiences will respond to your work by making remarks, comments and critique. This is a great opportunity: regardless of whether the feedback is positive or critical, it always brings you forward. Don’t worry about criticism; just learn to accept the argument. Second, responding to calls-for-papers and wisely planned conference participation offers particular opportunities for strategically developing your research portfolio. Thus new topics can be ‘tested’ by presenting and discussing them at conferences or workshops, in advance of preparing a proposal or writing a paper based on these thoughts. Third, getting in touch with other people who do similar or comparable things is always enriching yourself; the same can be the case with those people who may do completely different things -- listening and talking to them can be equally inspiring.

In many cases, the hurdle that needs to be taken before planning for a conference is submitting an abstract that will be accepted by the organisers, based on a more or less strict selection process. In only in few cases, such as the AAG-conference in the U.S., is everything that is submitted accepted into the conference programme. So it is worth spending some time  creating this short piece of work that often marks the starting point of what is becoming an interesting conference topic or a full academic paper afterwards.

Based on our discussion in the Geography and Spatial Planning Institute’s PhD Seminar, and in addition to the general sources on academic writing which we refer to (see a couple of sources below), we are presenting here a few practical points that may help everybody who is preparing for a conference or workshop. In this context, we particularly distinguish two different steps: first, the reflection of the subject matter and the preparation of a topic, and, second, the abstract-writing process as such. In many instances, it will also be useful to make notes on the remarks that were made in response to your input.

1) Reflection

- Does my topic fit with the organisers’ aims, the conference themes, or the call for paper/session contributions?

- Does the topic fit with my own research/publication strategy?

- What do I have to offer: existing material that reports on projects, research or reflections I did so far, or will new material be presented that challenges my own creativity or productivity?

- In any case, particularly when opting for presenting new thoughts, do I have sufficient capacity to get it done before the conference/deadline?

2) Writing

The abstract is an important part of your envisaged or existing work and functions as a sort of business card. Hence it is highly important and should not be underestimated. There are a few common rules available for successful abstract writing, and authors such as Dunlevey (2003, 203ff.) or Kitchin & Fuller (2005, 128ff.) emphasise these explicitly. Based on these suggestions and also on our own experience, convincing abstracts may consist of the following elements:

- an appealing title that should be both as telling and as short as possible,

- a clear structure, ideally consisting of 5-6 sentences that conform to the word limit for conference abstracts (e.g. 250 words at AAG- or IBG-conferences),

- the first sentence, most importantly, is the readers’ eye-catcher, making a statement on the subject matter or on your particular hypothesis,

- the second sentence refers to the given state of knowledge in this area,

- the third sentence claims for missing links or blind spots in this area – this is your justification to deal with it,

- the fourth sentence makes the way you are planning to deal with the topic more explicit

- the fifth sentence denotes the character of your work (conceptual, theoretical, empirical), indicating the underlying research, if applicable,

- the sixth sentence closes the abstract with a statement on your argument, a particular critique of the given state of knowledge or the direction in which future research & debate should be going.

Abstracts that are being prepared for research proposals are often placed prominently in the related application schemes, so they deserve particular attention as well. While they are expected to make reference to current problems or existing knowledge (and related blind spots) as the main justification for new research, they may then turn to provide two particular sorts of information: information on the knowledge generation that can be expected by the proposed research, and most notably on the methods that are foreseen to be applied (quoting J. R. K.: ‘proposals live and die with methods’).

Would you like to read more about abstract writing? Many conference programmes are now accessible on the web (e.g. www.aag.org; www.rgs.org; www.dkg2015.hu-berlin.de). Check out how conference presentations are announced, framed and synthesised, with the help of abstracts.

3) Post-conference wrap-up

This does not necessarily belong to abstract writing but conference preps and wrap-up, but remember to make your note on any comment that was made concerning your input, and take these suggestions into account once developing the materials further.

