Research projects

The ILS is partner in a German and international network of research institutions which investigates the future of single family housing estates within the context of a Leibniz Competition (formerly SAW) research project with a duration of three years. The research group under the leadership of IÖR (Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development in Dresden) will investigate economic, ecological, social and structural effects of the ongoing demographic changes on the future use of single family housing stocks. The identification of future challenges for society and policy makers and approaches to handle these are the main objectives of this project. Based on demographic extrapolations, surveys on residential preferences and assessments of the determinants of supply and demand, model calculations on the future development of supply and demand as well as their implications on the use of natural resources will be conducted. The findings will be verified working with scenarios. Options for municipal actions will be derived, inter alia using case studies. The project will examine these issues using an interdisciplinary approach including demographic, economic, sociological and spatial competence. Comparative studies inside Europe as well as regarding Japan and the United States will complement the investigation of the German situation. This will provide the foundation for a long-term international monitoring of the demand trends and the building stock development of single family housing stocks.