Rea Pärli

ETH Zurich | ETH Zürich · Department of Environmental Systems Science

Transdisciplinary research projects integrate several disciplines and practice stakeholders into the research process. Both of these interactions are described as important in addressing complex and interconnected sustainability problems. In addition to knowledge generation, transdisciplinary research projects have other effects. For example, they...

Transdisciplinary research (TDR) projects integrate several disciplines as well as non-academic actors. Researchers claim that TDR projects are key for tackling complex sustainability issues. We study the effects and the factors influencing the effects of TDR projects in transnational research for development between the global North and the global...

Real-world laboratories (RWL) aim to support transformations for sustainable urban development by producing outputs with practical and scientific relevance. To achieve these aims, the local community of which the RWL is a part should be in close collaboration from the start of a project. RWLs offer spaces for 'thinking outside the box' and for expe...

Transdisciplinary research (TD) integrates knowledge from different scientific disciplines, as well as from research and practice. Research and practice therefore describe TD as well-suited for addressing complex sustainability challenges. However, the effects of TD on sustainable development are difficult to assess, as such projects produce manifo...

In the last decade, a number of smart city initiatives have flourished around the world. While the literature is ripe with descriptions of those projects and pioneering cities, there is far less systematic research on why some cities are more advanced than others. As single locating entities, cities are posited to have strong geographic rootedness....

Genetic diversity is a fundamental component of biological diversity, and its conservation is considered key to ensure the long-term survival of natural populations and species. National and international legislation increasingly mandates a monitoring of genetic diversity. Examples are the United Nation’s Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Ai...

This article emphasizes the importance of actor networks for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and suggests how a network perspective can contribute to our understanding of (global) sustainability governance. Actor networks are often driven by homophily, as actors tend to interact with those similar to them. Yet, not le...

The implementation of the Agenda 2030 and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) requires collaboration between actors from different sectors. One way of facilitating exchange between different actors are forums. This article investigates the contribution of different types of forums for SDG implementation. We use the case of Switzerland’s impl...