LABORATORY OF URBAN SOCIOLOGY

Under the direction of Prof. Vincent Kaufmann and Luca Pattaroni, Laboratory of Urban Sociology (LASUR) comprises of around fifteen researchers and PhD students united towards the comprehension of urban experiences within a social science perspective.

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LaSUR Conferences

Each year, the Urban Sociology Laboratory brings together researchers and practitioners for two conferences focused on mobility and housing, its main research themes.

Swiss Habitat Conference

The Swiss Habitat Conference is an annual event organised by social scientists, geographers and architects, in a collaboration between EPFL and UNIL. Its core objective is to provide researchers with the opportunity to engage with colleagues convened under the broad umbrella of housing justice here and beyond.

Swiss Mobility Conference

The Swiss Mobility Conference provides a space for discussion and debate for researchers in the humanities and social sciences who work on different forms of mobility in Switzerland and beyond.

Research Projects

The Urban Sociology Laboratory is currently conducting several major projects, including the Lemanic Panel.

Lemanic Panel

LASUR is conducting a longitudinal panel over a five-year period, consisting of a representative sample of 10,000 people living in the Lake Geneva region. Designed as a genuine transition observatory, this initiative aims to measure changes in mobility behaviors, consumption practices, and, more broadly, lifestyles.

Cahiers du LaSUR

Based on an open conception of sociology that invites architecture, urban planning, economics, geography and history to participate in the social study of urbanization, LaSUR studies urban societies and cities, their spatial configurations, materials, social dynamics, and the policies and planning efforts that help shape them. With more than 30 publications to date, Les Cahiers du LaSUR reflects the backstage and mobile, innovative state of urban research. Research that is curious and agile because it can be published in (almost) real time and isn’t afraid to share its doubts as well as its findings.

Cahiers du LaSUR

News

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Alone at the restaurant

05.11.25EPFL

Le Temps explores the rise of ‘self-dating’ and solo outings, a societal trend where chosen solitude becomes a symbol of autonomy and well-being rather than isolation. Luca Pattaroni, professor at the Urban Sociology Laboratory, is interviewed.

© Manuel Schmalstieg - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vue_genève_écoquartier_Jonction.jpg

The echoes of eco-neighborhoods

05.11.25EPFL

A study by EPFL’s Urban Sociology Laboratory on three of Geneva’s eco-neighborhoods shows that residents are largely satisfied with their quality of life — even if some raise concerns about the aesthetics, social mix, and lack of local shops.

© 2025 EPFL - Unsplash - Thomas Delacrétaz

Rethinking mobility

10.10.25EPFL

Sustainable mobility development and changing transportation practices in urban centers have been crucial issues for years and are now more urgent than ever. Climate change acceleration, urban growth, and diversified transportation options have made addressing these topics essential. Vincent Kaufmann, professor at the Laboratory of Urban Sociology, shares his analysis and perspectives on these critical challenges.

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20 years of LaSUR

LaSUR celebrates its 20th anniversary.

International Conference Nuits des Suds

First interdisciplinary approach to the nights of the World
September 20, 21, 22 in Fez 2024 (Morocco)

Nouvelles Proximités Seminar

Join us for a monthly meeting with an expert to combine the views of researchers and the public on the theme of new proximities.