Hands-on mini project- ‘My Future City’ for brainstorming a safer school street for children
Earlier in June 2025, as part of the research project Hop&Mop4 +CitySpace - which focuses on transitioning towards sustainable mobility through co-creation with children and involves partners such as the University of Salzburg, Breda University of Applied Sciences, Netherland and Vrije Universiteit Brussel - IIASA researcher Chayasmita Deka organized a workshop under the initiative “My Future City.”
The workshop invited school students from Gymnasium Draschestrasse to co-identify problems in their school neighborhood and imagine how they would like to see them changed. Students were also trained to collect perception data and compare their visions with adults’ perspectives. The outcomes came alive in engaging, interactive concept maps that revealed how young imaginations and adult viewpoints might shape their school environment in the near future.
This initiative gave students a platform to critically reflect on their surroundings and reimagine their everyday spaces for a more sustainable future.
News
20 May 2026
New Elsevier report on Austria’s science system highlights IIASA’s global impact
IIASA has emerged as one of Austria’s standout research institutions in a new Elsevier report titled, Austria as a Science and Technology Nation, which benchmarks the country’s scientific performance in an international context.
05 May 2026
Amazon understory forests show short-term boost in CO₂ uptake – but this comes at a cost
Tropical forests are one of the planet's most important carbon sinks – often also called "the lungs of the Earth". But their future in a high-CO₂ world remains uncertain. IIASA researchers contributed to a new study, which suggests even small understory trees in the Amazon may initially buffer climate change more strongly. Their long-term capacity to store carbon could, however, be restricted by nutrient availability, highlighting the vulnerability of these ecosystems under future climate conditions.
25 March 2026
Exchange and dialogue at IIASA: A visit from Austria’s Federal President
On Tuesday, 17 March 2026, IIASA had the privilege of hosting Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen at Schloss Laxenburg for a program focused on exchange, conversation, and engagement with the Institute’s research community. Austria is IIASA’s host country and one of its founding members, with its membership dating back to 1973.