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Urban Transformation & Global Change Lab

An interdisciplinary research group developing sociospatial approaches to critically analyze transformations arising from intertwined processes of digitalization, environmental change, and political crisis.

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Research Areas

Our interdisciplinary approach explores the complex interplay between urban spaces, digital technologies, environmental change, and political processes.

Co-creation towards sustainable transformations

We examine the processes of collaborative creation of knowledge in digital as well as non‐digital environments for a myriad of purposes related to urban transformation, and with a focus on social innovation. We analyse science education practices at schools, community-based initiatives in informal contexts and citizens’ participation in formal decision‐making processes to provide critical insights into the political, ecological, social and cultural dimensions of knowledge transmission, learning and co‐production.

RESEARCH GROUP DIRECTOR

Isabel Ruiz Mallen

Isabel Ruiz Mallen

Associate Professor (Group Director)
iruiz_mallen@uoc.edu

Political ecology of socio-environmental change

We investigate how global urbanization and urban life are produced in and beyond the city and explore how we can rethink the co-production of space in a context of accelerated digitalization, climate emergency and increasing inequality. In particular, we inquire on (1) new urban models and design solutions to face digitalisation, climate emergency and social change; (2) algorithmic, innovation and/or experimentation driven forms of urban governance and policy; (3) the geographies of urbanization and the territorial articulation between the rural and the urban.

RESEARCH GROUP DIRECTOR

Hug March Corbella

Hug March Corbella

Professor (Group Director)
hmarch@uoc.edu

Geographies of urbanization

We investigate how global urbanization and urban life are produced in and beyond the city and explore how we can rethink the co-production of space in a context of accelerated digitalization, climate emergency and increasing inequality. In particular, we inquire on (1) new urban models and design solutions to face digitalisation, climate emergency and social change; (2) algorithmic, innovation and/or experimentation driven forms of urban governance and policy; (3) the geographies of urbanization and the territorial articulation between the rural and the urban.

RESEARCH AREA COORDINATOR

Ramon Ribera-Fumaz

Ramon Ribera-Fumaz

Professor
rriberaf@uoc.edu

Theory, Technology, Territory and Politics

We inquire into how contemporary processes of change derived from technology, environmental change, and other global trends, affect our understanding of classical concepts of political science and social theory. This research area focuses on the theoretical implications of politics, technology, and environment at different scales: on concepts such as democracy or identity; multi-scalar including the local, regional, national, and transnational; and approaches from political, social and science theory

RESEARCH AREA COORDINATOR

Ivan Serrano Balaguer

Ivan Serrano Balaguer

Associate Professor
iserranoba@uoc.edu
Scientific Outputs

Scientific Outputs

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Featured Projects

Featured Projects

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People

People

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