Media

Neighbors' Day in question

Published:26.05.25 — “Le Temps” takes advantage of today's Neighbors' Day to question the tensions and inequalities that run through neighborhood relations. Maxime Felder, a collaborator at the Laboratoire of Urban Sociology, believes that “it doesn't solve much, since it's often attended by people who already know each other and feel at ease”.

Managing festival insecurity

Published:08.05.25 — According to Pascal Viot, lecturer at the Laboratory of urban sociology, the 15,000 sexual assaults anticipated at Eurovision are an indicative estimate, not a prediction. It aims to make visible a risk that is often under-reported. Swiss festivals such as Montreux Jazz and Paléo have been developing comprehensive prevention and support systems for several years now.

Feeling unsafe in a crowd

Published:07.05.25 — The city of Basel is expecting around half a million people for Eurovision, which starts on May 13. Statistically, this means that 15,000 people are likely to be victims of sexual assault. For Pascal Viot, lecturer at the Laboratory of Urban Sociology, this figure reflects a very high level of anxiety, particularly among young women, about access to public space and gatherings.

Important benches

Published:11.04.25 — Switzerland has at least 200,000 official benches. Renate Albrecher, a researcher at the Laboratory of Urban Sociology, was the first to study this cultural heritage. On SRF, she explains why these public seats are important.

A mobility kit to forget your car

Published:19.03.25 — The Modus foundation is offering a mobility kit including a GA Travelcard to the people of Geneva and Carouge who are ready to give up their car for a few weeks. Guillaume Drevon is a researcher at EPFL's Laboratory of Urban Sociology and director of Modus. The foundation acts as a laboratory dedicated to mobility, supporting projects, networking players and experimenting with concrete solutions.

Tensions around our modes of transport

Published:14.03.25 — Renate Albrecher, associate researcher at the Laboratory of Urban Sociology, analyzes the growing tensions between users of different modes of transport, and calls for a rethinking of our requirements to reduce conflict.

The limits of commuting

Published:10.03.25 — According to a recent publication by the Federal Statistical Office, le canton of Fribourg takes the lead of swiss dormitory cantons. Vincent Kaufmann from the laboratory of Urban Sociology explains the risks of commuting and suggests solutions.

So attached to his car!

Published:27.02.25 — The car still holds its own! That's the title of the programme Les Echos of Vacarme, which attempts to understand this somewhat ‘divisive and masculine’ love affair, in the opinion of Vincent Kaufmann of the Laboratory of Urban Sociology at EPFL.

Remedies for loneliness

Published:14.02.25 — In Basel-Stadt, almost half of all homes are occupied by a single person, and loneliness affects young and old alike. According to Luca Pattaroni, professor at the Laboratory of Urban Sociology, the development of models of cohabitation, such as cooperatives and clusters, could reduce this worrying phenomenon for mental health.

Lessons from medium-sized towns

Published:10.01.25 — The book “La Suisse de A(rbon) à Z(oug), Portrait en 12 villes” (Switzerland from A(rbon) to Z(oug), Portrait in 12 cities) takes the opposite approach to studies focusing on metropolises. Social science researchers tell the story of the city they know best, through the eyes of specialists and ordinary residents. Maxime Felder, a research associate at the Laboratory of Urban Sociology, who co-edited the book with Renate Albrecher, Vincent Kaufmann and Yves Pedrazzini, talks about it on the “Tribu” program.