As part of the reviewer panel site visit for Leibniz University's application as an Excellence University, the research group Digital Landscape Ecology from the Department of Physical Geography and Landscape Ecology, along with colleagues from six faculties, presented their research ideas at the Königlicher Pferdestall on May 27, 2026. These ideas are a component of the proposed Future Labs City.
The goals of Future Labs City include implementing research within two nexus approaches: Climate-Ecosystem-Health and Architecture-Energy-Society. The Digital Landscape Ecology Research Group is particularly involved in the Climate-Ecosystem-Health nexus. Possible research questions include: How do climate adaptation measures, such as nature-based solutions, affect the urban microclimate? How do these changes impact our society? How do climate adaptation measures influence human health and well-being? In particular, we aim to explore how nature-based solutions like bioswales or pocket parks impact human health and well-being—either positively by reducing heat stress or possibly negatively causing trade-offs, i.e. through the accumulation of air pollutants or increased risks of allergies or vector-borne diseases.
These topics hold significant societal relevance. Approximately 15-20% of the adult population in Germany suffers from pollen-related allergies. Additionally, climate change-driven tropical vectors like the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus, a primary carrier of Dengue and Chikungunya viruses, are establishing in urban areas across Germany (Munich, Berlin, and recently Frankfurt) and spreading northward. The rising number of locally acquired Dengue and Chikungunya virus cases, particularly in Italy and France—such as near the German border in Strasbourg in 2025—highlights the societal relevance.
These complex research topics require interdisciplinary teams. During the site visit, we demonstrated that Hannover boasts a high level of inter- and transdisciplinary expertise in areas like urban climate modeling, urban planning, urban ecology, landscape planning, sociology, and a variety of relevant health sciences including virology and public health. We will especially benefit from our planned collaborations with the Technical University of Braunschweig, Hannover Medical School, the University Clinics in Göttingen, the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, and the planned Future Lab Health.
Pre-collaborations on parts of the nexus dimensions have already been developed through numerous projects and are considered a breeding ground for the Future Lab City—for example, the MWK-funded UMEX-HOPE project, which Prof. Björn Maronga and Nadja Kabisch presented during the site visit.
We thank all participants for the successful presentation of our research and wish Leibniz Universität Hannover much success in the further process of the Excellence Strategy.
