Pedestrians and cyclists are at a clear disadvantage to motorists in terms of the space afforded to them on our city streets. fotolia/hanohiki

Headline: Methods of Transformative Policy Advice

The transformation towards sustainable development can only succeed by means of political action. A central concern of transformative policy advice is therefore to strengthen politicymakers in their ability to act. Transdisciplinary research in general and transformative policy advice in particular can work together with practicioners to develop and offer diverse forms of knowledge. These include system knowledge, for example about the expected effects of a policy measure; orientation knowledge, for example about conflicting goals and desired futures; and transformation knowledge, for example about opportunities and barriers in implementing a policy measure.

The group Methods of Transformative Policy Advice researches and tests methods that can be used to help shape political processes for sustainable development. Yet cooperation is not limited to political actors. The group also supports actors from the public administration, organised civil society and business in their commitment to sustainable development. Thus, transformative policy advice is also understood as a form of societal advice. One focal point of practical application lies in the topic area of the mobility transition at the local, state and federal level. The group's work does not only apply to politics. It also encompasses science, providing a space for internal exchange and competence building on methods of transformative policy advice, both within and outside the RIFS.

In the course of the pandemic many European cities seized the opportunity to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable urban mobility. Moving with the times, planners in Berlin created a number of pop-up bike lanes. IASS researchers have examined the impact of these innovations during the initial phase of the pandemic. Their findings show that the bike lanes are widely accepted and have encouraged cycling uptake. In addition, cyclists’ exposure to nitrogen dioxide decreased with the creation of the bike lanes.

Losland enkeltaugliche Zukunft für Kommunen

With the "Losland" project, a team from the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V. (IASS) is working with Mehr Demokratie e.V. to support citizen participation at the local level. In the project, citizen participation processes tailored to ten German municipalities and cities are being carried out to answer the question: “How can we shape a future in our municipalities that takes into account the interests of our grandchildren?” Losland is supported by the Federal Agency for Civic Education.

Berlin’s pop-up cycle lanes ensure more safety for cyclists.

The Covid-19 pandemic is having an effect on our mobility behaviour. As a reaction to the crisis, pop-up cycle lanes have been set up in Berlin to allow for safe cycling with the required physical distance. How have these new cycle lanes been greeted by the city’s road users? The first preliminary answers to this question can be found in the results of a non-representative online survey of 1,661 Berliners carried out by researchers from the IASS Potsdam and the TU Berlin.

Freshly painted on the tarmac: The new cycle lane on Kantstraße in Charlottenburg.

Pop-up cycle lanes are currently springing up across the city of Berlin. The temporary routes are to be converted into safe cycle lanes by degrees. But what do Berliners think of them? A research team has launched an online survey to find out.

Prof. Dr. Sophia Becker

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Ortwin Renn

Confronted with the illegal war of aggression launched by Russia against Ukraine, the German government is keen to reduce Germany’s dependence on energy imports from Russia as quickly as possible. Various technical solutions, along with a diversification of energy import sources, have dominated this debate. The possibility that consumers could change their energy consumption patterns has hardly been considered so far. Yet studies in behavioural science suggest that the savings that could be achieved in the near term are significant and could help to strengthen energy security.

We are happy to announce the adoption of the institute’s inaugural focal topic. Throughout 2022 we will undertake collaborative research activities, hold public events, and publish research exploring themes related to matters of social justice.

Anke Kläver

The subject of women and mobility has been widely discussed in media, at events, and in politics since 2019. Again and again the core message of these debates has been: “Women’s mobility is different to men’s. They have other needs and requirements”. But what does that mean exactly? How can these differences in be explained and what are the implications for the mobility transition?

Headline: Methods of Transformative Policy Advice

Prof. Dr. Sophia Becker

Prof. Dr. Doris Fuchs

Prof. Dr. Sophia Becker

Katharina Götting

Anke Kläver

Dominik Buhl

Ivonne Triebel

Prof. Dr. Doris Fuchs

Prof. Dr. Sophia Becker

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Ortwin Renn

Saving energy doesn’t have to mean social imbalance – but we will need to change our habits

Justice in Sustainability: The IASS Focal Topic for the Year 2022

Anke Kläver

Women, gender, and mobility