Research

The picture shows the contrasts in a city. In the foreground are rather simple houses, some of which are dilapidated. A skyline of modern high-rise buildings can be seen in the background.Image: adobe.stock.com I Leonid Andronov

Urban and Regional Sociology deals scientifically with society and forms of socialization in their spatial form and development.

The central topics of the Department are social space and segregation research, urban development and housing in an international comparison as well as migration and social milieus in a spatial context.

Table of contents

Research projects

The picture shows a suburban housing estate, mainly consisting of homogeneously designed detached houses and gardens.Image: adobe.stock.com I ungvar

Social structure and forms of sociality in the new suburbia

Funded by: The German Research Foundation (DFG)
Duration: from 2024
Participating institutions: seven departments at the University of Kassel, HafenCity University Hamburg, TU Braunschweig, Technische Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Berlin

Social structure and forms of sociality in the new suburbia: Forward
Image: Sina Doukas

ProShare: Enhancing Diversity, Inclusion and Social Cohesion through Practices of Sharing in Housing and Public Space

Supported by: JPI Urban Europe.
Duration: 2021-2022.
Participating institutions: University of Kassel, Urban and Regional Sociology I University of Applied Sciences of Berlin (HTW Berlin) I KTH School of Architecture, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm I Institute for Housing and Urban Research (IBF), Uppsala University I School of Architecture, University of Sheffield I Institute of Spatial Planning, Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien).

ProShare: Enhancing Diversity, Inclusion and Social Cohesion through Practices of Sharing in Housing and Public Space: Forward
The picture shows a suburban housing estate, mainly consisting of homogeneously designed detached houses and gardens. Image: adobe.stock.com I Rajesh

Social milieus in suburban areas

Sub-project in the research network "New Suburbanity"
(University of Kassel, Future funding line).
Participants from the University of Kassel: Carsten Keller, Maik Kiesler, Stefanie Hennecke
Participant from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin: Henning Nuissl

Social milieus in suburban areas: Forward
The book cover shows a stylized urban landscape with various elements of communal use. People can be seen making music together, tending gardens, cycling and eating at long tables in public spaces. The architecture combines classical and modern styles, while bridges and arcades connect the different areas. The color palette consists of warm earth tones with shades of blue and green, conveying a friendly and sustainable urban atmosphere. The title “StadtTeilen” and the subtitle “Neue Praktiken gemeinschaftlicher Nutzung urbaner Räume” (“New practices of communal use of urban spaces”) illustrate the thematic focus.Image: Orlando Hoetzel

StadtTeilen. Public space and housing as new common goods in socially mixed neighborhoods

Supported by: Robert Bosch Foundation.
Duration: from 2018 - 2023
Participating institutions: University of Kassel, HTW Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design, Buzwan Morell Architekten PartGmbH, Pestalozzi-Fröbel-Haus.

StadtTeilen. Public space and housing as new common goods in socially mixed neighborhoods: Forward
The picture shows a seminar group of young people looking at a whiteboard. One person comes forward to make a comment.Image: adobe.stock.com I Lustre Art Group

Career strategies and status passages of young adults with a migration background in a Franco-German comparison

Cooperation of Carsten Keller and Ariane Jossin (Centre Marc Bloch) with Olaf Groh-Samberg and Ingrid Tucci (DIW), funded from 2008 to 2011 by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR)

Career strategies and status passages of young adults with a migration background in a Franco-German comparison: Forward
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Projects and studies

The image shows a bird's eye view of a large city. In the foreground is a residential building, from which a network to other locations in the city is indicated by yellow connecting lines. The lines form a network, with the nodes highlighted in white.Image: adobe.stock.com I Pixel-Shot

The world of logistics

The project deals with the effects of the logistics revolution on the living environments of employees and spatial developments. In cooperation with Cécile Cuny (Lab'URBA, Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée), spatial structures and living environments of logistics workers are being researched for selected logistics locations in Germany and France. Using the city of Kassel and the region as an example, these questions were examined by a

