The annual Get-Together from the Compentece Field Metropolitan Research
The KoMet Day is an annual event that has been held since 2019 to facilitate exchange and networking, and it is one of the annual highlights among the events organized by the Competence Field of Metroplitan Research. The event has an interdisciplinary focus and is aimed at KoMet researchers and the academic community, as well as various regional, national, and international stakeholders from the business, political, and civil society sectors.
On the KoMet Day, KoMet addresses a different current topic in metropolitan studies each year. Within this framework, KoMet researchers provide insights into their areas of expertise and research interests. Contributions from other national and international experts round out the program. Panel discussions and interactive opportunities for participation help foster a lively and nuanced discussion as part of this event series. The networking format of the KoMet Day also serves as the annual meeting for all KoMet researchers. During this meeting, participants reflect on past research activities and discuss future initiatives for KoMet.
Fotos: Uwe Grützner
2025: 7th KoMet Day
Green Transformation of the Ruhral Regioan
On December 5, 2025, 120 participants from the business community, the professional sector, the general public, and academia, as well as students from the University of the Ruhr Alliance (UARuhr), engaged in a lively discussion on the “Green Transformation of the Ruhr” at the offices of the Regionalverband Ruhr (RVR).
The one-day event kicked off with a dialogue between Nina Frense (RVR) and Prof. Dr. Uli Paetzel (Emschergenossenschaft/Lippeverband).
Prof. Dr. Maren Urner delivered the keynote address on the topic “Why the Green Transformation of the Ruhr Also Begins in the Mind.”
In Session 1, ‘More Than Just Green: Creating Space for Urban Biodiversity and Ensuring Quality of Life Through Integrated Urban Development’ the following lecturers participated in a discussion moderated by Prof. Dr. Valentin Klaus (Ruhr University Bochum):
- Dr. Anne Budinger (RVR, Environment)
- Horst Fischer (IGA Metropole Ruhr 2027 gGmbH)
- Dr.-Ing. Mais Jafari (TU Dortmund)
- Dr. Peter Keil (Biological Station of the Western Ruhr Region)
- Simone Raskob (City of Essen) and
- Carsten Uhlenbrock (RVR Ruhr Green).
Session 2 focused on the topic “Ports Can Do More: Ports as Actors in Multi-Stakeholder Processes of the Green Transition in Metropolitan Settings.” Three discussion panels explored various aspects of this topic. This session was moderated by Prof. Dr. Frederik Ahlemann (Department of Business Informatics, University of Duisburg-Essen), Dr. Jan-Hendrik Kamlage (Ruhr University Bochum), and Dr. Klaus Krumme (University of Duisburg-Essen).
At this event, the award for outstanding dissertations and master’s theses in the field of metropolitan research (funded by the Emschergenossenschaft) was also presented once again. This time, the award went to Dr. Katja Schimohr and Dr. Lisa Sieger. You can find more information about the 2025 awards at HERE.
Yor see the Programme in German HERE.
Photos: Uwe Grützner
In 2025, this event was developed and supported in cooperation with the Emschergenossenschaft/Lippeverband, NRW.Bank, and the Regionalverband Ruhr. Thank you very much!
2024: 6th KoMet-Tag
The Transformation of the Ruhr Region –
Discussion of the chapters of the planned English-language RuhrBand
The Ruhr Region is the largest Metropolitan area in Germany, the most populous country in the European Union. As a paleo-industrial and polycentric Metropolitan area without a dominant core city but internationally, far less attention than smaller urban regions such as Berlin, Hamburg or Munich. In fact, the major transformation processes of socio-economic, institutional and architectural structures are different, often problem – and conflict-prone under the influence of profound structural change. Nevertheless, or perhaps precisely because of this, the Ruhr area is known in professional circles as a Prime example of innovative Transformation. The Emscher Park International building exhibition, the transformation of the Emscher river system and the conversion of the industrial cultural heritage are internationally recognized flagship projects.
