Speaker
Description
Mounting evidence of climate-related impacts—such as intensifying heatwaves, flooding, and resource shortages—makes urban adaptation an urgent priority. Yet effectively addressing these interlinked environmental and social challenges requires innovative forms of knowledge production and decision-making. Central to such efforts is the active engagement of non-academic stakeholders, who bring practical insights, negotiate diverse values, and share ownership of both problems and solutions. Transdisciplinary and participatory approaches are increasingly recognized for advancing real-world mitigation and adaptation sustainability and climate measures that can lead to transformative outcomes. Ultimately, transdisciplinary research in sustainability seeks to overcome knowledge fragmentation, providing holistic approaches to complex social-ecological issues. By bringing together individuals with diverse backgrounds and interests, it fosters meaningful collaboration and drives the innovation needed to tackle urgent challenges.
From 2020 to 2025, we conducted a meta-analysis of ten transdisciplinary research projects under the “Sustainable Development of Urban Regions” (SURE) program, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Implemented in Germany, Southeast Asia, and China, these projects offered unique opportunities to analyze diverse transdisciplinary practices aimed at climate-resilient urban development within cross-cultural settings. Projects thematic foci ranging from nature-based solutions and disaster risk management to urban-rural planning, sustainable behavior, and resource efficiency. Our main objectives were (1) to identify recurring problem patterns, solution pathways and map innovative tools linked to climate adaptation and localized Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and (2) map guiding knowledge for practitioners, policymakers and funding agencies. In this paper, we focus on the first objective, while the second provides the future direction of this research.
Drawing on transformation-oriented, transdisciplinary literature, we propose chose a framework comprising five foundational elements—broad stakeholder composition, a focus on societally relevant climate challenges, mutual learning processes, solution-oriented knowledge production, and iterative research design. We further address cross-cutting issues such as epistemological diversity, communication barriers, cultural awareness, inclusiveness, and power relations. Adopting a “research on research” perspective allowed us to critically analyze how these studies were conceptualized, implemented, and interpreted, yielding insights not only on methodological gaps, innovative approaches but also on effective strategies and solution pathway for sustainable development and mitigating climate risks.
Key findings indicate that, even amid diverse thematic foci and in the face of restrictive, top-down governance structures, transdisciplinary methods of co-creation, collaboration, and the careful balancing of power dynamics can foster meaningful dialogue and enable practical solutions, tools, and actionable knowledge. While many of the examined projects have established capacity-building measures, introduced innovative tools, and nurtured collaborative networks, the full extent of stakeholder empowerment, knowledge transfer, and immediate impacts will only become evident during the implementation phase (2025–2028).
Nonetheless, our cross-case analysis shows both commonalities and divergences in local specific socio-economic and environmental challenge and solution pathways, offering critical lessons for balancing diverse perspectives without sacrificing academic rigor. Ultimately, we distill these findings into a practical guide “knowledge bank”, highlighting patterns, strategies, and relevant stakeholder networks that can help align urban planning with climate adaptation goals.
By pinpointing critical challenges, outlining concrete solution pathways, and demonstrating the power of transdisciplinary collaboration, this study strengthens the capacity of multi-sectoral and -cultural initiatives to foster equitable, sustainable urban resilience. It also contributes to the broader discourse on adaptive planning, bridging the gap between research insights and practical, on-the-ground action.
References
Bergmann, M., Schäpke, N., Marg, O., Stelzer, F., Lang, D.J., Bossert, M., et al. (2021) ‘Transdisciplinary sustainability research in real-world labs: success factors and methods for change’, Sustainability Science, 16(2), pp. 541–564. doi: 10.1007/s11625-020-00886-8.
Defila, R., Di Giulio, A. and Scheuermann, M. (2006) ‘Research partnerships with companies: A step towards sustainability?’, GAIA, 15(4), pp. 284–287.
Hirsch Hadorn, G., Bradley, D., Pohl, C., Rist, S. and Wiesmann, U. (2008a) ‘Implications of transdisciplinarity for sustainability research’, Ecological Economics, 67(2), pp. 119–128.
Klein, Julie Thompson; Häberli, Rudolf; Scholz, Roland W.; Grossenbacher-Mansuy, Walter; Bill, Alain; Welti, Myrtha (Eds.) (ca. 2007): Transdisciplinarity: joint problem solving among science, technology, and society. An effective way for managing complexity. [Reprint). Basel: Springer (Synthesebücher Schwerpunktprogramm Umwelt).
Lang, D.J., Wiek, A., Bergmann, M., Stauffacher, M., Martens, P., Moll, P., Swilling, M. and Thomas, C.J. (2012) ‘Transdisciplinary research in sustainability science: practice, principles, and challenges’, Sustainability Science, 7(S1), pp. 25–43.
Pohl, C. (2008) ‘Methodenentwicklung in der transdisziplinären Forschung’, in Bergmann, M. and Schramm, E. (eds.) Transdisziplinäre Forschung: Integrative Forschungsprozesse verstehen und bewerten. Frankfurt am Main: Campus Verlag GmbH.
| Keywords | Transdisciplinary Research; Transformation knowledge; Problem-Solution Pathways; Sustainable Development |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
