The INURA Zurich Institute is an independent research institute that has been dealing with urban development issues for 20 years, analysing, advising and asking further questions.

Our most important research question is: How can our built, social and natural environment be organised in such a way that it fundamentally meets the requirements of a socially and humane, ecologically and economically sustainable development? Thus, we stand for a holisitc and global perspective.

The INURA Zurich Institute is closely linked to the International Network for Urban Research and Action (INURA), which was founded in 1991 in Zurich and Salecina, Switzerland. INURA has ever since been coordinated by the INURA Common Office as part of the Zurich Institute. The INURA Zurich Institute is committed to the principles of INURA.

The INURA Zurich Institute cooperates with various partners such as university institutes (ETH and University of Zurich, ZHAW and other technical colleges), architectural and private research offices as well as organisations in various fields (e.g. nethood.org). In addition, the INURA Zurich Institute is historically closely associated with the new Zurich cooperative movement, in particular the building and housing cooperative Kraftwerk1, where our offices have been located since its realisation in 2001. The new cooperative movement sees itself as an actor in the implementation of solutions in essential areas of social coexistence such as participation, resource-conserving and energy-saving construction and living, environmentally friendly transport, against discrimination (see charter and strategy Kraftwerk1), against speculation, for a city of diversity, inclusion and community. On an internationla level, increasingly the term collaborative housing is used as cooperative housing means different things in different countries.

The INURA Zurich Institute works on a local, national and international level.

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

• CROCHET – Project management of the knowledge transfer project between Zagreb and Zurich (in cooperation with Nethood.ch)
  

• MAZI – DIY networking for location based collective awareness (European Commission- Horizon 2020)

• Eventisation of cities. Processes of Inclusion and Exclusion in Urban Development. (Funding Swiss National Funds)

• Sociospatial analyses and future development assessment of urban districts (municipality of Zurich) and The Role of Culture in Gentrification Processes in Belgrade, RS (Zurich Art University and Gothe Institute Belgrade)

• Interim uses as potential for social and economic innovation (Innosuisse-Swiss Innovation Agency)

• Socio-cultural offers and community centres in rapidly growing non-core communities and cities (Innosuisse-Swiss Innovation Agency)

• Land marking and land policy: analysis of urban district development processes and new built gentrification (Zurich Tenants Association

• Creative Economy and Urban Development (Canton and Municipality of Zurich)

• New Metropolitan Mainstream, competition of cities (INURA comparative research project) and INURA Coop initiative).

• Urban development and housing market, socio-spatial segregation, income and wealth development, tourism and Airbnb (Zurich Tenants Association.)

PROCESSES & MANAGEMENT

• Architecture, town planning and planning competitions. Particularly on the topics of staging, social/co-existence and optimisation of use (Zurich, Berne, Pratteln BL)

KNOW-HOW & KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

• CROCHET – Project management of the knowledge transfer project between Zagreb and Zurich (in cooperation with Nethood.ch)
  
• Congresses, workshops, conferences, seminars: Conception, management and moderation (e.g. spatial planning and value-added compensation)
• Coordination of the International Network for Urban Research and Action INURA
• Teaching activities (ETH Spatial Planning Unit and Chair of Sociology in Architecture, University of Zurich Department of Geography, Technical Colleges)
• Guided city tours
• Publication activities (see publication list)