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Research Group

/Transient Spaces & Societies_

We research digital, cultural and political transitions of societies and space

Learn more about us

This picture shows an example of one of the research projects of the research group. A woman, who is a former research group member holds a smart phone on which she perceives location-based media on the specific spot she stands in in the Rapoldi park in the city of Innsbruck. She is wearing mobile eye-glasses that includes eye-tracking.

What Do We Do?

Digital, cultural and political transitions are transforming societies and space at an increasing pace, from local to global scales. The Transient Spaces & Societies research group explores how these processes impact inclusion, exclusion, sustainability, and well-being.

We are an interdisciplinary, multilocal research team based at Heidelberg University and at the University of Innsbruck.

Our News

???? Last week, our team members from Innsbruck visited Heidelberg for a wonderful retreat filled with connection, learning, and fun! We shared personal stories, presented our PhD projects????, explored career paths????, visited the old town, went swimming????️, played games, and made great memories together!????

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— Transient_Spaces & Societies (Research Group) (@spacessocieties.bsky.social) Jul 10, 2025 at 18:27

???? Final talk of this semester's Transient Spaces Lecture Series: Digital intimate political geographies - The case of gender based violence in the context of Kyrgyzstan on Instagram ????‍???? Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Militz ????️ July 14 | 11:15 AM ???? Hörsaal 7, Neue Uni, @uniheidelberg.bsky.social

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— Transient_Spaces & Societies (Research Group) (@spacessocieties.bsky.social) Jul 9, 2025 at 16:51

????️‍⚧️ Curious about gender, pronouns & inclusive language – but unsure where to start? Amber Peek (he/they) makes it easy with their blog post "Gender Made Easy" on the Transient Spaces Blog. A valuable read for more understanding, respect & visibility – during Pride Month ????️‍???? and beyond. ????Check it out:

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— Transient_Spaces & Societies (Research Group) (@spacessocieties.bsky.social) Jun 26, 2025 at 16:43

‘Digital Geographies: Mapping the Field’ was a fantastic panel with wonderful insights on the future of digital geography. Thank you our excellent panellists @dorotheakleine, James Ash, @AyonaDatta, @TabeaBork & @ProfGillian! #RGSIBG24 #DigitalGeographies pic.twitter.com/M4MZelKnWf
— Digital RGS (DGRG) (@digital_RGS) August 29, 2024

Impressions of @igc2024dub at @DCU where our team was represented by @JackiieKowalski and @TabeaBork in a session as part of the Future Earth series: "Geography and future studies: envisioning sustainable futures". Thanks for all interesting discussions and memories! pic.twitter.com/YRn8oMfumn
— Transient_ Spaces & Societies (Research Group) (@SpacesSocieties) September 5, 2024

What a weekend!????
Our Team gathered for a team retreat in Obernberg, Austria????️
Not only have we had time for hiking ????, watching soccer⚽️, nice food???? and conversations????️, but also for workshops about our phd candidates' dissertations as well as carreer pathways within academia. pic.twitter.com/imNLYiJZiB
— Transient_ Spaces & Societies (Research Group) (@SpacesSocieties) July 16, 2024

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Our Team

This picture shows the members of the research group on the top of the a building of the University of Innsbruck. The background shows a mountain range. The team members on the picture from left to right, back row, are: Jan Misera, Elisabeth Gruber, Belinda Mahlknecht, Anna Gruber, Jacqueline Kowalski, Huiqiao Yuan, Johannes Melchert. In the front row from left to right are: Christoph, Schimmel, Tabea Bork-Hüffer and Andrea Markl.

Our Focus

This figure shows the main research topics, concepts, methods and regional foci of the research group Transient Spaces and Societies. The research group works on the intersection of three interconnected processes: urbanization, mobilities and digitization. The individual members of the work group thereby apply a several key concepts that are of relevance to their individual and the groups’ foci. Among these concepts are: transient urbanisms, place making, worlding, policy mobilities, translocalities, diversity and difference, inclusion and exclusion, inequalities, youth and intergenerationality, mediated nature experiences and extended realities. The group applies qualitative and quantitative methods often as part of multi- or mixed methods designs in its research. In the field of mobile methods, mobile media methods, biosensing and eye-tracking, the group experiments with these methods in new fields of application and also pursues method innovation through the development of new methods. Regional foci are Central Europe, especially Austria, Germany and Spain, Southeast Asia and East Asia, here especially China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Bangladesh.

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Our Locations

Heidelberg

Map shows the location of our office at the Universtity of Heidelberg. You can find us at: Department of Geography, Heidelberg University, Berliner Straße 48

Innsbruck

Map shows the location of our office. You can find us at: Institut für Geographie, Universität Innsbruck, Innrain 52f

Map shows the location of our office at the University of Innsbruck. You can find us at: Department of Geography, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52f

Department of Geography Heidelberg University Berliner Str. 48, 69120 Heidelberg

Department of Geography University of Innsbruck
Innrain 52, 6020 Innsbruck

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