Dear Readers,
We demonstrate that cities can plan safer cycling routes using machine learning on aerial imagery; that a VR-forest walk in hospitals reduces stress; the Oberrheinische Tiefebene’s changing landscape encourages a «living milieu» perspective beyond progress narratives; how urban areas, shaped by both humans and non-humans, can be investigated and interconnected; how agriculture can become part of Zurich’s urban future; how mass cycling impacts traffic; and how deep learning models and open data can help cooling cities.
We hope you enjoy reading this informative newsletter.
David Zani | Infrastructure Management, Prof. Bryan Adey
How can cities plan safer cycling routes without reliable data on cycling infrastructure? Using machine learning on aerial imagery, we generated a comprehensive historical dataset of cycling-specific infrastructure across Switzerland’s largest urban areas. This opens new possibilities for planning and research.
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Laura Schalbetter | Planung von Landschaft und urbanen Systemen, Prof. Dr. Adrienne Grêt-Regamey
Kann ein Waldspaziergang im Spital Stress senken? Virtuelle Realität macht es möglich. Eine Untersuchung mit gangunsicheren Seniorinnen und Senioren zeigt: Nach VR-Trainings in verschiedenen Landschaften fühlten sich die Teilnehmenden entspannter und sicherer, auch wenn ihre physiologischen Stresswerte stabil blieben. Ob Wald, Stadt oder Landwirtschaft: Die Wirkung war ähnlich positiv.
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Johanna Just | Landscape Architecture, Chair of Being Alive, Prof. Teresa Galí-Izard
Die Oberrheinische Tiefebene ist geprägt von Jahrhunderten des Wandels: vom amphibischen Lebensraum zum regulierten Fluss. Heute, im Zeichen von Klima- und Biodiversitätskrisen, eröffnet die Perspektive des «lebendigen Milieus» neue Wege, Landschaften jenseits von Fortschritts- oder Verlustnarrativen zu verstehen und zu gestalten.
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Michele Porcelluzzi | NEWROPE Chair of Architecture and Urban Transformation, Prof. Freek Persyn
How can urban areas shaped by both humans and non-humans be investigated and connected? This doctoral project explores naturecultural places in five European cities through first-person action research, engaging directly in their daily life. The aim of this approach is to understand how this model of urban transformation can be replicated and to support the local communities inhabiting them.
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Alice Clarke, Nancy Couling, Milica Topalović, Jan Westerheide | Architecture of Territory, Prof. Milica Topalović
How can agriculture become part of Zurich’s urban future? This question guided the joint study conducted by the Chair of Architecture of Territory together with Grün Stadt Zürich (GSZ), the City of Zürich’s public green space department. Against the backdrop of the city’s projected 25% population growth by 2040, the project explored the potential of agroecology to enrich its open landscapes, strengthen social exchange, and provide new habitat for diverse species.
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Dr. Michail A. Makridis | Traffic Engineering (SVT), Dr. Anastasios Kouvelas.
Project team: Ying-Chuan Ni, Kevin Riehl, Shaimaa El Baklish, Thomas Ramseier
The average trip length in Swiss cities is under 14km, with around 60% of trips below 6km. Despite the potential for healthier, more sustainable alternatives, nearly half of the total distance travelled is by car. Bicycles play a key role in recent initiatives (e.g. E-Bike City project from ETH Zurich) aimed at building sustainable, vibrant future cities. However, bicycles are still seen by transportation experts and users as a complementary mode to cars.
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Dr. Michal Switalski | Planning of Landscape and Urban Systems, Prof. Dr. Adrienne Grêt-Regamey
We return from another record-breaking summer of heatwaves and extreme weather. Yet as days shorten and evenings cool, the topic of heat and urban development will remain a pressing concern for both science and planning. We illustrate how pre-trained deep learning models and open data can make it faster and less resource-intensive to predict the cooling impact of design interventions in urbanising regions.
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Kurzmeldungen | Short Messages
Andres Herzog | Departement Architektur
Die International Federation of Landscape Architects hat dem Schweizer Landschaftsarchitekten und emeritierten ETH-Professor Günther Vogt den Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award verliehen, die höchste Auszeichnung des Verbandes.
