{"id":518,"date":"2025-01-16T12:31:11","date_gmt":"2025-01-16T11:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/m3-lausanne\/?page_id=518"},"modified":"2025-03-12T19:28:22","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T18:28:22","slug":"glossary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/m3-lausanne\/glossary\/","title":{"rendered":"Glossary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Team M\u00b3 engages with a set of key concepts. By defining these concepts, we illustrate how they shape and inform our research approaches.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
M\u00b3 stands for:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Materialities<\/summary>\n

Humans co-inhabit this planet with multiple non-human elements. The notion of Materialities<\/em> contributes to Decentring<\/a><\/em> <\/em>humans and opens up to a Multiplicity<\/a> <\/em>of more-than-humans, such as Buildings<\/a> <\/em>and nature – all of them crucial in the Sustainability Transition<\/a><\/em>. Materialities <\/em>also encompass the human body and its Affects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team members: Martin M\u00fcller<\/a>, Quentin Rihoux<\/a>, Zo\u00e9 Berney<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Projects: Materialities of big buildings<\/a>, The Everyday Politics of Urban Landmarks<\/a><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Multiplicities<\/summary>\n

A term inspired by the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and F\u00e9lix Guattari, Multiplicities<\/em> means that things can always be otherwise; that no situation is fixed and pre-given, but that it can be enacted and disrupted. Multiplicities <\/em>harbours political potential in that it recognises contestation as immanent to political situations. We embrace Decentring<\/a> <\/em>and Mixed Methods<\/a><\/em> as ways of actualising Multiplicities <\/em>and experimenting as a key tactic, for example in Culture<\/a><\/em><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team members: Martin M\u00fcller<\/a>, Violante Torre<\/a>, Clotilde Trivin<\/a>, Quentin Rihoux<\/a>, Giovanna Gray Nassralla<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Projects: Culture Goes Sustainable<\/a>, Urban Projectification<\/a>, The Everyday Politics of Urban Landmarks<\/a><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Metropolis<\/summary>\n

Big cities are our fields of study and experimentation. Metropolis <\/em>are enmeshed in Global<\/a> <\/em>networks, hubs of Culture<\/a> <\/em>and key sites for Projects<\/a><\/em>. We recognise the potential for radical change inherent in the dynamics of Metropolis <\/em>but also the need for Decentring<\/a> <\/em>from a few dominant Metropolis <\/em>in the Global<\/a> <\/em>North.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team members: Martin M\u00fcller<\/a>, David Gogishvili<\/a>, Violante Torre<\/a>, Clotilde Trivin<\/a>, Quentin Rihoux<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Projects: Uneven Geographies of Urban Knowledge<\/a>, Urban Projectification<\/a><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Expanding on this foundation, we engage with additional concepts and methods that enrich and deepen our research:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Culture<\/summary>\n

We understand Culture<\/em> not only as art, but as ways of knowing and feeling that are produced, enacted and circulated in cultural institutions and their material spaces. We examine how iconic Buildings<\/a><\/em> such as cultural flagships and Major Projects<\/a><\/em> can play an active role in inspiring and leading the Sustainability<\/a><\/em> transition. By adopting a Mixed Method<\/a><\/em> approach we collect both Qualitative<\/em><\/a> and Quantitative<\/a><\/em> data to understand how arts and cultural organisations serve both as interventions into the urban fabric, and as potential catalysts for envisioning more sustainable futures. Through our research, we aim to decentre Culture<\/em> as a putative prerogative of the West and challenge Western constructs, such as that of \u201ccultural flagship\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team members: Martin M\u00fcller<\/a>, David Gogishvili<\/a>, Violante Torre<\/a>, Clotilde Trivin<\/a>, Greta Ortalli<\/a>, Zo\u00e9 Berney<\/a>, Giovanna Gray Nassralla<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Projects: Culture Goes Sustainable<\/a>, Materialities of big buildings<\/a><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Buildings<\/summary>\n