The world of logistics: Forward
The picture shows a close-up of a lecture hall in which various students are sitting, taking notes, chatting and sometimes distracted by cell phones. Image: adobe.stock.com I Syda Productions

Attitudes towards heterogeneity and teaching criteria among student teachers: A quantitative study of stereotypes and biases

Cooperation between Carsten Keller, Moritz Merten and Deniz Yildirim, University of Duisburg-Essen 2014

Attitudes towards heterogeneity and teaching criteria among student teachers: A quantitative study of stereotypes and biases: Forward
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Dissertations

Ongoing

Space and political fragmentation. On the influence of context and network effects on political decisions

Timo Baldewein
University of Kassel
[Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Carsten Keller]

Space and political fragmentation. On the influence of context and network effects on political decisions: Forward

The influence of urban planning on spatial structures and the coexistence of diverse groups

Christian Jacobs
University of Göttingen
[First supervisor: Prof. Dr. Karen Schönwälder]

The influence of urban planning on spatial structures and the coexistence of diverse groups: Forward

Dilemma of the common - community as a resource and challenge of living in lockdown

Floris Bernhardt
University of Kassel
[First supervisor: Prof. Dr. Carsten Keller]

Dilemma of the common - community as a resource and challenge of living in lockdown: Forward

Completed

Access to the city: Unravelling urban governance practices, access to housing, services, and resulting processes of social in/exclusion in Amritsar and Lahore

Helena Cermeño
University of Kassel
[First supervisor: Prof. Dr. Carsten Keller | Second supervisor: Prof. Dr. Conrad Schetter]

Access to the city: Unravelling urban governance practices, access to housing, services, and resulting processes of social in/exclusion in Amritsar and Lahore: Forward

Creative city, contested city. A comparative approach between the cities of Marseille and Hamburg

Ben Kerste
University of Aix-Marseille
[Co-Tutelle, supervisor in France: Dr. Sylvie Mazella]

Creative city, contested city. A comparative approach between the cities of Marseille and Hamburg: Forward

Spaces of action for young people in the city - a comparison of privileged and disadvantaged neighborhoods

Moritz Merten
University of Kassel
[Second supervisor: Prof. Dr. Olaf Groh-Samberg]

Spaces of action for young people in the city - a comparison of privileged and disadvantaged neighborhoods: Forward

"Right to the city": From a theoretical concept from France to urban social movements worldwide

Elodie Vittu
Bauhaus University Weimar
[First supervisor: Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Max Welch Guerra]

"Right to the city": From a theoretical concept from France to urban social movements worldwide: Forward
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Further links

Australian Housing and Urban Institute (AHURI)

Academy for Spatial Research and Planning (ARL)
Forum for research into spatial structures and developments in the economic, social, ecological and cultural fields

American Sociological Association (ASA) - Section on Community and Urban Sociology

Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR)
Research institution of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB)

German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu)
Germany's largest urban research institute deals with all municipal tasks at a scientific level

European Network of Housing Research (ENHR)

Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research GmbH (UFZ) - Department of Urban and Environmental Sociology

Research Committee on Urban and Regional Development (RC21)
Urban and Regional Sociology Section of the International Sociological Association

Section of Urban and Regional Sociology
Section of the German Sociological Association

Urban Sociology - The European Research Network 37
Network for urban sociological research within the European Sociological Association

City
Analysis of urban trends in culture, theory and politics

City & Community
Journal of the Urban Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association

dérive - Journal for Urban Research
Interdisciplinary journal on urban research from Vienna

International Journal of Urban and Regional Research
International journal on theoretical developments and empirical research on the changing role of cities and regions

Spatial Research and Spatial Planning
The journal addresses spatial science in Austria and abroad as well as politics, practice and the interested public.

sub\urban - Journal for critical urban research
Interdisciplinary, critical journal with a focus on urban movements and international debates

Urban Studies
Journal with a focus on international urban planning and urban policy debates

Urban Research Forum
networks academic staff and freelancers in the field of urban research through the exchange of information on current research topics

Information on studying sociology
Presentation of universities and degree programs

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