PhD Candidate in Tactical Urbanism

About the position

The Department of Architecture and Planning  is looking for a PhD Candidate in Tactical Urbanism.

The central aim with this PhD research is to investigate the broader effects of ad hoc, temporary, low-cost public space inventions, also discussed as tactical urbanism. Central questions for this research will be if and how public administrations can apply tactical urbanism approaches to support a fast and effective transformation of car oriented urban environments towards public spaces that support walking, cycling and access to public transport. Of central concern in this research is to investigate potential tactical urbanism principles in established planning procedures at city administrations. Can tactical urbanism principles support a transformative shift in established planning procedures to transform car oriented urban environments? Of further interest are possibilities for more inclusive urban planning and transformations through tactical urbanism as well as potentials to trigger public debates. Has tactical urbanism the potential to support the attitudes of local urban societies towards an acceptance of streets and public spaces that are supportive to sustainable mobility and social inclusion?

This PhD research will be conducted in the context of a larger research project together with the Faculties of Engineering and Computer Sciences as well as the Department of Sociology within a larger research project that comprises 12 PhDs in total. The PhD candidate will be located at the Department of Architecture and Planning.

Your will report to Head of Department. 

Duties of the position

• Develop a research plan for the PhD dissertation
• Conduct the research according to the plan
• Cooperate with partners and departments at the city administration of Trondheim as well as the county administration
• Write and publish research papers under supervision in English language
• Comply with the PhD training program of the faculty

Required selection criteria

• You must have a strong academic background in planning, architecture, geography or equivalent education
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master's degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• Good written and oral English language skills
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program

The appointment is to be made in accordance with  Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant  

Preferred selection criteria

• Good written and oral Scandinavian language skill
• Experience in the field of sustainable mobility

Personal characteristics

• Interested in engaging with staff in public administrations
• Enthusiastic and ambitious about research
• Structured and goal-oriented
• Able to work effectively individually as well as being part of a team
• Able to think critically

We offer

Salary and conditions

As a PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK 501 200 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 years.

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Architecture  within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants , and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.

About the application

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above.

The application must include: 

• CV and certificates
• transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not completed the master's degree, you must submit a confirmation that the master's thesis has been submitted.
• A copy of the master's thesis. If you recently have submitted your master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Project proposal (1-3 pages)
• Name and contact information of three referees
• If you have publications or other relevant research work

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both bachelor's and master's education, in addition to other higher education. Description of the documentation required can be found here . If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.

We will take joint work into account. If it is difficult to identify your efforts in the joint work, you must enclose a short description of your participation.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. 

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA.

General information

Working at NTNU

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is our strength. We want to recruit people with different competencies, educational backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to solving our social responsibilities within education and research. We will facilitate for our employees’ needs.

NTNU is working actively to increase the number of women employed in scientific positions and has a number of resources to promote equality.  

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation . You will be notified if the reservation is not accepted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Helge Hillnhütter, telephone +47 924 89 520, email: [email protected] . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Astrid S. Lyngby, e-mail: [email protected]

If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation.  

Application deadline:  19.10.22

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Architecture and Planning

Our fields of expertise are architecture, urban design, physical and urban ecological planning, Smart Cities as well as real estate development and facilities management. We also work with ambient aesthetics, land use and transport planning, urban renewal, densification and urban redevelopment, as well as urban ecological planning in lower income countries. The Department of Architecture and Planning  is one of four departments in the Faculty of Architecture and Design

Deadline 19th October 2022
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Gløshaugen, Trondheim