Cultural and Political Geographies of the Urban

Cities are places where social dynamics intensify. They are sites where societal divisions intersect and are negotiated. Questions of shaping and governing urban coexistence arise here in particularly nuanced ways. Our research focuses on how the structures and processes of urban life have historically emerged, how they remain contested, and how they are continuously subject to change. In doing so, we contribute to a critical geographic approach to urban studies.

In several projects, we have examined the establishment of privately governed enclaves in various urban regions worldwide, such as gated communities and business improvement districts. Furthermore, we have investigated the discursive stigmatization of certain urban neighborhoods and the legitimization of area-based policy programs, particularly Soziale Stadt in Germany and Politique de la Ville in France.

Projects and Publications in the Current Research Information System (CRIS)