Continue Living as Usual? International Conference at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Explores Housing Transformation
How is housing evolving in times of multiple crises? How do social change and the material design of architecture, neighbourhoods, and infrastructures influence one another? These questions will be addressed on 7 and 8 May 2026 at the »Weiter wohnen wie gewohnt? Gesellschaftliche Transformation und räumliche Materialisierung des Wohnens« conference at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.
The conference serves as both the annual meeting of the Institute for European Urban Studies (IfEU) and an event organized by the »Gewohnter Wandel« DFG research training group. It is aimed at early-career researchers and partners from planning, politics, administration, and civil society who are working on current housing issues.
An anticipated highlight of the conference is the public lecture by Ute Lehrer on the evening of Thursday, 7 May 2026, at 6:15 pm in the Maurice-Halbwachs-Auditorium. Under the title »High-rise living: From whom? And why?«, she will be speaking about international developments in high-rise housing.
Housing in the Context of Social Transformation
The conference focusses on current challenges in housing in the face of climate change, resource scarcity, wars, social polarization, and economic transformation.
»Housing is a central arena of social negotiation«, emphasizes Prof. Barbara Schönig, Professor of Urban Planning and research training group spokesperson. »If we want to develop socially, environmentally, and spatially just solutions, we need to better understand the complex interactions between social dynamics and built spatial structures.«
Researchers from Germany and abroad will be discussing transformation processes at the local, regional, national, and European levels across three themes: everyday life & appropriation, governance & regulation, and management & production.
The contributions in German and English range from municipal housing provision, single-family home supply, homelessness, and platform capitalism to care infrastructures and socio-ecological transformation. The research training group will be offering insights into current projects during the public forum and opening their research questions up for dialogue with partners from the industry.
The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar is highlighting its renowned expertise in interdisciplinary housing and urban research with this conference and improving academic exchange between research, policy, and practice. The conference makes one thing absolutely clear: The question of housing is a key question for the future and demands that new alliances be formed, perspectives shared, and solutions found.
Continue Living as Usual?
»Gewohnter Wandel. Gesellschaftliche Transformation und räumliche Materialisierung des Wohnens« DFG Research Training Group Conference and Institute for European Urban Studies Annual Meeting
Thursday, 7 May and Friday, 8 May 2026
Weimar University Library, Stadtbibliothek Weimar, Mascha Kulturzentrum Weimar
Registration is now open at https://www.uni-weimar.de/de/architektur-und-urbanistik/institute/ifeu/forschung/jahrestagungen/2026weiter-wohnen-wie-gewohnt/
Public Lecture Evening (in English) with Ute Lehrer, York University Toronto: »High-rise living: From whom? And why?«
Thursday, 7 May 2026, 6:15 pm
Maurice-Halbwachs-Auditorium, Steubenstraße 6, Weimar
Further information on the programme can be found at: https://www.uni-weimar.de/de/architektur-und-urbanistik/institute/ifeu/forschung/jahrestagungen/2026weiter-wohnen-wie-gewohnt/
In case of questions, please contact Dr. Kathrin Meißner, DFG research training group coordinator at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, by e-mail: kathrin.meissner[at]uni-weimar.de, or by phone: 03643 / 582670.