We interpret a Building <\/em>as an active participant in shaping urban life, rather than merely a static architectural object. A Building <\/em>embodies social, political, and material forces, acting as a site of interaction and negotiation. A Building<\/em>\u2019s significance extends beyond its physical form or design to include its material, sensory, affective, and symbolic dimensions. Through its conception, presence, transformation, use and eventual disappearance\u2014whether by demolition or abandonment\u2014a Building <\/em>contributes to the production of urban space. We focus on critically examining spectacular Buildings<\/em> as tangible expressions of the symbolic economy and geopolitical ambitions, where cultural flagships or other landmark structures play a key role in global interurban competition, urban revitalization, and the creation of urban cultural capital, as well as in articulating new political claims by emerging players. We employ Qualitative Approaches<\/a><\/em> and develop Databases<\/em><\/a> to examine Buildings<\/em>. We engage with Materialities<\/a><\/em> and affects to interpret them as dynamic entities in urban geography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team members: Martin M\u00fcller<\/a>, David Gogishvili<\/a>, Violante Torre<\/a>, Clotilde Trivin<\/a>, Giovanna Gray Nassralla<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Projects: Materialities of big buildings<\/a>, The Everyday Politics of Urban Landmarks<\/a><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Sustainability Transition<\/summary>\n

We understand Sustainability<\/em> as the challenge of living a good life for everyone within planetary boundaries. To achieve this, we need to reshape current modes of thinking and acting. It is entangled with Global<\/a><\/em> circulations of ideas, resources, and governance frameworks that influence how transitions take shape across different geographies. A Decentering<\/a><\/em> approach to Sustainability<\/em> challenges dominant Western models, foregrounding diverse knowledge systems and localised strategies for change. We aim at assessing the Sustainability<\/em> of major sports events and cultural<\/a><\/em> organisations globally through the use of Databases<\/a><\/em> and Qualitative Approaches<\/a><\/em>. We contribute to existing research by developing and providing concrete tools and Mixed Methods<\/a><\/em> aimed at empowering the transformation needed to live well within planetary boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team members: Martin M\u00fcller<\/a>, Greta Ortalli<\/a><\/a>, Zo\u00e9 Berney<\/a>, Giovanna Gray Nassralla<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Projects: Culture Goes Sustainable<\/a>, Sports for the Planet?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Global<\/summary>\n

The term Global<\/em> underscores the multidirectional flows of power, resources, and knowledge that connect diverse regions, actors, and scales worldwide. Global<\/em> transcends geographic boundaries, integrating multiple ways of knowing and embracing new perspectives rather than merely extending the Global<\/em> North\u2013South dichotomy. It goes further by incorporating multiplicities\u2014of experiences, histories, and futures\u2014evident in interwoven Metropolises<\/a><\/em>, Major Projects<\/em><\/a>, and Materialities<\/a><\/em>, creating complex webs of power and knowledge. A decentring perspective is essential to challenge dominant paradigms within Global<\/em> discourse, recognizing often-hidden epistemic struggles. By acknowledging these intersections and disparities, Global<\/em> demands experimentation and critical engagement with the complexities of sustainability transition, cultural<\/a> <\/em>practices, and the governance strategies that shape urban spaces worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team members: Martin M\u00fcller<\/a>, David Gogishvili<\/a>, Violante Torre<\/a>, Clotilde Trivin<\/a>, Quentin Rihoux<\/a>, Zo\u00e9 Berney<\/a>, Giovanna Gray Nassralla<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Projects: Culture Goes Sustainable<\/a>, Sports for the Planet?<\/a>, Uneven Geographies of Urban Knowledge<\/a>, Urban Projectification<\/a>, The Everyday Politics of Urban Landmarks<\/a>, Thinking with the Global Easts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Decentring<\/summary>\n

We approach Decentring<\/em> as a dual engagement with the Global<\/a><\/em>: geographically distancing from the Global North and conceptually challenging persistent Western frameworks. This involves critically interrogating power imbalances in knowledge production and thinking with perspectives from marginalized contexts. Decentring<\/em> is an active practice of reimagining geography as situated within intersecting epistemic struggles\u2014linguistic, gendered, racialized, and classed. By questioning linguistic privileges and looking otherwise at topics such as Major Projects<\/em><\/a> and Metropolises<\/a><\/em>, we aim to challenge dominant paradigms and move beyond Global<\/a><\/em> North\u2013Global South dualisms, such as through working through the Global<\/a><\/em> East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team members: Martin M\u00fcller<\/a>, Violante Torre<\/a>, Clotilde Trivin<\/a>, Greta Ortalli<\/a><\/a>, Giovanna Gray Nassralla<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Projects: Culture Goes Sustainable<\/a>, Uneven Geographies of Urban Knowledge<\/a>, The Everyday Politics of Urban Landmarks<\/a>, Thinking with the Global Easts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Databases<\/summary>\n

