Overview

Research-Initiatives

Intrinsic Logic Intrinsic Logic of Cities

© Katrin Binner / TU Darmstadt

Cities are highly complex social and spatial entities. What internal logic do they follow? What gives them a meaning, what makes them unique? What hidden structure undergirds their activities? Taking the working designation of “intrinsic logic” as the starting point, scholars from social and cultural sciences, engineers and urban planners are working on the basics of a theory of cities. Working with case studies, they are exploring how a city uses available knowledge or generates new knowledge for its decision-making and operational processes. Particular attention is paid to cities’ socio-ecological dimension by investigating the extent to which sustainability and sustainable development depends not only on what individuals do but also on the city’s intrinsic logic. The key methodological tool are comparative urban case studies. Since the end of the LOEWE funding period, the work has continued in DFG-funded project clusters and a research Group.

LOEWE Research Cluster

Partners

  • Technische Universität Darmstadt
  • Hochschule Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences

Fields of study

  • History
  • Political science
  • Philosophy
  • Sociology
  • Linguistics
  • Urban research
  • Engineering

Funding period

LOEWE: 2008 to 2013 / DFG Project Group „Eigenlogik der Städte“: 2011 to 2014 / DFG Research Unit „Wissensordnungen“: 2012 to 2014 / DFG Project Group „Nachhaltige Entwicklung von Städten“: 2

Project Coordinator

  • Prof. Dr. Dieter Schott,
    Technische Universität Darmstadt

Locations

  • Darmstadt

More Information