Identifying Problem Patterns in Sustainable Urban Development: A Methodological Framework for Evidence-Based Synthesis

Urban regions face increasingly complex sustainability challenges, driven by climate-related risks such as heatwaves, flooding, and resource scarcity. Addressing these challenges requires integrated, evidence-based approaches that inform both policy and practice. This chapter introduces a methodological framework for synthesizing recurring challenges and solution patterns in sustainable urban development, based on a meta-analysis of ten transdisciplinary research projects funded under the ‘Sustainable Development of Urban Regions’ (SURE) programme (2020–2028) by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, now BMFTR). Implemented across Germany, seven countries in Southeast Asia, and China, the projects span thematic areas including nature-based solutions, disaster risk management, urban–rural linkages, sustainable behaviour, and resource efficiency. Our analysis draws exclusively on project proposals, which present scientifically grounded problem definitions, contextual data, and structured solution pathways. This narrow document scope served as a pilot for method development, with potential for future scaling. We applied a modified thematic analysis following the six-phase method by Braun and Clarke (2006), enabling systematic synthesis of cross-cutting sustainability issues and intervention strategies. The resulting framework identifies common problem drivers, thematic clusters, tools, and actionable pathways aligned with climate adaptation and localized sustainable development goals. These findings offer strategic insights for researchers, policymakers, and funding bodies aiming to support effective, context-sensitive. urban sustainability interventions