Kerstin Meyer

Dr. Kerstin Meyer is a Researcher at the Institute for Work and Technology (IAT) of the Westfälische Hochschule Gelsenkirchen Bocholt Recklinghausen, where she has been working since October 2016 in the research area of 'Spatial Capital.' She is also a doctoral candidate at the Technical University of Dortmund in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning within the Faculty of Spatial Planning, pursuing her doctorate on 'Urban Production as a Building Block of the Mixed-Use City of the Future' since 2020. Additionally, she serves as a lecturer at TU Dortmund University's Faculty of Spatial Planning and at Witten-Herdecke University's Studium fundamentale program since 2022.

Dr. Meyer earned her B.Sc. in Geography and BA in International Economics and Development from the University of Bayreuth, followed by a Master's degree in Urban and Regional Development from the Technical University of Kaiserslautern. Her academic journey reflects a strong foundation in both geographical and economic perspectives on urban development.

Her research focuses on transformative urban and regional development, with particular expertise in urban production, commercial area development, circular economy, startup ecosystems, and transformation knowledge through real-world laboratories. Dr. Meyer's work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications, as evidenced by her involvement in numerous research projects and her contributions to municipal strategies. She has developed comprehensive approaches to integrating production back into urban environments, analyzing the spatial distribution of manufacturing, and creating sustainable economic models for challenged regions.

Her extensive publication record demonstrates a clear trajectory of deepening expertise in urban production systems. The most recent publications show increasing sophistication in analyzing spatial patterns of urban manufacturing, developing circular economy frameworks, and examining the relationship between industrial activity and urban form. Her work spans empirical analyses, conceptual frameworks, and practical implementation guides, with a growing emphasis on climate-neutral industrial development and spatial optimization through concepts like 'stacked production.'

Dr. Meyer actively contributes to academic and professional communities through membership in the Young Talent Forum of the Academy for Spatial and Regional Planning (ARL), the Regional Studies Association (RSA), and the Transformative Knowledge Regions (TRAKR) network. She has organized the Transformation Talks NRW in 2023 and 2024 and was a member of the Urban Production Working Group of the ARL Forum NRW from 2020-2023.

Her research is supported through significant projects including FAB.Region Bergisches Städtedreieck (2024-2026), Ecosys4you – Engaging Entrepreneurial Ecosystems for the Youth (2023-2026), and TRAKR – The Regional Studies Association Research Network on Transformative Regions (2023-2026), among others. These projects demonstrate her capacity to secure competitive funding and lead interdisciplinary research initiatives focused on sustainable urban economic development.

Dr. Meyer's work with real-world laboratories, particularly through the UrbaneProduktion.Ruhr initiative, shows her commitment to translating academic research into practical urban interventions. Her projects often involve collaboration with municipal authorities, businesses, and community organizations to develop implementable strategies for urban economic development.