Working groups

1. Urban structures, Urban planning and Architecture
Prof. Johannes Ringel, Dept. of Building Industry and Urban Development (IBBS), Univ. of Leipzig; Prof. Ruskin freitas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE); Prof. Arnaldo Cardim de Carvalho Filho, Polytechnic School of Recife, Universidade de Pernambuco (UPE)

The significance of open space within a city only can be evaluated after having a thorough knowledge of the surrounding closed space i.e. the architectural landscape, the building quality and quantity and it diverse infrastructural functions. The quality and use of open space only can be defined by having a complete status quo scenario of both areas and their multifunctional technical, environmental and sociological use, including traffic, functions, daily and long term use, population structure and logistics. Insofar this part has probably the highest synthetic input into the GIS-generated city model which allows giving insights into the future city with and without alternative planning.

2. Physical Geography
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Heinrich, Dept. of Physical Geography, Univ. of Leipzig; Prof. Margareth M. Alheiros and Dr Edmilson Santos de Lima, Geology Dept. of the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE)

Data about geology, soils, relief dynamics, hydrology, and climatic factors are of basic importance to understand the actual situation of open spaces, forest fragments, agriculture and garden areas, etc. The analysis of the draining system, the forms of occupation in urban space, and the associated environmental risk, especially landslides, fluvial and coastal erosion and floodings, the type of constructions, the course and management of traffic and the infrastructure systems. It is of obvious importance for hydrological concepts, soil protection, recent geological processes, natural hazards and risks. Potentials for open space and construction areas can be identified and allow to be a "conditio sine qua non" for the whole planning activities.

3. GIS/System Analysis
Prof. Dr. Jackson Roehrig, Institute for Technology in the Tropics (ITT), Cologne University of Applied Sciences; Drª Maria José Marques, Paulo Carvalho, State Agency of Planning and Research of Pernambuco, CONDEPE / FIDEM; Dr. Aldir Pitt Mesquita Pimentel, Director of Agência Estadual de Meio Ambiente e Recursos Hídricos (CPRH)

System analysis to construct a data base integrating the different themes and existing socio-environmental diagnostics and cartographic bases, using GIS and for the development of a SDSS. Development of interoperable tools to integrate existing systems.



4. Ecology/Biodiversity
Dr. Dietmar Sattler, Dr. Jens Wesenberg, Univ. of Leipzig; Dr. Stefan Klotz, UFZ Leipzig-Halle; Prof. Marccus Vinicius Alves (Dept. of Botany) and Prof. Ana Maria Benko-Iseppon (Dept. of Genetics), both UFPE

Little has been done to include biodiversity into urban concepts. Although it is generally accepted that biodiversity adds many direct and indirect values within human settlements there is little known about it. Practical concepts of biodiversity increase and maintenance shall be integrated into open space planning.

5. Intra- and peri-urban agriculture
Prof. Dr. Hartmut Gaese, Institute for Technology in the Tropics (ITT), University of Applied Sciences Cologne; Prof. Dr. Marc Janssens, Institute of Horticulture-Unit of Tropical Crops, Univ. of Bonn; Prof. Reginaldo Barros, Vice-Rector, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE)

Investigation and localisation of all available sources of tropical crop cultivation within urban areas. Essential question: How can intra- and peri-urban agri-and horticulture be integrated into an ecological city planning concept? What is its benefit besides of the directly harvested fruit? How can agricultural techniques be improved within the city? How important are the obvious links to general land use, like horticultural use of waste waters, refuse disposal, economic and ecological social factors?

The effectiveness and productivity of urban agriculture depends on land use systems, ecological factors, the available infrastructure and market conditions, which shall be investigated. The elaboration of a typology of urban land use systems allows together with integration of social and economic factors to present sustainable, optimised and applicable farming systems which also shall fulfill the ecological demands of green areas in urban regions.

6. Urban forestry
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Pretzsch, Technical University of Dresden; Prof. Isabelle Meunier, UFRPE

City forests or green belts are meanwhile a "must" of a modern city. Benefits are of monetary valuation (timber, tourism) and of indirect value in regard to water cycle, local climate, wellness, recreation and education. Research fields have to regard structure, extension and biodiversity as well as forest sociological questions (maintenance versus deforestation, reforestation versus building construction, private gardens and road construction). With the method of "adaptive co-management" interdisciplinary models for the establishment and maintenance of local forests in collaboration with the other fields shall be drawn. This is especially in Recife of high significance because of the coastal forest problematics (e.g. Atlantic Forest) and the drinking water supply.

7. Urban Geography
Prof. Dr. Martin Coy, Dept. of Geography, Univ. of Innsbruck; Drª Edvania Torres, UFPE

High population increase in the marginal metropolitan regions and stagnation within the centres, income dependent access to living space, unequal distribution of land for settlings and marginalisation and consequently impoverishment of larger population groups creates severe social problems. Analysis of public and private interest, social mechanisms and its control in regard to open spaces shall lead to a geographical -social concept, accepted and supported by the whole population

8. Sociology
Prof. Dr. Dr. Herbert Schubert, Dept. of Applied Social Sciences,Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Helenilada Cavalcanti, Fundação Joaquim Nabuco

Vertical and horizontal analyses and documentation of the development and function of social patterns in existing and future open spaces and settlements allow an important contribution towards human reactions in regard to chances and risks in future city developments. Stakeholder analyses, criminological analyses and SWOT analyses are the bases for scenarios to be applied in critical areas (e.g. CPTED-Model "Crime prevention through environmental design"). Application of these and further methods allow a socio-cultural as well as economic-ecological evaluation of the population at different levels whose interaction and interdependencies have to enter in all planning activities for a growing metropolis.