PhD in Urban Planning for Societal Learning through the Green Transition

Jobbeskrivelse

How can societal learning for the green transition be anchored in everyday life and translated into strategic planning and urban governance practices? This PhD position offers the opportunity to contribute to an ambitious, interdisciplinary research project that combines urban planning, sustainability governance, ethics of care, and participatory methods to support climate-positive change in Danish cities.The Department of Sustainability and Planning at Aalborg University invites applications for a 3-year PhD position linked to the research project CARE+: Climate Action, Responsibility and Ethics of Care – A High-Tech Path to Climate-Positive Change, funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The position is located at the Technical Faculty of It and Design, Department of Sustainability and Planning, and is affiliated with the PhD Programme at the Technical Doctoral School of It and Design.The stipend is open for appointment from 1 April 2026 or soon hereafter.

The duration of the position is three years.Your work tasksThe PhD fellow will carry out independent research as part of the research project CARE+: Climate Action, Responsibility and Ethics of Care – A High-Tech Path to Climate-Positive Change. The project investigates how societal learning for the green transition can be fostered through everyday mobility practices, with a particular focus on school-related travel as a key site of climate action, care, and urban governance.The PhD project will examine how care-centred and participatory approaches to mobility planning can contribute to climate mitigation, social inclusion, and institutional change. This includes analysing how schools, families, municipalities, and other public and private actors engage with climate action through everyday routines, and how these practices are translated into planning knowledge, governance processes, and policy uptake.

The PhD fellow will contribute to the conceptual development of perspectives on ethics of care, societal learning, and planning for just sustainability transitions.Empirically, the PhD fellow will design and conduct qualitative and mixed-methods research in close collaboration with selected pilot schools and project partners. This may include interviews, participatory observations, document analysis, and involvement in co-creation and evaluation activities within school-based living labs. The PhD fellow will also contribute to the analysis of how data, narratives, and participatory tools are mobilised in planning and governance contexts, and how they shape learning processes across actors and institutional levels.The position includes the dissemination of research results through peer-reviewed academic publications and participation in national and international conferences.

In addition, the PhD fellow will contribute to selected teaching, supervision, and problem-based learning activities at the Department of Sustainability and Planning, in accordance with Aalborg University’s regulations for PhD employment.Your competencies   We are looking for a motivated and reflective PhD fellow with a strong interest in urban sustainability, planning, and societal learning for the green transition. You are expected to have a solid academic foundation and the ability to develop an independent research project, while also being open to collaboration and dialogue across disciplines and with non-academic partners.You should be comfortable working with qualitative research approaches and be willing to engage in empirical research in real-world settings involving schools, families, municipalities, and civil society actors. An interest in participatory methods, governance processes, and care-centred perspectives on sustainability and mobility will be an advantage, as will curiosity about how planning knowledge is produced and used in practice.We value a collegial attitude and the ability to contribute constructively to a shared research environment.

The PhD fellow is expected to participate actively in the intellectual life of the department, engage in supervision and teaching activities as appropriate, and communicate research findings clearly to both academic and practice-oriented audiences. Strong written and oral English skills are required.Qualification requirementsPhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master's degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years.

It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1124 of September 19, 2025 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time.

As part of the PhD study, you are among other things required to complete PhD courses corresponding to 30 ECTS, gain experience with teaching or other forms of knowledge dissemination and complete an external research stay outside of Aalborg University, preferably 3-6 months at a foreign research institution.Who we are    The PhD fellow will be based at the Department of Sustainability and Planning at Aalborg University, which offers an internationally oriented and interdisciplinary research environment focusing on urban sustainability, planning, and governance. The department is known for its strong engagement with problem-based learning, critical planning theory, and practice-oriented research carried out in close collaboration with public authorities, civil society organisations, and private partners.The position is embedded in the Planning for Urban Sustainability research group, where research addresses themes such as sustainability governance, urban transformations, mobility and energy transitions, participation, and societal learning. The research environment brings together scholars working with qualitative, mixed, and experimental methods, and offers an open and supportive setting for PhD researchers to develop their academic profile.As part of the CARE+ project, the PhD fellow will work closely with colleagues at Aalborg University and collaborate with national and international partners, including other universities, municipalities, non-governmental organisations, and innovation actors.

The department values collegiality, collaboration, and intellectual exchange, and PhD fellows are encouraged to take an active part in seminars, reading groups, and joint research activities.More information about the department and research environment can be found at:https://vbn.aau.dk/en/organisations/institut-for-bæredygtighed-og-planlægning/https://www.plan.aau.dk/forskning/planning-for-urban-sustainabilityHow to applyYour application must include the following:Application, stating reasons for applying and qualifications in relation to the positionCurriculum Vitae (CV)Diplomas (bachelor's and master's degree diploma, including grades) Project description Other relevant documentsThe application must be submitted via Aalborg University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg University's website. Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position. Do you have any questions?      If you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to contact Associate Professor Enza Lissandrello, Department of Sustainability and Planning, Aalborg UniversityE-mail: enza@plan.aau.dk.

Further information  Read more about our recruitment process here.The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline, the head of the department, with the assistance of the hiring committee, will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.Read more about The Technical Doctoral School of IT and DesignSalary and terms of employmentThe employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish).Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (in Danish) Aalborg University - Knowledge for the worldAalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3,700 employees.

We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class research results through collaboration between researchers, students, and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights, new solutions to societal problems, and knowledge that changes the world. Our main campus is in Aalborg, but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and Copenhagen.