Kleinstadtforschung in Deutschland: Stand, Perspektiven und Empfehlungen

Small towns play only a subordinate role in social, planning and spatial research in Germany. Their structures, meanings and functions are not sufficiently perceived or differentiated in scientific, political or media debates. Following a discussion of definitions and delimitations of small towns, this working report presents the main strands of previous research. It identifies perception and research gaps as well as research needs in nine thematic areas: urbanity and rurality, demographic structures and developments, social structure and social relations, housing and socio-spatial differentiation, economic development and innovation dynamics, mobility, digital transformation, urban planning and governance, and centrality. Subsequently, the focus is on questions of methodology and deficits in the data sets and sources. Finally, the report presents recommendations for research, university teaching, official statistics and research funding in the field of small town research.