The Transformative Cities lecture series brings together leading scholars from EPICUR partner universities to explore critical urban challenges and innovative responses shaping the future of cities. With an interdisciplinary lens, this series examines the intersections of climate change, urban planning, sustainable development, socio-ecological justice, and post-neoliberal economic models.

Spanning multiple sessions from May to July 2025, the series invites Master students, researchers, and urban practitioners to engage with diverse perspectives on how cities are being reimagined to respond to contemporary crises and transitions. Each lecture delves into a unique aspect of urban transformation—from adaptive climate strategies and sustainable architecture to mobility, water systems, collaborative housing, and new economic imaginaries.

Scope and Objectives
 

This lecture series aims to:

• Foster interdisciplinary dialogue across urban studies, architecture, geography, environmental science, and political economy.
• Highlight pioneering research and practices from cities across Europe including Freiburg, Zagreb, Amsterdam, Dresden, as well as Thessaloniki and Paris.
• Encourage critical reflection on dominant urban development paradigms and the pursuit of inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban futures.
• Support cross-campus collaboration among EPICUR universities, enriching students’ understanding through transnational and comparative perspectives.

This course is offered by the European University Alliance EPICUR (European Partnership for an Innovative Campus Unifying Regions) in cooperation with KIT Graduate School CuKnow.

Registration is possible from 8th-15th April 2025: EPICUR Course Catalogue

PHD students at the KIT can also register via E-Mail: coordination@cuknow.kit.edu