How can cities reduce their CO₂ emissions and energy consumption in an effective and permanent manner? Will smart mobility lead to a more climate-friendly transport system? What do we need to develop cities into places of solidarity and democratic transformation?

Urban spaces are becoming increasingly important as central arenas for sustainability transformation. They are discussed as places where pressing challenges become tangible, but where impetus for change towards sustainable and future-oriented development can also be initiated and experimented with.

The term “smart” is deemed one of the objectives of a sustainable and future-proof city in which digital transformation is actively oriented towards sustainability and the common good. This transformation is characterised by the interconnection of different thematic fields and encompasses ecological, economic, structural, socio-cultural, infrastructural and technological aspects. There are no sectoral solutions to these complex challenges, which require co-creative and transdisciplinary cooperation between many different actors.

In July 2021, the Sustainable Smart Cities research cluster was founded at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences (HTW Berlin) as an interdisciplinary scientific institution to bundle the socially relevant topics of digitalisation, sustainability and urbanisation, on which research is already being conducted at HTW Berlin, and to develop innovative cross-disciplinary solutions, concepts and ideas. The prerequisite for recognition as a research cluster was proof of special research expertise and scientific achievements as well as a joint research agenda. The research strength of the clusters was evaluated using criteria published by the DFG (German Research Foundation).

A special feature of the cluster is the development of the HTW Berlin campus into a living lab in the sense of field testing. In the process, the Wilhelminenhof campus will be established as an experimental field on the basis of extensive preliminary work and the broad experience of the participating professorships. In order to be able to identify and pursue new paths for smart and sustainable solutions, systems and social practices associated with Sustainable Smart Cities will be tested and made tangible at HTW Berlin and discussed in dialogue with a wide range of actors from the fields of science, business, politics, administration and society at large. This is also against the background of the further development of HTW Berlin as an open and innovative university which embraces the Citizen Science approach.