21 Beiträge in Kategorie: Master’s and PhD students projects
Zurich as Sponge City
The high proportion of sealed surfaces in cities leads to significant heating of urban areas, reduces rainwater infiltration, and increases the risk of flooding. One approach to deal with these challenges is the sponge city concept. Students from the «Geography. Matters.» course explored its implementation in Zurich.
Tracking the slopes: A model to estimate backcountry skiing activity
Many of us enjoy going backcountry skiing and lots of us plan and even share our trips online. But did you know that the digital traces that you leave online could help make backcountry touring safer?
Green tramlines: biodiversity or spreading invasive species?
Zürich’s green tram tracks may seem like a simple aesthetic upgrade, but they could be doing far more than just making the city look greener. Students from the GEO410 «Geography.Matters.» course describe the different types of green tram tracks and explore whether this green infrastructure unintentionally helps to spread invasive plant species.
Our space, my place
Despite strong political pushback, the number of people searching for protection in Europe is not decreasing. Urban spaces, especially, are the destination of many seeking a new home. Yet, arriving in a new urban environment does not automatically mean feeling at home. Students from the GEO410 «Geography.Matters.» course accompanied two refugees to understand how physical places shape their sense of belonging in Zürich.
Effective cartographic communication for Swiss policy planning and decision-making
Well-designed cartographic displays turn complex geopolitical data into actionable insights for evidence-based policy. The Geographic Information Visualization and Analysis (GIVA) group has developed a streamlined mapping process to support decision-making on behalf of the FDFA’s Policy Planning Division. The solution combines established cartographic principles with efficient open data workflows.
Beavers in the city: problem or partner?
Zurich’s riverbanks are being reshaped—not by humans, but by beavers, whose return to the city brings both promise for biodiversity and friction with city life. In this post, students from the GEO410 Geography. Matters. course explore whether beavers can be partners rather than problems in our shared urban future.
Von prekärer Arbeit und unsichtbaren Menschen
Von Bonn über Bogotá, Kiel und São Paulo nach Zürich – so lässt sich Merlin Hebeckers Weg geografisch beschreiben. Was die Stationen verbindet, ist sein Interesse für soziale Ungleichheiten.
Zwischennutzung in Zürich: Zwischen Freiraum und Prekarität
Sie gelten als kreative Lösung im Umgang mit Leerstand und Raumnot: Zwischennutzungen prägen zunehmend das Stadtbild Zürichs. Doch eine Untersuchung von Master-Studierenden der Stadtgeographie zeigt: Hinter dem positiven Image verbergen sich oft prekäre Bedingungen, undurchsichtige Vergabeprozesse und neue Formen sozialer Ungleichheit.
Public opinion on energy sources: the power of reliability
The energy transition is not just a technological challenge – it’s a societal one. Public acceptance is crucial for the success of renewable energy projects. A master’s thesis analysed 2.6 million German-language tweets from 2008 to 2023 to categorise public sentiment towards nuclear, coal, solar, wind, water and gas/oil energy.
Understanding human-nature relationships through the lens of birdwatching 🦉🌿
Think of a natural entity that you love… A tree, a lake, an animal, your pet, a sunset or even a whole forest. And now ask yourself: “What is it that connects me to this natural entity? Its beauty? The memory I have of it?” Two PhD projects are investigating what makes up our relationship with nature.