Urbanism

Besides my scientific research on cities and urban societies, I am strongly interested in urban life in terms of cultural and political involvement. I observe, reflect on and engage in the cities I live, work or pass through in a number of ways.

Art

Mapping Cities:
Transferring personal surveys of cities, urban agglomerations an regions into maps is one way to “re-enact” long-term dynamics, imagine concrete experience and render creative interpretations. I will occasionally exhibit my maps and post them here.

Urban Photography:
Photography is great way of capturing the aesthetics of cities, the built and “natural” environment. While taking photographs of places and people is hardly a unique approach, it is important for me to connect images to stories and feelings about places.

Culture

Reinraum e.V.:
I take a great interest in so called “off-spaces”: abandoned spaces of various kinds reused for exhibitions, performances or parties. Usually these places are run by non-profit organizations, sometimes by artists. From 2005-2007 I was actively engaged in Reinraum e.V., Düsseldorf.
http://www.reinraum-ev.de

Politics

FDP Darmstadt:
I am actively involved in the local branch of Germany’s liberal party FDP in Darmstadt. My primary interest is to reflect upon urban life and policies and introduce new ways of liberal city politics. I was part of a group that devised a program for the local elections in 2011.
http://www.fdp-darmstadt.de

Europaviertel:
Urban politics have to start in the neighborhood. That is why I have taken part in an informal group that addressed the problems but also the potentials of the neighborhood I am living in since 2007. We were actually able to initiate change.