Teaching
The teaching objectives for students are to be able to critically analyze social and cultural dimensions of built space and to reflect on them constructively for future professional practice. To this end, it is relevant to deal with sociological principles - for example, social inequalities and lifestyles as well as migration and social diagnoses of the times.
Basic skills in empirical research methods are also taught, which are ultimately applied in the context of research-oriented study projects.
Current Courses - Summer Semester 2026
Project / Carsten Keller, Iuliia Eremenko
Over the past 20 years, researchers have studied how the use of cargo bikes is transforming the delivery of goods in cities, particularly for the last leg of the journey. But there is another important question: Why do some cargo bike rental projects succeed while others fail?
This project focuses on the factors that contribute to the success of cargo bike service providers in urban areas. We will also identify the challenges that hinder the growth of these services and explore ways to address these barriers. Additionally, we will examine different operational and business model approaches tailored to their target audiences.
This project will focus on real-world and business aspects of improving urban transportation. Students will examine the social and environmental benefits of cargo bike rentals, as well as what is needed for these services to be sustainable over time. This includes who will use them, what value they offer, how they operate, how they generate revenue, how they promote their service, and how they can expand. Students will also study the current market for cargo bike rentals: who already offers them, how many people want to use them, and what the market looks like overall. As part of the project, students will examine and compare a range of existing cargo bike service models—including those targeting individual users and businesses—and evaluate which business model elements are most suitable for the Kassel context, including potential combinations of approaches.
Boterman, W. R. (2020). Carrying Class and Gender: Cargo Bikes as Symbolic Markers of Egalitarian Gender Roles of Urban Middle Classes in Dutch Inner Cities. Social & Cultural Geography, 21(2), 245–264.
Liu, G., Nello‐Deakin, S., te Brömmelstroet, M., & Yamamoto, Y. (2020). What makes a good cargo bike route? Perspectives from users and planners. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 79.
Melo, S., & Baptista, P. (2017). Evaluating the impacts of using cargo cycles on urban logistics: Integrating traffic, environmental, and operational boundaries. European Transport Research Review, 9(2), 30.