Trotz des Rückgangs der Einwohner*innenzahl, kommunaler wohnungspolitischer Maßnahmen und der Pandemie steigen die Göttinger Mieten weiterhin. Besonders Menschen mit geringen Einkommen haben nach wie vor große Probleme, eine bezahlbare Wohnung in Göttingen zu finden. In diesem Wohnraumatlas zeigen wir die Entwicklung der Angebotsmieten auf. Zudem verdeutlichen wir, dass der Mietwohnungsmarkt in Teilmärkte segmentiert ist, für deren Identifizierung wir Ansätze liefern. Damit wollen wir stadtpolitisch Aktiven und anderen Interessierten Materialien an die Hand geben, um die Wohnungspolitik der Stadt einordnen zu können.

Das Policy Paper ‚Handlungsbedarfe für die Raumentwicklung der Großregion aus Sicht der Forschung‘ fasst wesentliche Erkenntnisse von Forscher*innen des UniGR-Center for Border Studies in fünf für die Großregion relevanten Bereichen (Demographie und Migration, Verkehr, Beschäftigung und wirtschaftliche Entwicklung, Energielandschaften, Grenzüberschreitende Governance) zusammen und formuliert Handlungsoptionen für die Planungspraxis und politische Entscheidungsträger*innen. Darüber hinaus thematisiert es den Wissensaus-tausch zwischen Forschung und Politik.

The impacts of intense urbanization and associated urban land-use change along coastlines is vast and unprecedented. Several coasts of the world have been be subjected to human-induced coastal changes and it is imperative to monitor, assess and quantify them. This paper provides the state-of-the-art discourses on the changing dynamics of urban land-use driven by the forces of urbanization. Drawing on extant literature mainly from Web of Science and Google scholar, the status quo of the spatio-temporal dynamics of urbanization and urban change processes were explored with specific focus on global, Africa, Ghana and an actual case of Accra coast. Findings show whilst urbanization continues to increase exponentially, urban land also continue to change markedly. Current trends and patterns shows that changing urban dynamics exhibit are distinctly different from that of the past. Particularly, the rate, magnitude, geographic location, urban forms and functions are changing. In the specific case of Accra coast, there is general trend of urbanization moving outwards, i.e. from the core city centre towards the peripheral areas. Additionally, spatial urban pattern is dominated by urban sprawl, characterized by the cyclical process of diffusion and coalescence. The processes of urbanization are further exacerbated within coastal areas with a new and unique spatial urban form, “tourism urbanization” emerging. This new urban form is largely driven by rapid expansion of tourist infrastructure, developing at the instance of government policy to develop coastal tourism. In addition, the coastal conurbation of Accra-Tema is a powerful hub for industrial and commercial activities, which is drawing huge “humanline” to- wards the coastline. The literature illustrates that contemporary approaches and conceptualizations for urbanization and urban land-use change analysis be extended particularly from the mere focus on statistical classifications of cities in different size categories. With the urban fringe spreading outwardly, it should be kept in mind that new forms of urban settlements are emerging along with varying sizes. Considering the multiple scales, magnitude and rates involved as well as the geospatial patterns of urban change processes, experimental case studies that include coastal cities, Peri-urban fringes and interconnections with rural areas across a range of urbanization processes is essential and very urgent.

In a first step, this paper analyses the emergence of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as new global development framework with regard to key actors, social learning cycles, innovation platforms, fundamental policy changes and transition dynamics towards sustainability. In a second step, it traces the convolution of social, political and environmental dimensions, social power relations and governance paradigms embedded in the drafting process and final framework of the water related SDG 6. This research concludes that the SDGs induced important paradigm and policy changes in addition to rearranging existing power relations.

In the first overview lecture, we take a look at conceptualizations of water – from the hydrological cycle to socio-political perspectives on water. During the 20th century, water management developed from traditional uses and local industrial schemes to the “hydraulic paradigm” and finally, to the concept of modern water governance at the turn of the millennium. We will raise the question of whether there has truly been a paradigm shift from the natural, science based hydraulic paradigm to water governance and how dual- isms of culture/society and nature are still being reproduced. With this in mind, we will also take an introductory look at the much talked about global water crisis.