1. Environmental inequality
Through combining our research interests in ecological and social sustainability and their intersection in urban spheres, our work targets environmental inequalities in a broad sense. Environmental inequality can be defined as the unequal distribution of environmental amenities or disamenities across different population groups. Unequal distribution of disamenities can lead to or reinforce among many other phenomena, such as systemic health disparities between population groups. The detrimental effects of disamenities, as well as of inequality itself may be further pronounced for disadvantaged groups with higher vulnerability. In our research, we currently focus on environmental inequality in relation to air quality.
2. Low carbon & high well-being
The greatness of urban areas is partly attributable to positive externalities stemming from the variety and degree of economic activities in close proximity. However, these agglomeration benefits have also strengthened the role of cities as centers of consumption, and the current consumption patterns of affluent citizens are in many ways problematic from the viewpoint of carbon footprints generated. Thus, our group aims to understand the drivers of urban emissions, in order to help planning urban areas and policies that could support individuals in achieving low-carbon lifestyles. Identifying choices that have low carbon implications yet enhance the well-being of urban residents is one of the overarching interests in our group.
3. Socio-economic segregation and gentrification
Increasing socio-economic segregation constitutes a crucial urban social sustainability challenge by potentially contributing to the creation and re-creation of stigmatized neighborhoods with concentrations of social problems. In such situations, the risk of negative neighborhood effects increases. Ultimately, to understand the development of different areas, we need to understand the drivers of households’ relocation decisions. For example, in the case of environmental gentrification, new developments aiming to improve the sustainability of neighborhoods, e.g. by improving their accessibility by public transport, can lead to the relocation of lower-income households. In order to understand such processes, our group uses high-quality population register data and GIS-data to study population structure developments at different spatial scales, and to understand how decisions of people interact with different types of urban planning and policy changes.
Publications are listed under the individual profiles in the "People" section