Two PhD positions (m/f/d) in Urban Design / Participatory Planning at Collaborative Research Center (CRC) “AgiMo: Data-driven agile planning for responsible mobility”

Two PhD positions (m/f/d) in Urban Design / Participatory Planning at Collaborative Research Center (CRC)
“AgiMo: Data-driven agile planning for responsible mobility”
TV-L E13 (100%), starting 15.10.2025, the positions are limited until June 30, 2029.

SpACE Lab at ISU – Institute for Sustainable Urbanism offers two PhD positions (100%) at the Collaborative Research Center (SFB/TRR 408) “AgiMo – Data-driven agile planning for responsible mobility”, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Our interdisciplinary CRC AgiMo involves the four universities TU Dresden (speaker), TU Munich, TU Braunschweig, TU Berlin and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). Together, we will conduct research on 20 transport-research related topics with altogether 25 PhD candidates within the next years. The following main research goals are pursued by this CRC: (1) develop a new set of consistent scientific methods for mobility planning and management, (2) integrate a new set of modular metrics for responsible mobility, (3) embed the planning methods into the open data AgiMo Digital Twin, (4) develop participatory planning methods based on the technical outcomes from the digital twin to create future scenarios for responsible mobility that are technically well-grounded and at the same time represent stakeholder preferences.

SpACE Lab at ISU – Institute for Sustainable Urbanism headed by Professor Vanessa Miriam Carlow is leading the two projects “Human-centered adaptive street design for livable cities” and “Scenarios for responsible mobility and livable cities” contributing the perspectives of urban design and participatory planning to the AgiMo CRC.

As a doctoral candidate within “Human-Centered Street Design for Future Mobility” (Job ID AgiMo-B1), you will investigate how street designs will change in response to newly evolving technologies, mobility needs, and societal demands, for example adapting to climate change. You will help us co-design new spatial prototypes for streets and investigate how people navigate and interact in those new functional and spatial configurations. Goal of our research is to inform responsive, future-proof and inclusive street design. Using a novel experimental setup, the project examines human behavior across real-world, lab-modelled, and immersive virtual environments. Furthermore, cooperating within AgiMo, you will use and contribute to new digital tools for geostatistical analysis, data representation and design methods. This may include spatial knowledge graphs, sensor-based experiments and new methods for design consultation - to support our ambition for evidence-based street designs. Since our research aims to generate interdisciplinary insights and actionable guidelines for human-centered, mobility-oriented street designs with overall positive impact across scales, we welcome candidates with strong interest in urban design and transport-related challenges, new technologies and interdisciplinary collaboration.

As a doctoral candidate within “Scenarios for Responsible Mobility and Livable Cities” (Job ID AgiMo-C2), you will advance exploratory scenario planning (XSP) and related digital tools for improved participation to support adaptive and inclusive urban and transport planning in the highly interdisciplinary setting of AgiMo. A key objective is to integrate XSP with transportation modelling, in particular the MATSim environment, to enhance participatory and data-driven decision-making and planning. At the intersection of transportation planning, urban design, and urban planning, you will explore how scenario approaches, models, and representation techniques can effectively integrate quantitative and qualitative data to improve planning processes, stakeholder participation, and agile scenario processes. Our research contributes to responsible mobility by developing strategies and demonstrating their spatial impacts at street, neighborhood, and regional levels reflected with experts from within and outside of AgiMo. We therefore welcome candidates with a strong interest in XSP and the technologies behind it, as well as inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration in the context of urban planning and transport-related challenges.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Writing a dissertation within the CRC-addressed PhD subjects within the duration of your contract
• Learning and cooperating in an inspiring interdisciplinary research environment

• Using your very good verbal and written English communication skills to successfully collaborate within AgiMo as well (co-)author publications and conference contributions
• Making best use of AgiMo by participating and actively getting involved in the regular AgiMo joint activities at the four involved universities and the graduate study programme
• Presenting your interim results of the doctorate and contributing further to academic research through presentations, conference participations, and publications.

