Urban Development and Climate Resilience Lab – Second Edition

Commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) through GIZ Kosovo, the Lab aims to advance climate-sensitive and sustainable urban development through applied research, interdisciplinary learning, and direct engagement with municipalities and local communities.

This second edition marks an important step forward for the initiative. While the first edition of the Urban Lab was organized last year with universities from Kosovo, this year’s program expands its international dimension by bringing together academic partners from three academic institutions: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology from Germany, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts from Switzerland, and the University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina” - Faculty of Architecture from Kosovo. Through this broader cooperation, the Lab creates new opportunities for knowledge exchange, joint learning, and long-term institutional collaboration.

The Lab serves as a platform that connects academic knowledge with real urban challenges. By combining theory, fieldwork, and design-based methodologies, it supports innovative and context-sensitive approaches to climate adaptation, urban resilience, and public space development. The initiative promotes interdisciplinary exchange across fields such as urban planning, architecture, engineering, climate and environmental sciences, and social sciences, while encouraging collaborative work between students, professors, and local stakeholders.

The thematic focus of this year’s Lab is the connection of public spaces across different scales, from the city level to the neighborhood level, using nature-based solutions as a guiding approach. The program encourages students to explore how these connections can improve everyday urban life, strengthen social interaction, and respond to climate challenges. Particular attention is given to participatory approaches that involve local communities and municipal stakeholders throughout the process.

The program is structured in three phases. A short online preparatory phase introduces participants to Kosovo’s urban context, planning frameworks, and the objectives of the initiative. This is followed by a two-week in-person program from 07^th to 17^th of April 2026, during which participants engage in site visits, urban mapping, field research, community consultations, and collaborative design work in selected municipalities. The final phase focuses on reflection, evaluation, documentation, and dissemination of results, including academic outputs and planning for future cooperation.

Around 30 students are participating in the Lab, with balanced representation from Kosovo, Germany, and Switzerland, supported by professors and academic mentors from partner institutions. The initiative places particular emphasis on interdisciplinary teamwork, gender balance, inclusion, and the participation of diverse academic and cultural perspectives. Students and faculty work in mixed international groups to analyse urban challenges and co-develop climate-sensitive solutions tailored to local contexts and needs.

The Urban Development and Climate Resilience Lab is expected to generate a range of meaningful outcomes, including research reports, design proposals, and policy recommendations for municipalities, as well as academic outputs such as teaching materials and publications. At the same time, the initiative aims to strengthen international academic networks and create pathways for future joint research and cooperation.

As the second edition begins, the Lab reaffirms the importance of connecting universities with communities and of using academic collaboration as a tool for addressing the pressing urban and climate challenges of our time.