Overview
The phenomenon of climate change presents a significant challenge to urban areas at all levels. The occurrence of heat waves, heavy rainfall, and dry spells not only places a strain on the infrastructure of urban areas but also has an adverse effect on the quality of life of those residing in such environments. Consequently, climate adaptation measures must be not only scientifically sound but also socially acceptable and facilitate innovative forms of participation. The planned "KlimaCoLab" research project brings together experts from a variety of disciplines with the objective of combining technological, planning, and social approaches. The objective is to develop solutions that enhance the climate resilience and sustainability of urban areas.
The project's primary objective is the joint development of a mixed-reality platform that integrates real-time climate simulations, immersive visualizations, and hybrid participation formats. The platform is designed to facilitate the presentation of climate data in a clear and accessible manner, support evidence-based decision-making processes, and enhance the inclusivity and scope of participation. The project fuses sophisticated technologies with socially pertinent methodologies, thereby opening up new possibilities for climate-resilient urban development.
The consortium on the Swiss side brings together the HSLU, which offers expertise in climate simulation, mixed reality technologies, and participatory processes; Studio Vulkan, which has a particular focus on climate-adapted landscape architecture; Urban Equipe, which has experience in hybrid participation formats; and CORRECTIV, which contributes data, journalistic, and crowd-based approaches to facilitate the comprehension and accessibility of climate data for diverse target groups. The city of Lucerne, which is participating as an active pilot city, is assisting in the testing and further development of the approaches developed under real conditions.
The German partners, including GEO-NET, Interactive Scape, the City Science Lab, and the Blue-Green Infrastructure Lab at HafenCity University Hamburg, are contributing technological and methodological innovations. GEO-NET supplies precise climate simulation data, while Interactive Scape develops interactive technologies for hybrid data tables. The City Science Lab is primarily concerned with digital co-creation and data-based decision-making, whereas the Blue-Green Infrastructure Lab is principally engaged in the investigation of strategies for the integration of blue-green infrastructure into urban environments.
KlimaCoLab represents an interdisciplinary and transnational research approach that integrates technological innovation, planning expertise, and social participation. By employing a collaborative and transdisciplinary methodology, the project seeks to identify novel strategies through which cities can address the challenges of climate change in a future-oriented manner.
