Karen is the CityDiv project coordinator. Her work within this project focuses on diversity and immigrant policies in Germany.

Christian investigated the influence of city planning on spatial structures of diversity. He did this against the background of existing residential and social patterns of different groups in German cities.

Christine investigated the role of civil society organisations in the politics of diversity in French and German cities. Comparing two cities in each country, her project investigated the factors shaping the forms of organisation and advocacy and looked at possible changes in a context of changing urban societies and increasing political contestation of diversity.

Julia also analysed the extent to which representatives of minority interests are embedded in local governance networks. Her focus was cities in France. In particular, she looked at laïcité and the local governance of religious diversity, as well as the extent and forms of inclusion of religious actors in local governance structures. More broadly, she looked at how core actors in French cities shape structures of diversity.

Maria investigated the articulations and negotiations of diversity in local governance networks in German cities. More specifically, she analysed the interactions between residents and local officials as well as the ways in which immigrants are involved in and make use of local governance networks.

Lisa explored how sociocultural heterogeneity unfolds in the context of big charitable organizations – are there distinguishable patterns of framing diversity in religious and non-religious organizations or do city-specific approaches appear? She contrasted these patterns with diversity discourse in other sectors, such as the cities’ cultural policy.

Alexandre conducted research on how urban cultural policies perceive and respond to the diversification of local populations, especially as regards migration. French public libraries are at the core of his research. At a time when public libraries expand their services and renew the way they interact with the public, his research questions whether and to what extent migration-related diversity were part of these evolutions.