News

A publication in “Agrarforschung Schweiz” summarizes the results of a recently published research article in a practice-oriented manner. As part of the study, a focus map by Agroscope, ETH Zurich and the University of Lausanne shows where in the Swiss agricultural landscape biodiversity measures could have a positive effect on birds and where not. Based on these findings, land use can be better planned.

When I arrived in Madagascar three years ago, I was struck by an unexpected sight—piles of red bricks scattered across rice fields near Antananarivo. Curiosity led us to farmers and brick-makers, where we observed, interviewed, and pieced together a complex story—one of adaptation, resilience, and trade-offs.

How assessing uncertainties can improve uptake of ecosystem services assessments in decision making.

Analyzing 120 years of settlement development reveals how archetypical pathways can be predicted and shifted.

To advance energy transition, it is essential to understand residents’ views on regional energy transition and how it relates to local spatial development. This insight is key to identifying shared solutions.  

How can immersive virtual reality environments transform healthcare? Our latest research explores this question by developing a head-mounted display VR (HMD-VR) exergame to use in gait therapy. This study demonstrates the potential of high-fidelity virtual environments to provide patients with engaging and realistic training experiences tailored to their therapeutic needs.

Agricultural landscapes are habitats for many animal and plant species, but often a balance must be found between food production and species protection.

This year, D-BAUG students awarded Matteo Riva the "Golden Owl" in recognition of his dedication to teaching. Riva is a doctoral candidate at the Institute for Spatial Planning and Landscape Development, where he evaluates landscape changes and the condition of ecosystems. For him, teaching is not just about the transfer of knowledge, but an inspiring exchange in which students and teachers can grow together.

As urbanization continues to rise, understanding the impact of urban greenery on human wellbeing becomes increasingly important. Our new paper investigates how different types of urban greenery and neighborhood contexts influence residents’ physiological and psychological responses.

The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (UVEK) has conducted a consultation on the amendment to the Spatial Planning Regulations (RPV, Raumplanungsverordnung). The proposed changes take account of the need to limit buildings and soil sealing in landscapes and fertile agricultural land. IRL has responded to the consultation and commented on the draft amendments of the RPV.

The rapid increase in impervious surfaces presents significant challenges to sustainable land management. Our paper explores how sealed surfaces, often associated with urbanization, are also prevalent in rural regions and what these surfaces are used for.

Iryna Doronina, who was at PLUS with a Scholar at Risk scholarship, has explored how the destroyed Ukrainian energy infrastructure can be rebuilt using renewable energy. According to her findings, solar and wind power enable a rapid, decentralized supply and help prevent corruption.

As the popularity and capacity of generative AI continues to grow, our new paper looks at how these models can be used in the systematic review process to gain insight into assessing ecosystem condition.  

In June, my colleague Nantenaina and I organized a series of workshops, as part of Future Cities Lab Global Tana project. We tested our new strategy game, which aims to improve flood management in the peri-urban floodplains of Antananarivo and to explore the potential of blue-green infrastructure.

At the interface of landscape history and metacommunity theory, a new paper identifies the need to view the landscape through the lens of the past for better understanding of regional biodiversity patterns.

Within scenario-based research of social-ecological systems, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of normative scenarios that define positive outcomes for both nature and society.

For the seventh edition of the annual PLUS writing week, we returned to Vandans, Austria, for an inspiring and productive week of writing, discussions, and team building.

Earlier this month a new article was published, in which we, together with other partners in the SELINA project, have designed best-practice checklists to support practitioners in the assessment of ecosystem services.

A study by ETH Zurich shows new approaches on how an intercantonal harmonized monitoring of construction outside of building zones can contribute to sustainable spatial development. It offers a wide range of evaluations of developments outside the building zone, including analyses of the stabilization of buildings and soil sealing, as required by the recently revised Federal Spatial Planning Act (RPG 2).

Have you ever wondered how many vehicles pass through your favourite recreation area or nature reserve? This question can now be answered with our new global dataset on extra-urban road traffic volumes.