The Ruhr Region – a model for metropiltan transformation?
At the 2024 KoMet Day, numerous experts from the Ruhr University Alliance’s Metropolitan Research Center examined the dynamic transformation processes and changing spatial structures in the Ruhr region from a variety of perspectives. The range of topics spanned from the medieval and industrial cultural landscape, through historical and contemporary structural change, to issues of social inequality, environmental justice, urban design, mobility, and land-use management in the Ruhr region, all the way to approaches to regional and local governance, the strategies of the Emscher River restoration project, and new adaptation strategies for climate change.
The overall overview explored the question of to what extent the Ruhr region can or wants to serve as a model for the transformation of metropolitan areas. To clarify this, each of the individual subtopics was to be discussed to determine why someone viewing the Ruhr region from the outside should engage with the specific implementation of the topic in the Ruhr region, and whether there are generalizable lessons that can be drawn from the transformation of the Ruhr region.
The 6th KoMet Day took place on December 6, 2024, at the BAUKUNSTARCHIV NRW (Ostwall 7, 44135 Dortmund). Nearly 45 participants exchanged views on the various contributions, which are scheduled to be published in the planned Ruhrband in mid-2026. The topics were presented by the authors in 6-minute elevator pitches and subsequently discussed and commented on by all attendees.
The 6th KoMet Day was rounded off by the KoMet Award ceremony for outstanding master’s theses and dissertations in the field of metropolitan research, presented to Leah Blank (title: The Role of Cultural Ecosystem Services in the Planning of Urban Tiny Forests—A Case Study of the Eltingviertel in Essen) and Timo Haselhoff (title: The Acoustic Environment. A New Perspective in Urban Public Health. Solutions for Quantifying Multidimensional and High-Resolution Audio Data in Multifaceted Urban Areas). Prof. Dr. Uli Paetzel presented the certificates. As in previous years, the prizes were funded by the Emschergenossenschaft.
Photos: Thorsten Wiechmann
This event was once again supported by the Emschergenossenschaft and NRW.BANK. Thank you very much!
2023: 5th KoMet Day
Transformative Science – What Role Do Real-World Labs Play?
Urban and metropolitan research increasingly examines and monitors the diverse, complex processes of urban transformation in so-called “real-world laboratories”—a term that has now become something of a buzzword. The real-world laboratory approach explores innovative avenues for transformative and collaborative urban and planning research while simultaneously testing out changes: Actors from different sectors (academia, civil society, administration, politics, business, and intermediary actors) ideally collaborate on an equal footing in real-world laboratories, intervening and experimenting in real-world spaces to generate results that are both scientifically and practically relevant. In this way, real-world laboratories can actively contribute to the transformation of cities and metropolitan areas.
At the 2023 KoMet Day, the concept of the “real-world laboratory” was to be refined, but also scrutinized and defined from various perspectives. The 2023 KoMet Day focused on the following questions: Who are researchers, and who are co-researchers? In the spirit of a collaborative research approach—such as participatory action research—can all steps, from formulating the research question to evaluation, actually be developed and carried out in co-research formats? At the same time, real-world labs in the city are not labs in the scientific sense, but are unique in terms of location, time, knowledge, and individual participants. Unlike experiments in laboratories, it is not possible to return to the initial state, as changes in experiential knowledge are always generated, triggering an internal transition. In light of this, should we even speak of “laboratories”? What understanding is needed for real-world laboratories as transformative science?
The ‘KoMet Awards for Outstanding Master’s Theses and Dissertations’ were also presented at the 5th KoMet Day. These awards are funded by the Emschergenossenschaft. The 2023 award recipients are Pauline Scheunert for her master’s thesis “Constructing an Index to Assess Small-Scale Potential for Physical Activity in Urban Environments” and Vanessa Hellwig for her dissertation “Transformation, Digitization, and the Geography of Knowledge.”
