Completed Research Projects

The project “Planning in Germany and Iran: Responding Challenges of Climate Change through Intercultural Dialogue” is a DAAD funded research project between the School of Spatial Planning at TU Dortmund University and Daneshpajoohan Pishro Higher Education Institue (DHEI) of Esfahan, Iran.

Understanding the future challenges of climate changes and the adaptation measures taken in both countries as well as the urban and rural cultural and natural heritage at the local and regional levels and linking them with the historical contexts are the focus of the project’s three years time frame 2019-2021.
Built on the experience of the project's first year in 2019, the second and third years are intended to target modernization of teaching, promotion of skill development of young academics, identification of teaching and research areas of shared scientific interest, and establishment of networks and cooperation regionally and internationally. The major project activities designed to achieve these objectives include organization of development meetings, spring workshops and winter schools to stimulate dialog and exchange, training on modern approaches in teaching and research methodology, conceptualization and organization of seminars jointly developed by the involved lecturers of partner universities, and annual conferences, including reflection meetings and discussion rounds about possible future cooperations.

Dialogue and exchange are based on two breakthrough topics: ‘climate change challenges and the protection and adaptation measures needed in both countries’ and ‘cross-cultural perception of urban and rural landscape and cultural heritage’. Rather than narrowing down the scope, the topics will act as entry point for dialog and exchange on which a shared understanding and collaboration relationship will be developed.
The project tackles climate change and natural and cultural landscape issues of universal importance for mankind and therefore aiming at developing common understanding beyond national, ideological, or religious differences. These topics also allow the application of interdisciplinary and participatory approaches and thus involving different societal groups in the intercultural dialogue activities.

Project Leader
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dietwald Gruehn
E-Mail dietwald.gruehn(at)tu-dortmund.de

Project Coordinator
Dr.-Ing. Mais Jafari
E-Mail mais.jafari(at)tu-dortmund.de

Contact
Dr.-Ing. Mais Jafari
E-Mail mais.jafari(at)tu-dortmund.de

Sponsor
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

DAAD Program
Higher Education Dialogue with the Muslim World

Partner Uiversity
Daneshpajoohan Pishro Higher Education Institue (DHEI) of Esfahan, Iran

The project PLIQ (Planning Education for Iraq) started for the first time in August 2009. It is based on an academic cooperation between the German and the Iraqi government from February 2009. The project is part of the DAAD funded program "Strategic Academic Partnership with Iraq".

The Faculty of Spatial Planning at TU Dortmund University was commissioned to develop teaching content as well as research concepts from the field of spatial planning and to implement them in Iraqi universities. Since 2014, the project has been based at the Chair of LLP (Project Coordinator: Dr. Hasan Sinemillioglu; Project Manager: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dietwald Gruehn).

With the expertise developed over decades, the Iraqi universities in Baghdad, Diyala, Dohuk and Mosul were supported in setting up a study program in spatial planning. The bachelor program "Urban and Regional Planning" was developed in the first phase (2009 - 2011) and introduced in the universities.

The special feature of the bachelor program is that its structure is strongly oriented towards the Dortmund model of spatial planning. In addition to seminars and lectures, in which the basics of theory and methodology are taught, another focus is on practical-oriented services, such as workshops and projects. Communication is very intensive and visits to the region take place regularly to ensure an exchange of expertise. In 2017, the first students at Dohuk University were able to celebrate their successful graduation in the Bachelor's degree program , "Urban and Regional Planning".

In January 2018, TU Dortmund University hosted a symposium on challenges and progress in spatial planning in Iraq. Learn more about the 2018 symposium on our Facebook page or in our summaries on Migration and Urban Housing, The Urban and Rural Divide, Infrastructure and Human Settlement Development, and How can spatial planning meet the country's challenges?

PLIQ Project Timeline

Homepage PLIQ

With our research we want to find out whether wind turbines in certain landscape types have a stronger (or weaker) impact on the landscape and whether the different preferences can be attributed to different socio-demographic groups (different gender, age, education, ethnicity, etc.).

Goal of the ZUKUR project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, is the development of contributions to improve climate reslience and socio-ecological justice within the Ruhr region on regional, urban, and quarter level.

The project is co-ordinated by Prof. Dr. Greiving (IRPUD). 10 departments of the School of Spatial Planning at TU Dortmund University are involved in the project. In addition, involved partners from practice are Ruhr Regional Association, the city of Bottrop, and the quarter Marten within the city of Dortmund.

The chair of Landscape Ecology and Landscape Planning (MSc. Kristina Ohlmeyer & Prof. Dr. Dietwald Gruehn) is - among others - responsible for work package 7.1 (Development of Measures) und 7.3 (Scientific Evaluation of Measures)

The aim of this research project is to develop a method for an area-wide visual landscape assessment of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as basis for the landscape programme as well as the swamp protection plan. The project is funded by Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Consumer Protection Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Publication:

Gruehn, D. & Roth, M. (2008): Methoden-Vorstudie für eine flächendeckende Landschaftsbildanalyse und –bewertung in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern als Beitrag zum Gutachtlichen Landschaftsprogramm sowie zur Fortschreibung des Moorschutzkonzeptes. LLP-report 005. Dortmund. 27 S.

