Social Science research at GSSI
Research and post-graduate study at the GSSI's Urban Studies Unit focus on the long-term development trajectories of 'territorial systems', and 'urban systems' in particular (cities, metropolitan areas, metropolitan regions). The methodological perspective in research and teaching is genuinely trans-disciplinary. By supplying resources and an instrumental relationa
l context, the GSSI fosters research projects and learning paths trespassing the boundaries of the single disciplines. The evolution of the European urban system and territory is the main subject matter at GSSI Cities. Yet urban and territorial issues in other regions of the world will be also addressed. Scholars and researchers with a background in economics, anthropology, urban planning, architecture, sociology, political science and demography will find at the GSSI a relational context to work together in an attempt to enhance our understanding of the factors determining the long-term development trajectories of 'territorial systems' (cities, regions, macro-regions). Post-graduate students at GSSI Cities will also have a diverse scientific background, and are expected to engage in interdisciplinary research in an international context. Research and learning at GSSI Cities is policy-oriented, with a strong emphasis on empirical inquiry. The first focal point of the activity is on the knowledge and analytical tools needed to perform exercise of explanatory forecasting of the development trajectories of urban systems in particular, and territorial systems in general. The second focal point is on evaluating the expected development trajectories, and on designing and implementing appropriate regulation policies. Research and learning at the GSSI are grounded on firm epistemological and methodological bases. Through a day-to-day collaboration and interaction, researchers and doctoral students of the three areas of the GSSI – physics, mathematics and informatics and social science – will have the opportunity of building a sound knowledge of the methods of scientific research, and to acquire a familiarity with the history of science.
