Dr Iris Belle creates concepts for making cities more livable, drawing on her research on the impact of socio-technical systems on the built environment. She is a project partner at Drees & Sommer, Stuttgart. Prior, Iris researched innovations in architecture and urban planning and taught design studio as an Assistant Professor (tenure track) at Tongji University, Shanghai. Her research focus includes the following themes: The effects of development visions and urban governance processes on planning, design, and long-term quality of buildings, neighborhoods and society; The way values are agreed upon and transacted across organizations; and The potential of emerging technologies to transform the construction sector. Iris holds a PhD in Geography from Heidelberg University and a Diploma in Architecture from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. She was a postdoctoral researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and the Future Cities Lab Singapore.