News & Events
Policy Brief: Where in the agricultural landscape is bird conservation worthwhile?

A publication in “Agrarforschung Schweiz” summarizes the results of a recently published research article in a practice-oriented manner. As part of the study, a focus map by Agroscope, ETH Zurich and the University of Lausanne shows where in the Swiss agricultural landscape biodiversity measures could have a positive effect on birds and where not. Based on these findings, land use can be better planned.
What happens when the soil that sustains agriculture also becomes the foundation for building cities?

When I arrived in Madagascar three years ago, I was struck by an unexpected sight—piles of red bricks scattered across rice fields near Antananarivo. Curiosity led us to farmers and brick-makers, where we observed, interviewed, and pieced together a complex story—one of adaptation, resilience, and trade-offs.
New article in Ecosystem Services: Uncertainties in ecosystem services assessments and their implications for decision support

How assessing uncertainties can improve uptake of ecosystem services assessments in decision making.
Yizhao Du joins SPUR as a visiting PhD
Yizhao Du joins the SPUR Team from the Delft University of Technology as a visiting doctoral researcher. His research primarily addresses the complexities of mega-regional governance while highlighting the importance of smaller urban entities conceptualized as secondary cities.
Dr. Sarah Schilliger joins the SPUR team
Dr. Sarah Schilliger joins the SPUR team as a senior researcher in the project ‘Urban Essential Workers’ (NRP-80 of Swiss National Science Foundation) where she investigates the working realities and politics of regulation in the sectors of cleaning, urban transport, childcare and food retailing.