1.7 million people live in the city of Hamburg today. Hamburg is situated in the middle of a metropolis region with four million inhabitants. Due to globalised economic structures and advanced European integration, the cooperation with its associated districts and local authorities is becoming more and more important. With it's 13 surrounding county districts in Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony as well as the economic region Brunsbuettel, Hamburg forms one of the largest European economic regions. Important projects include, for example, the expansion of the transport infrastructure, i.e., the extension of the suburban railway network to Stade. This is because high-performing transport routes lay the necessary foundations for the development of the economy and the quality of life of the people living in the metropolis region. Moreover, location promotion or major industrial projects like Airbus production expansion strengthen the entire Northern German metropolis region.
The TUHH is one of the youngest universities in Germany as well as one of the most successful. Between 1982 and today an attractive architectural ensemble was created on the TUHH campus in the south of Hamburg. Research work started in 1980 and in 1982/83 lecturing followed. Today around 100 senior lecturers/professors and 1.150 members of staff (450 scientists, including externally funded researchers) work at the TUHH. With an average of 5.000 students the TUHH offers a uniquely high ratio of staff to students.
The fundamental principles of the TUHH are unique in Germany; priority is given to research, interdisciplinary studies and innovation. Also central to our approach is a close working relationship with regional industries and, more recently, the achievement of international scale. The Leitmotiv we follow in our research, teaching and technology transfer is the development of technology for the benefit of mankind.
By primarily focussing on research, the TUHH has developed its present profile. In addition to the annual public budget of DM 104 million, the TUHH, in cooperation with the TUHH-Technologie GmbH, has succeeded in raising another DM 40 million in research funds in 2000. In so doing, the TUHH reaches the front position in the league table of all German universities. The TUHH provides the chairman of the German Research Council (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG).
The interdisciplinary organizational structure of the TUHH effectively encourages successful collaboration between all branches of engineering. Modern engineers have to be able to go beyond their special subjects and think systematically. Their creativity, ideas and solutions form the foundation for technical innovations to the benefit of society as well as industry. For these reasons, students at the TUHH become involved in current projects of research and development at an early stage, alleviating their transition into professional life.
Current research priorities of the Chair of Urban Design and Development focus on the Regional city (Zwischenstadt) and the relation of traffic corridors and urban environments. Designing urban visions does demand looking out for new ways in organizing planning processes and practical realizations. The conference 'City of Speed' tried to find answers to these questions. The conference made clear that today new solutions in regard to the urban integration of highways mainly depend on the planning cultures of cities and the individuals in charge. The available scope can only be utilized, if planning processes are coordinated with professional and political will at a very early stage of the process. As the institutional frameworks of urban and traffic planning are not compatible in terms of 'language', time tables and financing structures, the coordination is rarely successful. A debate on what is meant by 'urban integration', which implications do arise from this and how planning processes are effected by this are still missing.