References

Blunt, A., Hatfield, M. & Souch, C. (eds.) (2013): Publishing and getting read. A Guide for New Researchers in Geography, 2^nd ed. London: Royal Geographical Society (RGS) with The Institute of British Geographers (IBG).

Dunlevey, P. (2003): Authoring a PhD. How to Plan, Draft, Write and Finish a Doctoral Thesis or Dissertation. London: Palgrave Macmillan

Johnson, W. B. & Mullen, C. A. (2007): Write to the top! How to become a prolific academic. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Kitchin, R. & Fuller, D. (2005): The academic's guide to publishing. London: Sage.

Northey, M. E. & Knight, D. B. (2001): Making sense: a student's guide to research and writing: geography & environmental sciences, 2^nd Edition. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.

Doctoral student (PhD student) in Environmental Economic Geography

The University of Luxembourg invites applications for the following vacancy in its Faculty of Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education.

Doctoral candidate (PhD student) in Environmental Economic Geography

• Ref F3-060005

The position is limited to 3 years, with the possibility of a 1-year extension, 40h/week

Your Role

• Prepare a doctoral thesis in environmental economic geography
• Assist the professor in his teaching activities, one to three hours per week.
• Contribute to tutoring Master students

Your Profile

•  Master in Economic Geography
•  Experience in qualitative research methods (e.g. interview techniques, focus group discussions, document and discourse analysis) and in the use of related software tools (e.g. MaxQDA, AtlasTI)
• Research experience in economic geography, with a particular interest in regional innovation systems, transition studies and sustainability issues
• Excellent command of at least two of the following languages: English, French, and German.

We offer

• Working in an international team
•  Innovative research endeavours  
• An interdisciplinary doctoral school providing conceptual, methodological and transferable skills

Further Information

Please upload your complete application (letter of motivation, CV, copy of diplomas) by
31 March 2015 by clicking on  ‘apply for job’ at the the University of Luxembourg website

For further inquiries please contact Prof. Christian Schulz, christian.schulz@uni.lu

The University of Luxembourg is an equal opportunity employer

In Zurich...

Two events coming up soon, in Zurich:

Urban Revolution Now: Henri Lefebvre in Social Research and Architecture

Mit Ákos Morávanszky, Christian Schmid und Łukasz Stanek

Book launch: Donnerstag, 5. März 2015 / 18:00-19.30 / HIL E 67 / ETH Hönggerberg, Zürich

Henri Lefebvres Konzepte und theoretischen Reflexionen sind in den letzten Jahren viel zitiert worden. Allerdings stellen diese Konzepte immer noch grosse Schwierigkeiten und Herausforderungen bei der Anwendung: Henri Lefebvre zum Ausgangspunkt einer Forschung zu nehmen, bedeutet immer noch ein Abenteuer und eine Expedition in unbekanntes Gelände. Anlässlich der Buchvernissage des Sammelbandes "Urban Revolution Now: Henri Lefebvre in Social Research and Architecture" diskutieren die drei Herausgeber Ákos Morávanszky, Christian Schmid und Łukasz Stanek über die Möglichkeiten und Herausforderungen bei der Anwendung von Lefebvres Theorie in Forschung und Praxis. Anschliessend servieren wir einen Apéro

Taksim/Gezi: Das umkämpfte Zentrum und die urbane Transformation Istanbuls

Orhan Esen (freier Stadtforscher, Istanbul)

Vortrag auf Deutsch / in German: Donnerstag, 26. Februar 2015 / 18:30-20.00 / HIL E 67 / ETH Hönggerberg, Zürich

Orhan Esen ist einer der profiliertesten Stadtforscher Istanbuls, bekannt durch seine zahlreichen Artikel und seine eindrücklichen Stadtführungen. Er hat ausführlich die "neoliberale Revolution" analysiert, die zum heutigen global orientierten Istanbul geführt hat. Er stellt die Proteste um den Taksim-Platz und den Gezi-Park von 2013 in den Kontext dieser fundamentalen urbanen Transformation.

Anschliessend Apéro