Paul Seidel

Paul Seidel is a Researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space (IRS) within the "Urban Politics" Research Group of the "Politics and Planning" Research Area, a position he has held since June 2025. He currently leads investigations into large housing estates as part of the flagship "Urban Heat Transition" project.

His academic foundation includes a Bachelor's degree in European Ethnology and History from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and a Master of Arts in Sociology with specialization in planning and urban sociology from Technische Universität Berlin. His master's thesis analyzed historicisation tendencies in Berlin's tense housing markets through empirical case studies.

Seidel's research integrates Urban Sociology, Urban Planning, and Housing Studies with critical examinations of Spatial Inequality and Urban Climate Adaptation. His work explores socio-spatial dynamics in urban development, particularly how historical housing market pressures intersect with contemporary climate resilience challenges in large-scale residential areas. This trajectory reflects deep engagement with Urban History and authenticity frameworks in post-reunification German cities.

Prior to his IRS appointment, Seidel contributed to projects including "Spatial Disparities and Compensation Policies in Cities of the GDR and the FRG" and "Urban Authenticity" during research assistantships at Humboldt University's "City Lab for Multimodal Anthropology" and IRS. From degree completion until 2025, he served as research assistant, technical advisor, and deputy office manager for Bündnis 90/Die Grünen's housing policy spokesperson in the German Bundestag.