The STARS EU ALLIANCE Thematic Interest Groups (TIGs) play a key academic role in generating knowledge and contributing to innovative transformation in the immediate region and in Europe. It is a process that incorporates research and scientific personnel, teachers, students, local businessmen and civil society leaders. All participants, whether public or private, are involved in addressing defining areas of the future such as: the circular economy, the energy transition, digital transformation, arts and creative industries, healthy ageing, living spaces or entrepreneurship and innovation.As well as being instrumental in driving the main objectives of the STARS EU ALLIANCE , it is crucial to support the regional academic research community. The TIGs are there to offer limitless opportunities with which to create new potential, thus strengthening the ongoing work of the alliance.  The Living Spaces Thematic Interest Group focuses on the built environment and how we want to live, both now and in the future. It covers a wide range of topics, from intangible to technical. Population growth, climate change, resource exploitation, polluted water or shrinking cities are just a few examples of the many challenges that threaten the sustainable development of cities and communities. A fundamental change is required in urban development, mobility and the management of green-blue resources.

Areas of teaching and research interest

  1. The development of attractive urban centers
  2. The role of digitalization in the community
  3. Climate-friendly construction and sustainable use of resources
  4. Research on mobility and its effects on urban development
  5. Coastal and flood protection
  6. Digitalisation processes for a more resource-efficient circular economy

International Teaching Network

The TIG Living Spaces was started from the fields of architecture and civil engineering, however, it is open to all academic fields and disciplines that are interested in working on the sustainable transformation of our living environment.  Living Spaces focuses on the organization of joint teaching activities, such as Combined Intensive Programs (BIP), Collaborative Online International Learning Activities (COIL) or invited lectures (virtual and face-to-face). Our goal is to bring international students together in small groups to enable them to work on current global issues in the context of climate-friendly and resource-saving urban and mobility developments.  We use and are further developing hybrid learning concepts combined with digital methods and tools for collaboration. Our work is supported by the centre for teaching and learning. In addition, we are working on frameworks that allow us to offer joint and double degrees with our partner universities.  Another important objective is the acquisition of international skills, which can also be achieved by studying “at home".

Collaboration with industry

Problem-based, practice-oriented teaching and learning is one of the key methods in educating our students. We involve companies, municipal authorities and municipalities in our work, in order to build an international network of practice partners. In clusters, we group together several disciplines specialized in key areas of interest and thus create a broad base for problem-solving expertise and innovation.

Collaborative Research

In addition to teaching, our TIG meetings address the coordination of research and innovation processes between researchers, institutions, organizations and/or communities. Four members have recently applied for a project funded by the EU Horizon programme: "Living Labs in Urban Areas for Healthy Soils", which. it includes the creation of 5 Living Labs to carry out research and innovation actions focused on improving the protection of urban land.  From a thematic point of view, the expertise ranges from (landscape) architecture, soil physics and biology, (urban) anthropology and environmental social sciences, to geomatics, physical geography, urban planning and arboriculture.Currently, two groups of Living Spaces researchers are focused on two essential proposals, focused on improving living spaces: one group is working with several European universities and industrial partners on an EU Horizon proposal, focused on vibration and noise monitoring in civil engineering; another is concerned with building strategic partnerships with academic institutes and stakeholders in Africa (Tanzania) to address the issues of climate change and its effects on the built heritage of existing cities. 

Living spaces

The built environment includes the physical structures and man-made spaces that shape our daily lives, this encompasses buildings, infrastructure (such as roads and bridges), as well as public spaces and parks, environments that are the result of human creativity and provide the framework for our social and economic life.There is no doubt that the built environment has a significant impact on our behaviour and well-being. Well-designed neighbourhoods and public spaces can improve quality of life, while poorly planned environments can cause stress and dissatisfaction.If you're interested in a particular aspect of the built environment, such as urban planning, sustainable construction, or the circular economy, then you've come to the right place. Come and work with us in the living spaces of today and tomorrow.

Leader

Thomas Rauscher(thomas.rauscher@hs-bremen.de)

Co-Leader

Ernestyna Szpakowska-Loranc(ernestyna.szpakowska-loranc@pk.edu.pl)