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Aisling O’Carroll (*1986), currently Doctoral Student and Lecturer at University College London, United Kingdom, as Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture and Geohistorical Practice in the Department of Architecture. Aisling O’Carroll takes a fundamental approach to her research, which concerns the theory and methods of landscape architecture with particular reference to the urgent climate and environmental changes of our time. She develops theories and methods which combine rigorous historical and theoretical research with the use of digital technologies, representation and the challenges of design practice. By appointing Aisling O’Carroll, the Department is strengthening the area of landscape architecture and expanding the discipline’s profile to include fundamental research in history, theory and design methodology.
Boulouki ist ein interdisziplinäres Forschungskollektiv mit Sitz in Athen, das sich der Wiederbelebung und zeitgenössischen Anwendung traditioneller Bautechniken widmet. Das Kollektiv wurde 2018 gegründet und ist als gemeinnützige Gesellschaft organisiert. Zum Studio von Boulouki an der ETH Zürich gehören der Architekt Ionas Sklavounos, der Bauingenieur Nikiforos Meimaroglou, der Architekt Grigoris Koutropoulos, der Architekt Panos Kostoulas und die Chemieingenieurin Ioanna Ntoutsi.
João Ferreira Nunes ist ein portugiesischer Landschaftsarchitekt und Gründer des Büros Proap, das 1989 in Lissabon gegründet wurde und Niederlassungen in Italien und Angola unterhält. Seine Arbeit zeichnet sich durch eine prozessorientierte Methodik und den Fokus auf langfristige Landschaftstransformationen aus. Nunes hat einen multidisziplinären Ansatz für Landschaftsarchitektur entwickelt, der von konkreten Projekten und Studien über Städtebau bis hin zur strategischen Landschaftsplanung reicht. Er wird ein Gaststudio leiten.
Dr. Michail A. Makridis | Traffic Engineering (SVT), Dr. Anastasios Kouvelas
Modern cities suffer from a multitude of stressors, including congestion, pollution and crises. AntifragiCity is a new European research project that aims to deliver better services to citizens through antifragile designs, with solutions that improve under real-world stress. The Traffic Engineering group, IVT at ETH Zurich, leads the effort to bring antifragility into urban traffic control.
Dr. Michail A. Makridis | Traffic Engineering (SVT), Dr. Anastasios Kouvelas
The new project FEDORA develops multimodal traffic management solutions in future networks. The Traffic Engineering group, IVT at ETH Zurich, will work on social optimum models, developing dynamic pricing and incentivisation models for traffic management applications, as well as a model-agnostic simulation platform for seamless integration of diverse models and software into various simulation environments.
Tobias Luthe | DRRS Programme
On July 4, 2025, ETH Zurich’s Alumni Pavilion hosted the first MAS in Regenerative Systems thesis-in-process pitching, transforming the space into an immersive exhibition of regenerative practice. Eight Quests on a governance spiral linked individual projects to systemic contexts and fostered collaboration across ETH and practice partners. The DRRS programme is a layered, practice-informed initiative integrating science, engineering, design, art, and inner development. Read the full article here.
Over 250 attendees – representing organisations from at least 11 countries – converged in Singapore on 4-5 September to participate in the “Future Cities: Science, Design, and Policy for Urban Transitions” Symposium & Exhibition Singapore 2025. Organised by the Future Cities Laboratory (FCL) Global, in partnership with the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) as a key event of Singapore Urban Science Week 2025. Download press document
Publikationen | Publications
This is a selection. Find a complete list in the ETH Zürich Research Collection.
Ellen J. Fulton, Ying-Chuan Ni, Anastasios Kouvelas
To decarbonize urban transport systems, promoting active modes by allocating more road space to cycling infrastructure to achieve a radical modal shift has become a popular transport policy. However, such policies usually receive strong public opposition due to the concern of traffic congestion caused by reduced road capacity for motorized traffic.
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Nicolas Salliou, Philipp Urech, João Paulo Leitão, Fabrizia Fappiano, Adrienne Grêt-Regamey
Urban water management often prioritizes engineering efficiency over local ecological and social contexts. Landscape architects can leverage high-resolution modelling and vernacular intelligence to design resilient, culturally embedded solutions.
