Impetus for Sustainable Urban Development
11/18/2025City administrators and university researchers are working together to find solutions for greater sustainability: this is the principle behind a Würzburg project. The teams are now presenting their initial results to the public.
How can collaboration between science and city administration succeed - and what contribution can it make to sustainable urban development? These questions are at the centre of the transformation experiment "Tandem Project - Transformation Laboratory City and University of Würzburg", which is based at the sustainability laboratory WueLAB at the University of Würzburg.
The transformation experiment, coordinated by Dr Christian Göpfert (Climate and Sustainability Office, City of Würzburg) and Dr Nicola Oswald (Managing Director of WueLAB), is now nearing its conclusion. The results and experiences of the tandems will be presented and discussed at three public events.
Three dates - three perspectives and potential target groups
- 27 November 2025, 4.00 to 6.00 pm, Council Chamber of the City of Würzburg:
Discussion with employees of the city administration and the project tandems. - 18 December 2025, 12:15 to 2.00 p.m., Graduate School of Life Sciences, University of Würzburg (Hubland North Campus, Beatrice-Edgell-Weg 21)
Practical and theoretical perspectives on participatory research. - 12 February 2026, from 6.00 pm, Museum im Kulturspeicher Würzburg:
Exhibition opening and exchange with the tandems - including short videos and cultural supporting programme. The exhibition on the dialogue between city administration and science will then be on display in the Kulturspeicher and from August 2026 in Würzburg City Hall.
Anyone interested is cordially invited to attend the events. Participation is free of charge and registration is not required.
The Transformation Lab City and University of Würzburg
Background: In four tandems, employees of the city administration worked together with academics from the university on topics such as "Urban biodiversity", "Education for sustainable development", "Communication in administrative structures" and "Libraries and museums as third places". The exchange was moderated, accompanied by social scientists, evaluated and documented.
"The 'Tandem Project' illustrates how transdisciplinary cooperation can provide concrete impetus for sustainable urban development based on real-world and municipally relevant problems," explains Nicola Oswald. It shows what conditions can be created for a successful transfer of knowledge between the city and the university in both directions.
More information on the project
The transformation experiment is part of the "Transformationslabor Hochschule" project, which is supported by the Stifterverband für die deutsche Wissenschaft as part of a funding programme of the same name. Anja Schlömerkemper, Vice President of the University, and Würzburg's Lord Mayor Martin Heilig and Second Mayor Sandra Vorlová are responsible for strategic management.
The three public events are part of the lecture series "Sustainability and Global Responsibility" at the WueLAB sustainability laboratory. Students can have their attendance at the events recognised for the GSiK certificate.
