Stefan Stumm

Short Bio

After completing my Master's degree at the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld in "Business Administration and Engineering" in the field of environmental planning/environmental engineering and my Master's thesis in the field of systemic sustainability discourse, I decided to deepen my scientific foundation in the field of systems theory and start a doctorate in 2022 after a transitional period in which I became clear about my professional goals and personal wishes and was able to grow as a person.The RPTU Kaiserslautern - Department of Spatial and Environmental Planning, in the form of my doctoral supervisor Prof. Dr. Detlef Kurth, thankfully gives me the opportunity to apply my research interests to the field of sustainable urban development planning. With Prof. Dr. Dirk Löhr, I was able to gain an outstanding professor from the Environmental Campus as my second supervisor, who also frequently propagates the systems view and is increasingly coming into contact with urban development as part of his research activities on land policy.

Research

Recommendations for action for local authorities and policymakers are derived from my research, which relate to the implementation of resilience criteria in urban development planning. A key aspect of these recommendations for action is developed on the basis of system-theoretical implications and therefore involves a high degree of reflexivity. This opens up an additional perspective for planners.

"My research is aimed at using systemic approaches to help anchor the concept of resilience in urban development and thus create vibrant, enjoyable cities for future generations."

Abstract

In addition to the concept of sustainability, the concept of resilience is currently gaining in importance in the field of urban development planning in Germany because of the multiple crises. The aim is to increase the adaptability and resilience of urban structures in such a way that sustainability goals are not thwarted. My practice-oriented analysis is intended to contribute to this goal using the example of medium-sized cities. From a system-theoretical perspective, normative concepts such as sustainability and resilience cannot be conceived and implemented in relation to a system to be transformed without the reflexive involvement of the observer.

My genuine interest lies in researching potential implementation strategies for integrating these system-theoretical aspects into urban development planning. In addition to extensive literature research, this primarily requires discussions in the form of expert interviews. Since the concept of resilience has hardly been explicitly integrated into integrated urban development in the German planning landscape (which is precisely what the Memorandum on Urban Resilience 2021 calls for), I am going to conduct exploratory interviews with both general experts in the relevant fields (urban development, systems theory, resilience/sustainability) and experts from planning practice (especially city administrations). I will then evaluate the findings and derive recommendations for action for medium-sized cities (in principle, much of this can also be applied to large and small cities).

My working days are mainly structured by my activities as a research assistant and lecturer for special tasks. As a self-confessed early riser, I can reach my full potential in the morning and am rarely capable of intellectual feats in the evening, so I like to start working on my PhD early in the morning. During the lecture period I usually teach between 10 and 12 SWS, so my capacity for my PhD is somewhat limited during this time. Nevertheless, I try to stay on the ball and invest at least one or two hours every day. In my experience, consistency is even more important than intensity.