For the programme (only in German available) consult please HERE.
For the Questions, which are discussed on the tables, please consult HERE.
You can request the proceedings from the 5th KoMet Day 2023 by sending an email to the office (metropolenforschung@uaruhr.de).
Photos: Roman Fritz
This event was once again supported by the Emschergenossenschaft and NRW.BANK. Thank you very much!
2022: 4th KoMet Day (Hybrid)
Urban Complexity – Perspectives from Complexity Science and Transformation Studies on Sustainable Urban Development
Cities are complex adaptive systems. A key component of these systems is the diverse range of interactions among heterogeneous actors, whose behavior changes over time as they respond to the actions of other actors and to shifting environmental conditions. Since the 1980s, cities around the world have been studied from the perspective of complexity science. The goal is to gain a better understanding of
- how cities emerge, develop, grow, or shrink,
- what factors promote or hinder social and technological innovation in cities, and
- what planning and management tools are necessary for their development.
Photo: Roman Fritz
Against the backdrop of the primacy of sustainability, the focus is increasingly turning to the adaptability of urban spaces. The challenges associated with this are “wicked problems,” meaning they are characterized by high complexity, uncertainty, and divergent values and objectives.
The conceptual design and organization of this year’s hybrid event were led by KoMet researcher Michael Roos (Ruhr University Bochum). Moderated by Klaus Kordowski (Mercator Foundation), researchers, early-career scholars, and international guests presented their research approaches to an interested audience of over 100 attendees at the 4th KoMet Day, highlighting potential opportunities and challenges for stakeholders from academia, business, politics, public administration, and civil society. The goal was to foster dialogue between academia and practice and to explore new opportunities for collaboration.
In 2022, the Compentce Field of Metroplitan research and the Emschergenossenschaft announced the first-ever KoMet Award. The award recognizes outstanding dissertations and master’s theses that address issues of metropolitan transformation in relation to the Ruhr Metropolis. In 2022, the master’s thesis category was won by Anna-Lena Bergmann (title: Essen 51. – The Neighborhood of Tomorrow in the City of Today. The Development of New Urban Neighborhoods and Their Integration into the Urban Landscape) and Helen Wagner with her dissertation “The Past as the Future? Historical Culture as a Field of Future Action for Managing Structural Change in the Ruhr Region” received the award. The certificates were presented to the winners by Prof. Dr. Uli Paetzel during this KoMet Day from the Emschergenossenschaft.
To view the program (only in German available), please visit HERE.
Photos: Roman Fritz
The Metropolitan Research Competence Center (KoMet) organized the 4th KoMet Day with support from the Mercator Foundation, the Emschergenossenschaft, and NRW.BANK. Thank you very much!
2021: Digital 3rd KoMet Day
Smart Metropolitan Solutions – Pathways to Climate-Neutral and Resilient Cities
was the theme of the 3rd KoMet Day, organized by the Competence Field for Metropolitan Research (KoMet) of the Ruhr University Alliance (UA Ruhr) on December 6, 2021, in cooperation with the Emschergenossenschaft.
Against the backdrop of the European Commission’s European Green Deal, the discussion focused, among other things, on the following key questions: How can smart city approaches be leveraged to address the current challenges of climate-neutral and resilient urban development from technological, economic, social, and environmental perspectives? What (un)intended side effects are associated with the smart city concept? How can resilience and sustainability be intelligently integrated?
Despite the last-minute switch to a purely digital format due to the pandemic, the conference attracted approximately 150 participants.
You find the digital programme (available only in German) HERE.
Photos: Screenshots by KoMet employees
The 3rd KoMet Day was sponsored by the Emschergenossenschaft and the Mercator Foundation. Thank you very much!
2020: Digital 2nd KoMet Day
Academics are discussing their visions for the future of major cities online
What do desirable futures for metropolitan regions look like? What has become of earlier visions of the future? And what does the term “narrative” actually mean?
