Our Approach

Take the unconventional perspective – We believe that if we do today what we did yesterday we will end up with the same results. That is why for us making sustainable change requires stepping out of one’s comfort zone, and exploring new ways of working. Co-developing solutions with communities and all stakeholders is the only way to implement solutions that are feasible, acceptable and sustainable.

Push the boundaries – focus on future-oriented solutions. Our current complex issues cannot be solved with pre-set responses. They require, more than ever, creative and future-oriented solutions that anticipate (not only problems but envisioned opportunities) rather than responding to existing known problems, going beyond that to re-imagine and co-develop better futures which are inclusive, plural (respect diversity), and fair.

Learn from everyone – work within and across disciplines. Innovation happens at the boundary of disciplines and global challenges require us to work together with all stakeholders and researchers from different fields. We believe this is the best way to solve ‘wicked-problems’ and to learn from past mistakes.

Take a global perspective and do what is right. Global challenges require local answers. Protecting the planet and ensuring that all people enjoy peace and prosperity is everyone’s business, no matter where we were born or live, or our race, gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs and socio-economic status. That’s why, for us, taking a global perspective starts from looking into contexts locally, and doing what is socially responsible and fair. This is the perfect vehicle for addressing some of the biggest issues facing billions of people across the world.

Mutual exchange and collaboration – for us, it starts with understanding each other, celebrating diversity and shared and differing perspectives in order to challenge perceived views and influence changing behaviours both in urban communities but also by creating the next generation of researchers that think at the systems level and identify themselves as interdisciplinary wicked problem solvers as their primary nature and function.