Medium-Sized Cities: Modernization and Participation

Project overview

Project title: Graduiertenkolleg Mittelstadt als Mitmachstadt: Digitale Transformation in kleinen Mittelstädten

Research object/goal: The project analyzes digital transformation in small medium-sized towns (20,000 - 50,000 inhabitants) from a historical and organizational perspective. The focus is on factors and mechanisms of digital transformation in smaller municipalities on the one hand and organizational structures on the other.

Heads of project: Prof. Dr. Sabine Kuhlmann (University of Potsdam), Prof. Dr. Cordula Kropp (University of Stuttgart), Prof. Dr. Agnes Förster (RWTH Aachen University), Prof. Dr. Jan Polivka (RWTH Aachen University), Prof. Dr. Crista Reicher (RWTH Aachen University ), Prof. Dr. Frank Lohrberg (RWTH Aachen University )

Duration of project: 2020-2024

Funded by: Robert Bosch Foundation

The inter- and transdisciplinary research training group "Mittelstadt als Mitmachstadt" (Medium-Sized City as Participating City) aims to investigate future questions and transformation issues in selected middle-sized cities in order to bring about change through new forms of urbanization and participation. With the support of the Robert Bosch Foundation, doctoral students from the University of Potsdam, the RWTH Aachen and the University of Stuttgart are working on these questions, with a network of medium-sized cities offering them the opportunity to carry out projects and research in various cities. At the same time, the municipalities benefit from new, innovative impulses. The research training group has a duration of 3.5 years.

Further information on the Research Training Group can be found here.

A review of the activities of the Research Group in 2022 can be found here.