Publications
Step by step: Exploring accessibility perceptions of older adults and young families outside urban cores through walk-along interviews
ILS researchers Janina Welsch and Anna-Lena van der Vlugt, together with colleagues from the University of Groningen, have published an article in the Journal of Urban Mobility. The article publishes the initial results of the walk-along interviews from the AccessCity4All project. Based on interviews about perceived accessibility in the province of Groningen, one of the project’s case study areas, it presents new insights into the perceptions of two vulnerable groups regarding their experiences of walking and the accessibility of important facilities in rural and suburban settlements. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urbmob.2026.100199. Further current selected papers can be found here.
Regelungen zum Flächenüberhang in der Windenergieplanung – Ein neues Flexibilisierungsinstrument hoheitlicher Planung mit Unsicherheiten
ILS researcher Jonas Marschall has published an article in the journal Die Öffentliche Verwaltung DÖV. In order to give planning regions more flexibility in meeting their regional sub-area targets for wind energy through interregional cooperation, several federal states have therefore adopted regulations based on the model of the Wind Energy Area Requirements Act, which are intended to empower planning regions to agree on a so-called ‘area surplus’ or ‘area compensation’. This approach is also innovative and interesting with regard to other areas of spatial planning. Particularly when it comes to limiting land use through state and regional planning, the tension between binding and flexible quantity-based control approaches poses a challenge. However, the specific regulations on land surplus raise questions. A closer look at the examples reveals differences and problems with the regulatory approaches. Further current selected papers can be found here.
The Reputation of Primary Schools—Rumours with Consequences for Segregation
ILS researcher Isabel Ramos Lobato and Andreas Wettlaufer (Ruhr-Universität Bochum) have published an article in the journal Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie. Taking up previous research, the article uses a mixed-methods design to investigate how the reputations of primary schools are established in discourses in a German neighbourhood in North Rhine-Westphalia and what role they play in school choice. It becomes clear that, in contrast to previous studies, the reputations of the local schools generally reflect their composition. Even if this does not mean that reliable conclusions about a school’s quality can actually be drawn from it, reputation is a very important school selection criterion across all social groups. Nevertheless, perceptions of individual primary schools vary in line with parents’ educational qualifications, contributing to school segregation. https://doi.org/10.1111/tesg.70060. Weitere aktuelle Fachpublikationen finden Sie here.
Entrepreneurs’ ‘Triadic Spatial Paradox’: theorising the hybrid home‑based business workspace experience
ILS researcher Cornelia Tippel and her colleagues have published an article in the International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship. The article examines the significance of space in entrepreneurship and develops the conceptual model of the ‘Triadic Spatial Paradox’ based on the experiences of entrepreneurs operating home-based businesses (HBBs). It shows how entrepreneurs personally relate to and make sense of their dynamic hybrid home/workspaces and how they articulate the space-related paradoxes within their businesses. https://doi.org/10.1177/02662426251410801. Further current selected papers can be found here.
Belief-driven and socio-spatially effective? Transition pathways from car-oriented to car-reduced planning on the neighborhood scale
The ILS researcher Annika Schröder has published an article in the International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, co-authored by Sina Steele from Goethe University Frankfurt. The development of mobility concepts for newly built urban districts encounters structures and patterns of thinking that are oriented towards automobility. These pose significant challenges for innovative planning strategies. Using neighborhood developments in Darmstadt, Bielefeld, and Cologne as case studies, the authors examine the transformation process from car-oriented to car-reduced planning. Based on a complex interplay of belief patterns and socio-spatial factors (material, institutional, and cultural), they identify different pathways of a planning transition from car-oriented to car-reduced. They also show that, in practice, it appears promising to justify planning visions in a context-specific manner, to combine experimentation with institutionalization, and to disseminate planning experiences. https://doi.org/10.1080/15568318.2025.2598440. Weitere aktuelle Fachpublikationen finden Sie hier.