Among others, Prof. Dr. Martino Stierli, Chief Curator of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, addressed visions of the future for metropolitan areas during the conference “Future Narratives for Metropolitan Regions” on December 14, 2020. The event was the fifth joint conference organized by the Metropolis Research Competence Area in collaboration with the Emschergenossenschaft and was organized by KoMet researchers Prof. Dr. Jens Martin Gurr, Prof. Dr. Cornelia Jöchner, Prof. Dr. Rolf Parr, and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Sonne.
You find the full programme (only in German available) HERE.
While the 2019 KoMet Day focused on the future of mobility, the 2020 KoMet Day explored both past and present visions of the future. At the conference, initiated by the Competence Field for Metropolitan Research (KoMet) and supported by the Emschergenossenschaft, speakers focused on past and current visions of how life in metropolitan areas might be shaped in the future, organized into three different thematic blocks. Approximately 180 participants took advantage of the opportunities for virtual participation.
For more information about this event, please visit the German website.
The event was sponsored by the Emschergenossenschaft and the Mercator Foundation. Thank you very much!
2019: 1st KoMet Day at Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Future of Mobility in the Ruhr Region
The Ruhr region urgently needs a transportation revolution. How this can be achieved was discussed at the first KoMet Day organized by the Metropolitan Research Competence Area of the Ruhr University Alliance on November 4, 2019, at the Zollverein site (World Heritage Site) in Essen. Together with the cooperation partners the Emschergenossenschaft, the Zollverein Foundation, the Mercator Foundation, and the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr, visions, innovative approaches, and viable solutions to the current challenges were presented.
After futurist Kai Jannek from Z_punkt (Cologne) presented utopian visions for the future of mobility, KoMet researchers Prof. Dr. Johannes Weyer (TU Do), Prof. Dr. Jochen Gönsch (UDE), Prof. Dr. Michael Roos (RUB), and Prof. Dr. J. Alexander Schmidt (UDE) presented new ideas and possibilities for ushering in the transportation transition. Guest lectures by Prof. Dr. Kay Axhausen (ETH Zurich), Felix Hoesch (Member of the Zurich Cantonal Council), Prof. Dr. Bert van Wee (TU Delft), and Dr. Thomas Klinger (Goethe University Frankfurt) demonstrated how mobility can function in other regions.
Photos: Uwe Grützner
Following the presentations by internal and external experts, as well as input from Prof. Dr. Uli Paetzel (Chairman of the Board of Emschergenossenschaft), PD Dr. Ani Melkonyan-Gottschalk (University of Duisburg-Essen), Michael Zyweck (Verkehsverbund Rhein-Ruhr / Rhein-Ruhr Transport Association), Frank Joneit (Regionalverband Ruhr/ Ruhr Regional Association), and Dr. Andreas Schmidt (DLR) discussed prospects for implementing new, multimodal, and sustainable “smart mobility” concepts in the Ruhr Metropolis. Day guests and conference participants also learned about bike-sharing, e-scooters, e-mopeds, electric cars, cargo bikes, and current research projects in an exhibition tent at the conference.
What do desirable futures for metropolitan regions look like? What has become of earlier visions of the future? And what does the term “narrative” actually mean? Among others, Prof. Dr. Martino Stierli, Chief Curator of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, addressed visions of the future for metropolitan areas/regions during the expert conference “Future Narratives for Metropolitan Regions” on December 14, 2020. At the conference, initiated by the Competence Field for Metropolitan Research (KoMet) and supported by the Emschergenossenschaft, speakers focused on past and current visions of how life in metropolitan areas might be shaped in the future, organized into three distinct thematic blocks. Approximately 180 participants took advantage of the opportunity to participate virtually.
Photos: Uwe Grützner
This conference was supported by the partners og KoMet: Emschergenossenschaft, the Mercator Foundation, the Zollverein Foundation, and the Verkehsverbund Rhein-Ruhr. Thank you very much!