Green Metropoles: Conserving Whose World? Sustainability Standards in the U.S. and Germany

Doctoral Researcher: Katharina Wood, M.A.

Advisors: Prof. Dr. Randi Gunzenhäuser and Prof. Dr. Jens Martin Gurr

U.S. Mentor: Prof. Thomas Heise, Pensylvania State University

Katharina Wood is a doctoral researcher at TU Dortmund in the Graduate Research Group City Scripts. Her dissertation project Conserving Whose World? Green Building Standards in the U.S. and Germany, analyzes green building projects in the Atlanta metropolitan region and the German Ruhr region through the lens of sustainability, resilience, circularity, and the smart city. Among the case studies are the “Kreislaufhaus” on the site of Zeche Zollverein in Essen or the Georgia Tech “Kendeda” Building in Atlanta. Both present different approaches to building green. Whilst the “Kreislaufhaus” lays great emphasis on circularity and its materials are recorded in a materials passport, “Kendeda” excels in resilience efforts through storm water management, water conservation, and energy independence. The dissertation project raises relevant questions: In which direction are these green building projects headed in regard to their conceptualization of sustainability? How do these buildings interact with their respective neighborhoods? Which green building standard (LEED, DGNB) promotes which concepts of greenness? In addition, her main research interests are urban studies, sustainability, green cultural studies, as well as green building and architecture.