future.lab (TU Vienna)

future.lab is a platform established within the Faculty for Architecture and Planning at TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology). Its core purpose is to foster inter- and transdisciplinary research and teaching, focusing on the challenges of spatial design, urban and regional development. The platform operates as a connecting space for experimental projects that bring together academic research, practical application, and public discourse. The initiative does not have a long independent history but positions itself as a time-limited, open format designed to intensify interdisciplinary collaboration. Its approach is shaped by collective input from faculty members, researchers, students, and practitioners in the field of architecture and planning. Key areas of activity include urban management, regional development strategies, architecture, and the interface between research and societal needs. One current project coordinated by the future.lab Research Center is "Urban Heat Stories," a citizen science effort that documents the experiences of vulnerable communities in Vienna with heat events. Launched in 2023, the project uses workshops and plans to expand into further neighborhoods, with the aim of informing the city's planning authorities and contributing to projects like WienNeu+. The platform also supports and initiates dialogues across academic boundaries, such as workshops and collaborative formats with international and local partners. Its organizational model is deliberately open, prioritizing creative cooperation across disciplines over the pursuit of rankings or narrow key performance indicators. The work is firmly rooted in Vienna but engages in broader debates relevant to urban futures and societal transformation.