Markus Hesse

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Professor of urban studies

As an urban and economic geographer, my research interest is clustered around three different scientific angles:

1. Cities and regions,
2. economic networks, mobilities and flows,
3. metropolitan governance, policy and planning.

In this context, I am studying contemporary urban and economic change and its territorial manifestations – in terms of the underlying locational dynamics (e.g. sub- and re-urbanization), with respect to particular spatial impacts (e.g. port-regionalization), and concerning associated policy challenges (e.g. land use planning policies, sustainable development). The issue of identity and discourse in a spatial context and related policy frameworks are also of interest. In so doing, both standardized and particularly non-standardized research methods are being applied. Areas of empirical investigation include major urban regions in Western Europe, North America, and to a certain extent also in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Greater Region and the Low Countries (Benelux), respectively.

(City life at Washington Square, San Francisco, the Transamerica building in the background, some time in the mid-1990s; source: own

What we do:  critical and independent, hopefully innovative and original research on longer-term developments in the urban and regional realm, across disciplinary boundaries, unfolding the contradictory and contested nature of space.
What we don’t do : following short-term trends or “mega-trends”, emphasising “mega-regions”, drawing upon “master-plans”, telling “grand narratives” such as urban renaissance; doing embedded science.

For the duration of five years, the Chair of Urban Studies is funded by the City of Luxembourg (Ville de Luxembourg - VdL). The University supports such third-party collaborations in order to enhance the interaction of researchers and lecturers with practitioners, which may enhance both the relevance of research and the prospect for society and economy.

Research Interests

Regional Focus

Research Projects

Selected Conference Papers

Teaching

last modified:03 Feb 2012