Aim of this EU-FP 7-project is to develop methodologies for scaling down the analysis of policy impacts on multifunctional land uses and economic activities to a regional and local level. Project co-ordindator is the French Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering Research (CEMAGREF). 11 partners from 8 European countries are involved in the project. https://prima.cemagref.fr

Projected power plants at several locations in Germany are visualized according to a standardized methodology, to be able to assess their influence on landscape scenery.

The project "European Culture expressed in Agricultural Landscapes" (EucaLand) is funded by the EU within the programm "Culture 2007-2013". 42 partner institutions from 27 countries are involved in the project. They deal with the description, classification, assessment and development of agricultural landscapes from a cultural landscape point of view. More information will soon be available.

The project is aiming at a comprehensive concept for a functional connection of urban green spaces in the Ruhr area in the Federal State of North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany.
It was triggered by the recognition that a development of green spaces and the reactivation of brownfields will be of vital importance for future urban planning. This is especially true for the Ruhr area where most cities are losing inhabitants and managing the increasing amount of free space will be essential to sustain urban life quality. On the other hand this development also provides a unique opportunity to strengthen sustainable urban development and improve housing and living conditions in deprived areas. The project aims to use green space development to built urban identity and improve the reputation of the Ruhr area. Work in this project is focused on:
-    The effect of green spaces for urban life quality
-    The effect of green spaces for recreation and human health
-    The effect of green spaces as corridor for urban wildlife.
A related planning procedure is run by the Regionalverband Ruhr, a regional planning association in the Ruhr area. The planning procedure is academically supported by the Chair for Landscape Ecology and Landscape Planning at the University of Dortmund.

Funded by:
Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU)

Duration:
1 Jan 2007 - 31 Dec 2009
Responsible:
Prof. Dr. Dietwald Gruehn
Dipl.-Ing., Ass. d. L. Roland Finke
Dipl.-Ing. Sven Rannow
Co-operation Partner:
Regionalverband Ruhr (RVR)

The title stands for two projects which are strongly connected:

• The Significance of Urban Open and Green Spaces on the Value of Properties and Real Estates, funded by Urban Development and Environmental Protection State Agency Hamburg

• The Effect of Urban Open and Green Spaces on the Value of Properties and Real Estates, funded by German Federation of Parc and Recreation Administration (GALK)

Against the background of the completed research study (at Berlin University of Technology and Austrian Research Centers, Vienna) as well as the purpose of the project  to create a representative German wide data basis for the evaluation of property and real estate values, it is one project goal  to enlarge the data basis by about 10 more cities in cooperation with the already concerned cities of the former study. Afterwards the complete dataset has to be statistically evaluated and to be put down in a report. Additionally there will be a specific analysis of some of the cities.

Funded by:
German Federation of Parc and Recreation Administration (GALK)
Urban Development and Environmental Protection State Agency Hamburg
Project Management:
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dietwald Gruehn
Working on the Project:
Dipl.-Ing. Anne Hoffmann
Dipl.-Ing. Sven Rannow

A GIS-based method of visibility analysis was developed and applied for the projected gas and steam turbine power plant. I a simulative environment, it can thus be investigated from which locations around the projected power plant, the buildings (i.e. especially the chimneys of 75 m height and the boiler houses of 40 m height) are visible.

The GIS-based visibility analysis was based on the methodology described by ROTH (2002), which is a further development of the method published by WEIDENBACH (1999).

A digital landscape model and a digital elevation model (ATKIS-DLM und ATKIS-DGM) and a georeferenced situation and height plan of the projected powerplant were contained int he GIS dataset.

Literature

ROTH, M. (2002): Möglichkeiten des Einsatzes geografischer Informationssysteme zur Analyse, Bewertung und Darstellung des Landschaftsbildes. In: Natur und Landschaft 77 (4): S. 154-160.

WEIDENBACH, M. (1999): Geographische Informationssysteme und Neue Digitale Medien in der Landschaftsplanung. Forstwissenschaftliche Fakultät der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München: Dissertation. Berlin: Logos-Verlag. 252 S.

Funded by:
Fichtner GmbH & Co. KG

Project Duration:
01.04.2007 - 31.08.2007

Responsible:
Michael Roth, Dipl.-Ing.
Dr. Dietwald Gruehn, Professor

Co-operating Partner:
Multimediale raumbezogene Planung

The projects focusses on Impact Regulation and Landscape Planning as Legal Nature Protection Instruments according to the Legislative Reform of German Constitution. Result of the project is a proposal for a conceptual and legislative further development of Impact Regulation and Landscape planning under German Federal Nature Protection Law.

Publication:
Gruehn, D., Finke, R. & Roth, M. (2008): Landschaftsplanung im Bundesnaturschutzgesetz nach der Föderalismusreform. LLP-report 004. Dortmund. 64 S.

Funded by:
Bundesamt für Naturschutz (BfN)

Project Duration:
15.11.2006 - 30.09.2007

Responsible:
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dietwald Gruehn
Dipl.-Ing., Ass. d. L. Roland Finke
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Michael Roth

Co-operating Partner:
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Köck
     (Uni Leipzig/UFZ Leipzig-Halle)
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Rainer Wolf
     (TU Bergakademie Freiberg)