Segregation in primary schools and the production of inequality
ILS researcher Isabel Ramos Lobato, together with other colleagues, has published an article in the journal sub/urban. This article examines the causes of primary school segregation in a large city in North Rhine-Westphalia. Segregation in primary schools and the production of inequality. In many German cities, there is a serious degree of segregation at primary school level. This is problematic since primary schools are a key determinant of social mobility and social cohesion. Based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative data, our findings show how spatial, individual, and institutional factors, as well as their interactions, contribute to the emergence and reinforcement of school segregation. This illustrates the complexity of segregation processes within the education system. A better understanding of these interactions is essential not only from a scientific perspective, but also to enable the implementation of targeted measures to alleviate school segregation. https://doi.org/10.36900/suburban.v13i2/3.1025. Further current selected papers can be found here.
Energy renovation challenges in dense low-income neighbourhoods with fragmented ownership: insights from Dortmund–Nordstadt, Germany
ILS researcher Stefano Cozzolino has published an article in the journal Town Planning Review together with Lisa Haag. Policy documents increasingly identify energy-efficient housing renovation as a global priority that requires implementation at the local level. This article examines the challenges of implementing such energy-efficient renovation strategies in dense, low-income neighbourhoods characterised by a high degree of ownership fragmentation. Focusing on Dortmund–Nordstadt, Germany, the study combines spatial data analysis, policy review, and in-depth engagement with private owners and municipal stakeholders. It explores the specific perspectives of private actors while drawing broader implications for urban planning. The findings highlight the importance of context-sensitive approaches and point to the potential of neighbourhood-specific, low-threshold engagement formats to facilitate action. https://doi.org/10.3828/tpr.2025.37. Further current selected papers can be found here.
The impact of migration background and ethnicity on car, bus and bicycle use in England
People with a migration background and/or who identify themselves with an ethnic group tend to have different travel behaviour in comparison to the population majority. A better understanding of this nexus is needed, yet there is a lack of quantitative studies on this topic in Europe and in the United Kingdom. ILS researcher Janina Welsch and Giulio Mattioli from TU Dortmund fill this gap by analysing data from the 2018–2019 wave of the UK House-hold Longitudinal Survey. With ordinal regression models, they investigate the impact of migration generation and ethnicity on the frequency of car, bus, and bicycle use. The results show that travel behaviour varies substantially depending on migration background and ethnicity, with the latter playing a larger role. More: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-025-10696-5. Further current selected papers can be found here.
„New“ arrival spaces between inclusion and exclusion. A literature anal-ysis of spatial migration patterns in Europe
ILS researchers Hannah Brill, Isabel Ramos Lobato, and Nils Hans, together with Miriam Neßler and Heike Hanhörster from TU Berlin, have published an article in the journal sub/urban. This article analyzes the spatial effects of the increasing diversification of migration processes. The focus is on newly forming arrival areas in Europe beyond „traditional“ urban migration centers. Based on a systematic literature review, five central dimensions can be identified that shape the local arrival conditions for newcomers. The article argues for a differentiated view of local arrival contexts in the sense of the „local turn“ in migration research, which takes into account the complex interactions between local and supra-local conditions. https://doi.org/10.36900/suburban.v13i2/3.1027. Further current selected papers can be found here.
Supporting the transformation of urban food systems: The food network of the city of Dortmund.
ILS researchers Melissa Leimkühler, Kathrin Specht, Chiara Iodice, and Barbara Schröter have published an article in the journal Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems. The article examines how Dortmund’s food system can be made sustainable. It focuses on the key actors, their roles and relationships, and the obstacles to transformation. The analysis shows that close cooperation between civil society and local authorities is crucial and that the Dortmund Food Policy Council plays a central networking role. Successful further development requires, above all, better coordination, financing, political participation, visibility, and networking. The results provide concrete impetus for strengthening urban food systems. https://doi.org/10.1002/uar2.70029. Further current selected papers can be found here.
