SMUS

The Global Center for Spatial Methods in Urban Sustainability (SMUS) is based at the Institut für Stadt- und Regionalplanung (ISR) at Technische Universität Berlin.

Since 2020, the SMUS has been promoting international cooperation in the field of urban sustainability together with academic partner institutions in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

The current Phase (2025-2029) addresses intertwined wicked urban problems. The SMUS network partners work together via 5 Actions to develop tactics and strategies on how to best tackle these challenges through transdisciplinary, spatial, and practice-led research.

Wicked Urban Problems

SMUS Phase II explores wicked urban problems (WUP) that underpin the targets of SDG 11 “Sustainable Cities and Communities” of the Agenda 2030.

Unlike tamable problems, which can be “solved”, wicked problems–such as climate change or poverty–are paradoxical, multi-causal, unstable, and socially complex in nature. Because of this, they cannot be tackled in a linear manner but they have to be “resolved” over and over again in an iterative way. Wicked problems are both interconnected and interdependent, thereby giving rise to unforeseeable consequences.

SMUS focuses on the unfolding of wicked problems in urban spaces–wicked urban problems (WUP)–and suggests tackling them through transdisciplinary, spatial and practice-led research. This threefold approach is implemented in close collaboration with nine core partner universities from three world regions: Latin America, East and Southern Africa, and South and Southeast Asia.