We are excited to invite you to this year's Presentation of the Urban Design Master's theses, taking place on September 26 and 27 at HCU Hamburg. This year’s thesis projects explore a diverse range of research topics that critically examine urban life, governance, and social dynamics within the urban realm. 

With projects focusing on infrastructures and urban transformation, sustainability and environmental futures the research topics ranged from examining the revitalization of urban soils through urban gardening practices, the role of public kiosks now being redefined as social hubs in transforming local economies, and Hamburg's waste disposal infrastructure; to research on governance and citizenship, such as the role of active citizenship in co-governing urban green spaces in Hamburg, as well as the potential of co-production in urban development.

With a focus on community practices students looked into the importance of arthouse cinemas as interconnected cultural spaces in Hamburg, and into how migrant narratives are inscribed into urban memory. 

Gender, housing, and care were other major themes with projects investigating the crucial role of housing in the context of domestic violence or exploring networks of care for people with dementia, providing insight into the invisible support systems that exist in the urban fabric.

Over the course of two days, 19 students will present their thesis projects, reflecting on the complexities and dissonances, collective negotiations and ongoing transformations of cities and their understanding of them. The master theses projects in Urban Design could help us to understand: If we make the city tangible as a process of the urban, we can try out new forms of intervention and collaboration for the creation of alternative urban futures.

We are looking forward to seeing you there!