2025
Young Women and Public Spaces, Meyrin – Collaborative Research and Action Levers
In Meyrin, this collaborative research project gives voice to co-researchers aged 15 to 23, residents of the municipality trained to investigate, among their peers, how young women use and experience public space. From their narratives and a collective mapping exercise emerges a sensitive account of women’s experiences of the city, shedding light on the blind spots of public spaces still largely shaped by masculine norms, codes, and uses.
By placing young women at the center of the process, this study makes their needs and the differentiated challenges they face in public space visible, while opening up pathways toward future socio-spatial initiatives that could foster a fairer and more welcoming city. It also lays the groundwork for action-research on forms of urbanism of care and on ways to rethink spatial justice in everyday life.
Period: 2025–2026
Scientific manager: Luca Pattaroni
LaSUR team: Caroline Iorio (project lead), Chloé Montavon
Co-researchers: Autumn, Camille, Emilie, Fleur, Mercedes, Tulipe
Funding/mandator: City of Meyrin – Department of Solidarity and Social Cohesion, Child and Youth Division
Socio-urban diagnosis of Cointrin
This survey, conducted by LaSUR and the URBZ office on behalf of the Bureau for Integration and Citizenship of the Canton of Geneva and the Office of Urbanism, aims to better understand the local dynamics, daily practices, and expectations of the inhabitants of the Cointrin area, which spans Le Grand-Saconnex, Meyrin, and Vernier.
It pursues several objectives: to identify the profiles, experiences, and needs of the population; to analyze social, cultural, and demographic dynamics; to pinpoint key social spaces and territorial uses; and to anticipate social and climatic challenges in order to strengthen the area’s resilience.
This initiative is part of the development of a plan-guide, an evolving tool designed to accompany, over the long term, the transformation of an already inhabited area. Grounded in listening and care for the territory, living beings, and the population, the project includes both a quantitative component (online questionnaire) and a qualitative component (interviews and focus groups).
Period: 2025–2026
Scientifics managers: Maxime Felder and Luca Pattaroni
Main researchers: Sophie Realini (EPFL), Matias Echanove, Amin Khosravi
Partnership: URBZ
Funding/mandator: Bureau for Integration and Citizenship of the Canton of Geneva and Office of Urbanism
Graveson Square, Thônex – Ethnographic Study and Scenarios
At the heart of Thônex, Graveson Square is the focus of an applied research project aimed at rethinking its design based on the actual uses and lived experiences of those who cross it, linger there, or avoid it.
In dialogue with municipal departments, local shopkeepers, and residents, this ethnographic study explores the everyday life of the square – its atmospheres, tensions, and possibilities – in order to collaboratively develop, with local stakeholders, transformation scenarios that are both sensitive and context-specific. This research identifies actionable levers to support the municipality in the requalification of the square, while sketching the contours of an urbanism of care and transition.
Period: 2025
Scientific manager: Luca Pattaroni
LaSUR team: Caroline Iorio (project lead), Sophie Realini
Funding/mandator: City of Thônex – Department of Social Cohesion
Study on quality of life in neighborhoods
In February 2025, LaSUR and the consultancy Mobil’Homme launched a research project aimed at assessing the quality of life in three new Geneva neighborhoods: La Chapelle in Lancy, Les Vergers in Meyrin, and the eco-district of La Jonction in Geneva.
Commissioned by the Office of Urbanism and the Bureau for Integration and Citizenship, this study seeks to evaluate to what extent these newly developed neighborhoods meet the expectations and aspirations of their inhabitants.
The initiative is part of a broader effort toward continuous improvement and the creation of a reproducible assessment framework that could, in the future, be applied to other urban areas. By combining perspectives from social policy and urban planning, the project reflects a desire to approach urbanism with a strong social dimension.
Period: 2025–2026
Scientific manager: Maxime Felder, Luca Pattaroni, Marc-Antoine Messer (BmH)
Lead researchers: Sophie Realini (EPFL), Lauriane Bolomey (BmH), Yann Dubois (BmH)
Partnership: BmH
Funding/mandator: Bureau for Integration and Citizenship of the Canton of Geneva and Office of Urbanism
2024
Evaluation of the impact of targeted free public transport on TPG
The State of Geneva implemented free public transport for residents under 25 and half-price fares for those 65 and over at the beginning of 2025. Through a research consortium including EPFL (Prof. Vincent Kaufmann), TPG (Dr. Daniel Reck), and the B-MH consultancy (Dr. Emmanuel Ravalet), we have been commissioned by the Canton of Geneva to assess how this policy affects mobility patterns and purchasing power.
Period: 2024-2026
Scientific manager: Vincent Kaufmann
LaSUR team: Vincent Kaufmann (project leader), Leonardo Conte, Zoé Piton, Clément Rames.
Partnership: TPG, BmH
Funding/mandator: State of Geneva
2023
Study of the logic of action underlying modal practices in Rennes
The aim is to carry out a study of modal choice logics, enabling us to draw up a typology specific to the Rennes area, and to develop a tool enabling the user profile to be established with a limited number of closed questions (Module 1). This tool will then be used to establish a profile of Keolis customers, so as to be able to propose the offer best suited to their needs, and possibly needs, and possibly enrich the contours of the transport offer (Module 2).
Period: 2023 – 2025
Scientific manager: Vincent Kaufmann
LASUR team: Alexis Gumy
Partnership: B-MH Mobil’Homme
Funding / mandator: Keolis Rennes
Updating the typology of modal choice logics
The aim of the study is to update the modal choice typology for various territories in the tpg catchment area, based on data from the first wave of the Lémanique Panel, conducted in 2023. An optional module proposes the development of a platform that would enable the modal choice typology to be reproduced live as a decision-making tool for tpg customers.
Period: 2023 – 2025
Scientific manager: Vincent Kaufmann
LASUR team: Alexis Gumy
Funding / mandator: TPG
2021
Renovation of the Poissonniers Tower, Paris
Partner of the multidisciplinary team – led by AUC (Grand Prix d’Urbanisme 2021) and Fagart&Fontana – winner of the competitive dialogue for the renovation of the Poissonnier Tower in Paris (400 participating teams). Sociological expertise for the conceptualization of typologies, common spaces and participative management modes; implementation and animation of participatory workshops.
Period: 2021 – 2025
Scientific manager (sociological section): Luca Pattaroni
LASUR team: Garance Clément (project manager), Fiona Del Puppo
Partnership: AUC, Fagart & Fontana, Mosbach Paysagiste, AHA, Arcadis Rotor, Link, Medieco, BMF
Funding / mandator : Paris Habitat / CROUS