REQUIREMENTS

• An above-average degree (Master’s or equivalent) in a relevant field, such as architecture / urban design, urban studies, or environmental planning with a strong interest in mobility-related topics is required
• Job ID AgiMo-B1: At least two years of practical experience in urban design and/or mobility planning would be preferable as well as excellent design and visualization skills. Knowledge of technologies such as Extended Reality (XR) and 3D modelling as well as an affinity for advanced geospatial data-based methods are advantageous
• Job ID AgiMo-C2: Experience of working with groups, stakeholder engagement, developing and implementing digital tools for participation formats and workshops are preferable. Since the activities will be conducted in both German and English, a very good command of both languages is required
• High interest in inter- and transdisciplinary exchange and willingness to cooperate, combined with communication skills on a high level
• Profound methodological knowledge as well as a passion for research and ability for academic writing
• International experience is desirable
• Willingness and skills to work independently and in an interdisciplinary team, as well as with partners from outside of academia.

OUR OFFER

• An inspiring academic, international and multidisciplinary setting at AgiMo and SpACE Lab at ISU, TU Braunschweig
• A vibrant campus life in an international atmosphere with lots of intercultural offers and international cooperations
• Opportunity for gaining ample experiences in inter- and transdisciplinary research contributing to a more resilient future
• Being part of an international, experience- and gender-balanced, interdisciplinary team focusing on the interrelated global challenges of urbanization, mobility and climate change
• An inspiring working environment with excellent research infrastructures as part of the AgiMo community of researchers, teachers, students and staff
• The integrated AgiMo Research Training Group (RTG) will provide doctoral researchers with an attractive qualification program, foster networking, enable internationalization and mobility, and create a collaborative environment
• Vivid, interdisciplinary and international Graduate School, offering scientific support for early career researchers, offerings from the Central Personnel Development Department and sports activities
• An international, interdisciplinary scientific network.

ABOUT ISU
With ISU, we offer a motivating setting for intellectual and professional development at one of Germany's leading Institutes of Technology. ISU with its research unit SpACE Lab at ISU is a research-based think tank, design and planning lab headed by Prof. Dr. Vanessa Miriam Carlow. We are a team of around 30 researchers, lecturers and student assistants from different backgrounds, disciplines and career stages. The diversity of our ISU team enables us to take a multi-perspective, unconventional approaches to research questions, teaching and knowledge transfer. We are intensively involved in the international discourse on sustainable urbanism. As part of the TU Braunschweig's core research area FUTURE CITY, we work with scientists from a wide range of disciplines and cooperate with more than fifty cities and NGOs worldwide. As part of our international network, we are also involved in running the research presence of TU Braunschweig in Singapore: TU BS Singapore.

ABOUT TU Braunschweig
TU Braunschweig is the academic center in the middle of one of the most active research regions in Europe and has a renowned Faculty of Architecture. We work successfully with over 20 research institutions in our neighborhood as well as with our international partner universities. Our university's core research areas are Mobility, Engineering for Health, Future City and Metrology. TU Braunschweig is part of TU9 - the association of Germany's leading Institutes of Technology. The cooperating universities and research institutions of the AgiMo stand for relevant research, strategic and results-driven thinking and action, committed teaching and the successful transfer of knowledge and technologies to society and industry. 

APPLICATION
We welcome applicants of all nationalities. At the same time, we encourage people with severe disabilities to apply. Applications from severely disabled persons will be given preference if they are equally qualified. Please attach a proof of disability to your application. We are also working on the fulfilment of the Central Equality Plan based on the Lower Saxony Equal Rights Act (Niedersächsisches Gleichberechtigungsgesetz—NGG) and strive to reduce under-representation in all areas and positions as defined by the NGG. Therefore, applications from women are particularly welcome in this case.

We look forward to receiving your application. Please include a cover letter, letter of motivation, letter of recommendation or reference (preferably at least one academic reference and/or one previous employer), resume and comprehensive documents including a portfolio. Please do also share a text example. Please send your application indicating the Job ID preferably via email in a single PDF file by August 17, 2025 to isu@tu-braunschweig.de. The interviews are scheduled for September 2-3, 2025.

The personal data will be stored for the purpose of processing the application. By submitting your application, you agree that your data may be stored and processed electronically for application purposes in compliance with the provisions of data protection law. Further information on data protection can be found in our data protection regulations at www.tu-braunschweig.de/datenschutzerklaerung-bewerbungen. Application costs and expenses incurred in attending interviews cannot be reimbursed.

CONTACT
Technische Universität Braunschweig
SpACE Lab at ISU – Institute for Sustainable Urbanism
Prof. Dr. Vanessa Miriam Carlow
Mühlenpfordtstraße 23, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
isu@tu-braunschweig.de
+49 531 391-3537

www.spacelab-isu.org

vom: 15.07.2025
gültig bis: 17.08.2025