Topics for Master Theses

Explanation and evaluation of processes of urban and regional development

In this group of master theses, an analytical examination of spatial-territorial structures and their transformation is expected. Such theses should be theoretically sound and give recommendations for planning and control requirements based on a detailed empirical analysis of the topic (using suitable quantitative and qualitative methods). Current topics in this field of research are in particular:

  • Urban systems and urban hierarchies
  • Metropolisation and polycentricity
  • Sub-, de- and re-urbanisation, growth and shrinking processes
  • structural economic change
  • Clusters, innovation centres and technology parks
  • Determinants of regional development
  • Real estate management and real estate evaluation
  • Sustainable development and energy spatial planning
  • Technical and social infrastructures, accessibility and networks

Developing and evaluating urban and regional development strategies

This group of master theses is expected to critically examine normative planning instruments and policies of spatial transformation (polity-policy-politics). In selected thematic areas, steering requirements, strategy building processes, objectives and effects of planning strategies for urban or regional development will be analysed and evaluated against the background of planning theoretical and ethical criteria. Current topics in this field of research are in particular:

  • Smart City concepts
  • Strategies for sustainable or resilient regional development
  • Regional policy strategies and programmes of the EU
  • Strategic planning, major projects and events
  • Planning processes and planning culture
  • Cultural planning, art- and culture-based location and space production

Applied and new methods of regional analysis

In this group of theses, methods and instruments of spatial analytics are applied to answer regional analytical questions and further developed against the background of an increasingly 'digitized world'. Innovative computer-aided (in particular GIS-based) tools and mathematical-statistical methods will be used and critically discussed with regard to their applicability in spatial planning. Current topics in this field of research are in particular:

  • Analysis of settlement structures and supply qualities (e.g. in the fields of health, education,...)
  • Modelling of settlement development processes and demographic developments
  • Innovative accessibility analyses, especially graph-based traffic route routing
  • Applicability of GIS-based tools and analyses in planning and decision making processes
  • Digitization of the world: data requirements, data concepts, data production and data exploitation
  • Effects of technical infrastructure systems or ICT on urban and regional development and planning processes
  • Tangible and intangible infrastructures: analyses of networks and interconnections