We focus on advancing urban sustainability by facilitating and evaluating digital citizen involvement. Our research examines how digital tools can enhance inclusive governance and foster community engagement in urban planning. We leverage our psychological and political science expertise to guide, design, and evaluate behavior change interventions that promote sustainable practices. Additionally, we explore the relationship between urban biodiversity and human wellbeing, as well as the potential of digital tools to promote spatial justice. By connecting these elements, we aim to create cities that are sustainable, inclusive, and supportive of residents’ health and happiness.

Our interdisciplinary team combines expertise in psychology, political and social sciences, humanities, and computer science. This diverse background enables us to develop robust, methodologically sound research that adequately addresses complex urban challenges. We are committed to rigorous research and open science, publishing our findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Our group operates and collaborates within the Center for Open Digital Innovation and Participation (CODIP) at TUD Dresden University of Technology, one of Germany's largest and most dynamic universities.

Environmental Psychology
Political sciences
Public Health and Environmental Health
Spatial planning and urban development

Examples for project themes we can contribute to:

- Digital Citizen Science for Biodiversity Monitoring: A project could develop a participatory platform engaging citizens in monitoring urban biodiversity via mobile applications. Our team could guide the design providing insights into psychological aspects of biodiversity perception in laypeople. Also, we can evaluate the app and its use in practice. Additionally, our knowledge of behavior change interventions and gamification could help in creating strategies that encourage sustained involvement in biodiversity reporting.

- Behavior Change Interventions to Enhance Urban Green Spaces: This project could involve designing and evaluating interventions aimed at promoting the use and stewardship of urban green spaces. Our team could provide psychological expertise to create empirically based interventions that influence the behavior of local residents. We could also assess the effectiveness of these interventions for enhancing community engagement.

- Urban Biodiversity and Mental Health: This project could explore the relationship between urban biodiversity and mental health using an quasi-/experimental approach, aided by digital tools. Our team could contribute to the study’s design, applying qualitative and quantitative methods to gather data on how access to green spaces impacts residents' mental wellbeing.

We are very much open to other topics and ideas.

digital participation, citizen involvement, inclusive governance, community engagement, behavior change, citizen empowerment, environmental justice, psychological wellbeing, participatory design, co-creation

DGPs Congress and ÖGP Conference, 16–19 September, Vienna