ETH Wohnforum – ETH CASE has launched a new standardised format for publishing Working Papers in the ETH Research Collection. The first papers to appear in this series stem from the project Tackling the Global Housing Challenges: Relevance and Replicability of Switzerland’s and Uruguay’s Housing Cooperatives’ Policies and Strategies. The Working Papers are available online on the ETH Wohnforum – ETH CASE website and can be downloaded.
Hubert Klumpner, Alicia Gerscovich, Roland Krebs, Stefan Mayr, Andrea Poletti, Gonzalo Garay
El proyecto apunta a trabajar en la reconversión y puesta en valor de cuatro sectores específicos: el Centro Histórico de Asunción, el Parque Caballero, la Reserva Ecológica del Banco San Miguel y la Bahía de Asunción y la creación del Distrito Eco-Inclusivo a ser ubicado entre el Cauce Perú, la Avenida Costanera y la Avda. Gral. Santos, buscando mejorar las condiciones de vida de los hogares vulnerables e incrementar la resiliencia en las áreas mencionadas de esta Franja Costera.
Weiterbildung | Studiengänge | Further Education
Application window open from 1 October 2025 for a start in January 2026.
Open-door session on Monday 6 October 2025, 12:00 (CET).
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12 – 14 November 2025, 2.5 Tage | ETH Zürich, Zentrum, LEEE101.
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17-23 November 2025 | MonViso Institute campus, Serre Lamboi, Ostana, Valle Po, Italy.
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20 November 2025, 12:00–13:00 (CET) | Online.
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Application: 1 – 28 February 2026 | Duration: May – September 2026.
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3 – 5 Februar 2026 | ETH Zürich, Zentrum, LEEE101.
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100%, Zurich, fixed-term.
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100%, Zurich, fixed-term.
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80%-100%, Zürich, befristet.
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This is a selection. Head over to our News-Page for more.
18-21 September 2025 | School of Architecture and Planning, University of Buffalo, New York, USA.
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19. September – 8. November | Luzern, Zürich, Bern.
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1 October 2025, 8∶45–17∶00 | Innovation Park Zürich.
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1 October 2025, 18∶30 | ETH Zürich, Oerlikon, Room DiD lab, ONA, Neunbrunnenstr. 50.
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2 October 2025, 8∶45–17∶00 | ETH Zürich.
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3 – 21 October 2025 | Toronto.
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9, 16, 30 October; 27 November 2025, 13∶45 – 15∶30 | ETH Zürich, Oerlikon, Neunbrunnenstr. 50, ONA E7.
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22. Oktober 2025 und 28. Januar 2026, jeweils 18:30 | Zürich, Langstr. 200, L200.
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2 – 4 November 2025 | Congressi Stefano Franscinci, Monte Verità, Switzerland.
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5 November 2025, 13∶00 – 17∶30 | Bern.
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15 November 2025 | Biberstein, Jurapark Aargau.
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17 November 2025 | ETH Zürich, Zentrum, HG F 30 (Audimax), Live stream.
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18 November 2025, 9∶00 – 16∶00 | ETH Zürich, Hönggerberg, HIF C 80 (kleine Bauhalle).
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20 November 2025 – 24 January 2026 | Baugeschichtliches Archiv der Stadt Zürich, Neumarkt 4.
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5 December | Zürich, Langstrasse 200, L200.
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10 – 12 December 2025 | ETH Zürich, Zentrum, main hall, Rämistr. 101.
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10 December 2025 – 31 January 2026 | in two key locations in Jerusalem, tbc.
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21 Januar 2026, 9∶00 | ETH Zürich, Zentrum, Audimax (HG F 30).
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Redaktionsteam | Editorial Board
Silvia Converso, Institut für Landschaft und Urbane Studien (LUS), Landschaftsarchitektur
Claudia Gebert, Koordinationsstelle NSL, Chefredaktion
Viera Klasovitá, Institut für Verkehrsplanung und Transportsysteme (IVT)
Klearjos Papanicolaou, Institut für Landschaft und Urbane Studien (LUS), Städtebau
Maarten Van Strien, Institut für Raum- und Landschaftsentwicklung (IRL)
Hannah Widmer, Institut für Landschaft und Urbane Studien (LUS), Städtebau
