Our research group investigates the human dimensions of sustainable land use and spatial planning. Across agriculture, forestry, cities, and rural regions, we analyse how the interplay between environment, society, and the economy drives decisions on biodiversity, resource conservation, and the provision of public goods.

Our research spans multiple scales and contexts — from what shapes a farmers’ views on agricultural transformation to how peri-urban residents connect with local biodiversity. We explore effective incentives for climate-resilient forestry, the determinants of public acceptance of environmental measures, and design principles for participatory processes that are both effective and just. We also examine why conventional policy instruments fall short, how environmental conflicts arise, and whether climate stress affects well-being and adaptative capacity, particularly within vulnerable communities.

Our strength lies in a collaborative, interdisciplinary mixed-methods approach rooted in the behavioural sciences. By combining qualitative and quantitative insights, we uncover the motivations and barriers that shape behaviour. This understanding enables us to develop and test behaviour-oriented interventions, decision-support tools, and collaborative governance models that enhance the effectiveness, acceptance, and justice of planning and implementation processes—particularly those that allocate and realize environmental policy goals at the spatial level—thereby fostering resilient transformations for both people and nature.

Our methods & approaches include:

• Empirical methods: field experiments, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), surveys, interviews, workshops, economic preference analysis, mixed-methods research
• Behavioural design & policy: policy design, governance, community-based initiatives, living labs

Core themes:

• Sustainable land use & management: agriculture, forestry, residential green spaces
• Responses to climate change: adaptation, extreme weather, psychosocial resilience, climate anxiety
• Human–nature relationships: nature connectedness, place attachment, social cohesion, well-being
• Governance & equity: participation, collective action, policy support, environmental justice, conflict resolution

Exemplary research questions

• How do conservation activities and connections to nature influence sustainable behaviour in residential communities? And what drives adoption and support of biodiversity-enhancing measures in residential areas? (BioWoQ)
• What are farmers views of agricultural sustainable transformation measures? How are these views linked to their self-understandings as farmers? (NewID)
• What incentives and challenges shape farmers’ decisions to implement agri-environmental measures or cultivate environmentally beneficial crops (e.g. legumes)? (VALERECO)
• How can forests be made resilient to current and future climate conditions? (FoResLab)
• How can participatory processes promote collective action for sustainability?
• How do different habitats shape understandings of nature and behaviour?