Spaces of interdisciplinary in/congruity: the coming together of engineers and social scientists in planning for sustainable urban environments

Sophie Hadfield-Hill,John Horton,Peter Kraftl,José Antônio Perrella Balestieri,Mateus Ricardo Nogueira Vilanova,Rubens Alves Dias,Paulo Valladares Soares

doi:10.1080/19463138.2020.1759606

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the context of a globalised interdisciplinary moment, where boundary-crossing research collaborations are valorised, this paper considers encounters between multidisciplinary researchers. Presenting empirics and reflections from an international project where social scientists and engineers sought to collaborate, communicate and address complex challenges associated with sustainable urban development, we question a series of assumptions about interdisciplinary research. Importantly, we pause to consider the practical implications of doing this work. In particular, we draw attention to the spaces of interdisciplinarity, from the field to the lab and the meeting room, the role of researchers’ reflexivity and positionality, and the importance of being aware of the embodied, emotional realities of such work. In so doing, we call for more critical, evidence-based reflection upon the lived in/congruities of interdisciplinary practices.

Highlights

Across a wide range of contexts, interdisciplinary research has come to be powerfully valorised and incentivised by research funders, institutions and state, governmental and non-governmental agencies
Against the backdrop of this ‘interdisciplinary moment’, this paper reflects upon a networking project, which brought together Brazilian Engineering Scientists and British Social Scientists, to develop novel approaches in planning for sustainable urban environments
The paper’s core argument is that while interdisciplinary research is centrally advocated by many national governments, research councils and global agendas (World Economic Forum 2019), the practical doing of interdisciplinarity is rarely explicitly considered

Summary

Introduction

Across a wide range of contexts, interdisciplinary research has come to be powerfully valorised and incentivised by research funders, institutions and state, governmental and non-governmental agencies. We use empirics and reflections from our networking project to focus upon some particular moments of interdisciplinary exchange in the context of engineers and social scientists working collaboratively on key issues in the field of sustainable urban development.

Objectives

Results

Conclusion