Sustainability Award for Dana Braß, Henry Dicken, and Prof. Dr. Theda Radtke
Sustainability Award for Dana Braß, Henry Dicken, and Prof. Dr. Theda Radtke
Sustainability Award for Dana Braß, Henry Dicken, and Prof. Dr. Theda Radtke
Quelle: Dana Braß
The University of Wuppertal has awarded its Sustainability Prize for the second time this year. We are thrilled that our project “Ein Herz für Treppen” (A Heart for Stairs), initiated by Dana Braß and Henry Dicken and supervised by Prof. Dr. Theda Radtke, has been recognized in the “Organization” category.
The project originated as an idea in the master’s seminar “Health Psychology.” After a year and a half of preparation, it was implemented on the Grifflenberg Campus in the summer semester of 2025. The project explored how students and staff could be encouraged to incorporate more movement into their daily university lives. In Wuppertal, a particularly obvious solution presented itself: taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Against the backdrop of rising non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular conditions and type 2 diabetes—both of which are exacerbated by physical inactivity—the promotion of physical activity is becoming increasingly important.
To achieve this, we employed subtle cues (nudges) designed to encourage specific behaviors without imposing restrictions. Specifically, we placed footprints in the stairwell to guide people toward the stairs, making the choice to take the stairs more appealing than using the elevator.
Further details on the method and initial results can be found on the poster on our research page “Active Mobility".
