Research Areas

At SRZ survey, consulting, and planning activities cover a wide range of research areas. There are projects which are carried out by all the members of the institute; and others which are managed by only one or two of the scientific staff. While most of the staff are scientifically experienced in a variety of areas, however, we will propose an appropriate partner for each research area.
working life research Not only professions are permanently changing but also their working conditions - this is true for all kinds of professions, for workers on construction sites just as it is for conference interpreters. In many cases the process of change is slow and can be perceived only from a distance - spatially and timely. Professional associations, trade unions in particular, have to learn about these changes in order to represent the interests of their members successfully.	Karl Czasny
demography and general statistics City councils, regional and federal governments, professional associations too, use data produced from statistics of all kind, e.g. the general census, the micro-census, labour-market statistics, social security statistics and many others. Sometimes just a user friendly presentation of the data is required; though very often statistical in-depth analyses are necessary if ecidence of special aspects of social development is to be illustrated.	Gerhart Bständig
evaluation Usual bookkeeping will certainly not be sufficient for auditing public investment into activities targeted at specific political objectives. Evaluation goes beyond that. We apply general rules of evaluation, thus garanteeing a fair assessment of efficiency and efficacy of the financial means which were invested in the evaluated project.	Peter Moser
gender Social-scientific investigation has increasingly taken into account the gender-specific differences of perception - no matter what the scientific object under investigation. Therefore both points of view - the male and the female one - have to be considered in any case. Besides that, gender-specific consequences and repercussions resulting from social settings are being investigated, such as: housing situation, security aspects, mobility, workload etc.	Heidrun Feigelfeld
spatial planning and regional development Scarcity of land and social and ecological costs call for careful handling of this good. Research in this field includes the survey and the analysis of land already used and land not yet used. Documentation and recording of landuses as well as the assessment of settlement areas are considered as planning tools and means to protect or develop existing landuse potentials.	Robert Mühlegger
social policy In the recent past social services have been challenged far too often only from the angle of cost-reduction. Therefore, statements about the meaning and the value of certain social services and goods and whether they reach the right people they were meant to reach, are hardly ever the result of sincere questioning. Instead, they are mostly assertions which are very difficult to argue and to prove right or wrong. Although scientific inquiry cannot guarantee the correctness and success of social policies, it may, however, contribute to it and prevent mistakes.	Peter Moser
urban development and urban renewal A "Europe of different speeds" is a term frequently heard at many conferences and meetings in the past years. The meaning of this also applies at national levels: Uneven dynamics, causing segregation and polarisation, disadvantaged regions have long become issues in urbanism too. To keep an eye on this kind of development involves investigation and analysis of changes of spatial, social and economic structures within and between neighbourhoods. Urbanisation, suburbanisation, blith and decay, gentrification, up- and down-grading are the phenomena to be surveyed in appropriate research projects.	Peter Moser
neighbourhood management The provision of planning data, the preparation of renewal concepts, and proposals of small scale spatial changes are essential steps towards improving neighbourhood development. In addition to these well known classic means of city centre and district management the bottom-up view has become equally important: acceptance and sustainability of environmental changes will only be achieved if the people living and working in the area are somehow taking part in the complex process of structural improvement. Since the participants in such processes generally have very different if not antagonistic interests, mediation and moderation of the process is required and becoming increasingly important.	Heidrun Feigelfeld
housing economy and housing policy How many apartments are being inhabited? Who lives in these apartments, where are they located in the city, and what do they cost? Which type of housing is lacking? Whose demands are not satisfied? In which housing market segments do supply and demand match? Where don't they? Why do vacancies in some housing market segments last extremely long and why is the need for vacancies in other ones hardly ever satisfied? Which housing policy impacts upon the living conditions of households should be examined? Housing subsidies - what are they good for, who should benefit? Are they socially correct, economically and ecologically useful? - These are just a few questions in this research area; and they have to be asked over and over again.	Karl Czasny
housing quality Not only planning and building companies generally like to know which of their products will satisfy the customers' needs and desires best. Results of adequate surveys will certainly have their impact upon new housing design and construction. However, far more attention should be payed to the quality and the degree of contentness of those living in the older housing stock. In times of decreasing new housing production, improvement, renewal, and adaptability of the stock to new needs, new housing management forms and new finance models become increasingly important.	Heidrun Feigelfeld