Four core themes are the focus of the investigation in each of the six conference cities. These research fields reflect the basic human activities of living, working, playing and moving or what could be summarised as ‘life in the city’.

•  • Labour market and work place
•  • Public life and urban space
•  • Mobility and transport
•  • Housing and neighbourhoods

In addition, a group of broader, overarching issues representing the governance level is part of the focus of the Urban Age investigation.

•  • Investment and economic development
•  • Planning and legal structures
•  • Sustainability and energy consumption
•  • Political economy and networking cities

In order to address local and global concerns, urban experts representing each core research theme will lead a team that conducts secondary research in each conference city. Local experts representing the same knowledge areas are the key contributors of presentations at each conference, guaranteeing the important local perspective.

Presentations will utilise knowledge gained from lessons learned ‘on the ground’ and will discuss how policy is responding to the dominant urban trends in the each city. These presentations and subsequent publications will employ different modes of translating information from the two-dimensional geographic scale to the three-dimensional urban design scale, thus facilitating dialogue between academics, policymakers and practitioners.

The three elements put together – secondary research, local presentations and the conference debates will accumulate knowledge and comparative experiences through participation at each conference throughout the two-year period.

A key objective of the Urban Age investigation is to identify what trends and policies are failing to respond to local needs, resulting in the continued propagation of dysfunctional urban areas across the globe.

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