Using Databases<\/em> in our research enables systematic and comparative analysis of urban phenomena  by integrating both quantitative and qualitative data<\/em><\/a> from a variety of sources. This approach captures the multifaceted impacts of Projects<\/a><\/em> in Metropolis<\/a><\/em> through dedicated indicators, providing a comprehensive view of Sustainability Transition<\/a><\/em> processes. The use of Databases<\/em> in our research facilitates broader, more representative insights advancing the knowledge generated from case study research. It creates a replicable, robust and dynamic open-access knowledge based on sources scattered in online and offline mediums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team members: Martin M\u00fcller<\/a>, David Gogishvili<\/a>, Greta Ortalli<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Projects: Culture Goes Sustainable<\/a>, Sports for the Planet?<\/a>, Uneven Geographies of Urban Knowledge<\/a><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Major Projects<\/summary>\n

Major projects<\/em> are large-scale urban ventures that present themselves as new or innovative and exert significant impacts on Metropolises<\/a><\/em>\u2019 built environments and populations. To Materialise<\/em><\/a>, Major projects<\/em> engage in intricate processes of absorbing and assembling a wide array of actors and (inter-)mediators operating across multiple scales. They usually involve regulator exceptions and public-private collaborations, driven by political and economic elites, to overcome planning restrictions. While their conceptual roots lie in Western modern frameworks, Major Projects<\/em> are now predominantly implemented in the Global<\/a><\/em> South and East, where they are used as tools for urban transformation. This shift underscores the importance of more Global<\/a><\/em> research to understand their diverse impacts and contestations, particularly in non-Western contexts, where their dynamics often challenge established paradigms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team members: Martin M\u00fcller<\/a>, David Gogishvili<\/a>, Quentin Rihoux<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Projects: Sports for the Planet?<\/a>, Urban Projectification<\/a>, Materialities of big buildings<\/a><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Mixed Methods<\/summary>\n

We use a Mixed Methods<\/em> approach to study changes and transformations in Metropolises<\/a><\/em>, the trajectories of Major Projects<\/a><\/em>, cultural<\/a> flagships, and mega-events, integrating qualitative approaches<\/em><\/a> with quantitative analysis. This allows us to combine in-depth case studies with broader comparative research, generating a multi-dimensional understanding of urban change. As a tactic of Decentring<\/a><\/em>, Mixed Methods<\/em> challenge dominant epistemologies by foregrounding Multiplicities<\/a><\/em> of perspectives, revealing the entangled dynamics of human and non-human actors, infrastructures, and affects. Recognising that quantitative dimensions exist within qualitative research, just as qualitative insights shape quantitative analysis, this approach resists rigid methodological boundaries. By strategically pairing different methods, we navigate between particularism and universalism, tracing both local specificities and Global<\/a><\/em> circulations of ideas, resources, and models of governance. Through this approach, we embrace methodological experimentation to extend urban theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team members: Martin M\u00fcller<\/a>, David Gogishvili<\/a>, Greta Ortalli<\/a><\/a>, Giovanna Gray Nassralla<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Projects: Culture Goes Sustainable<\/a>, Sports for the Planet?<\/a>, Uneven Geographies of Urban Knowledge<\/a>, Urban Projectification<\/a><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Qualitative Approaches<\/summary>\n

We build on ethnographic approaches like participant observation and interviews, critically addressing their Western-centric foundations and role in perpetuating imbalances in knowledge production. By incorporating More-than-Human Approaches, we honour the sensory and emotional dimensions of place. Through methods such as walking interviews and affective mappings, we capture the lived and felt experiences of places. Our commitment to qualitative research reflects a Decentring<\/a><\/em> ethos, challenging dominant narratives and expanding geographical inquiry beyond representational methods and the written word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team members: Martin M\u00fcller<\/a>, David Gogishvili<\/a>, Violante Torre<\/a>, Clotilde Trivin<\/a>, Zo\u00e9 Berney<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Projects: Culture Goes Sustainable<\/a>, Sports for the Planet?<\/a>, Urban Projectification<\/a>, Materialities of big buildings<\/a>, The Everyday Politics of Urban Landmarks<\/a><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Team M\u00b3 engages with a set of key concepts. By defining these concepts, we illustrate how they shape and inform our research approaches. M\u00b3 stands for: Expanding on this foundation, we engage with additional concepts and methods that enrich and deepen our research:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1002946,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-518","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/m3-lausanne\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/518","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/m3-lausanne\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/m3-lausanne\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/m3-lausanne\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1002946"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/m3-lausanne\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=518"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/m3-lausanne\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/518\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":642,"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/m3-lausanne\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/518\/revisions\/642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/m3-lausanne\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}