About
The Society and Urban Form (SURF) Research Lab is a transdisciplinary scientific endeavour focusing on describing and interpreting how the built environment impacts society and on translating evidence from the analysis of urban environments for application in design practice and policy. The mission of the lab is to support the development, design and planning of cities which enable and foster social progress, sustainable practices and healthy habitats by fostering research capacity and excellence in urban design, planning and governance towards
understanding and addressing urban challenges, as well as valuing and exploiting opportunities afforded by cities and urban communities.
SURF hosts ten staff and three PhD students with expertise in the various research strands covered by the lab:
evidence-based design and planning (EBDP), urban morphology, healthy and inclusive cities, sustainable
urban governance and participatory design practices. SURF is co-ordinating and participating in a variety of research projects.
The objective of the lab is to support the development of knowledge and solutions to respond to urban challenges, to mitigate environmental burdens and to create the conditions which enable a high quality of life in cities. It does so through the involvement of all relevant stakeholders and the public in planning and design actions, as well as cross-sectoral collaboration to identify effective and just solutions towards sustainable
development.
