How can we make our cities more sustainable and resilient? In times of flooding and heat waves, rapidly rising energy costs, and digital transformation, the design of urban spaces represents one of the greatest global challenges. Effective approaches therefore require more than just blueprint planning. They need data, simulations, and dialogue – with experts from various sectors as well as with citizens.

Understanding these complex processes calls for long-term research approaches, such as the planned Helmholtz Topic “Resilient Urban Futures.” In the OSGUT project, we pave the way for this research program. To this end, we link three central dimensions:

• Observation: Continuous, data-supported monitoring and long-term analyses, for example, of air pollution or temperature, but also of user preferences.
• Simulation: Use of computer-aided models to visualize future developments and their effects.
• Experimentation: Participatory real-world experiments that directly involve citizens and stakeholders.

Our goal: Within OSGUT, we want set up an urban lab pilot in Karlsruhe. To do so, we aim to connect the Sustainable Futures Lab with concrete real-world experiments, develop theoretical and methodological foundations, and strengthen cooperation between all stakeholders involved in the future “Helmholtz Urban Transformation Lab.” We plan to achieve these goals in close collaboration with the city of Karlsruhe and other local and national partners.

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