Aktionsräume temporär Wohnender in deutschen Städten: Das Zusammenspiel von Alltagsorten und Wohlfühlorten

Abstract

Increasing mobilities, individualisation and flexibilisation of life, as well as temporary work arrangements, lead to residential and living arrangements that are not conceived as permanent but often as temporary. The everyday life of people living temporarily in cities differ from that of permanent residents, as it is associated with limited stays, presences, and absences. Activity spaces, understood as the set of all locations which the individual uses in day-to-day activities, offer a useful opportunity to explore the everyday lives of temporary residents. This paper uses narrative interviews and a cognitive map to investigate the activity spaces of temporary residents in the two German city regions Frankfurt am Main and Leipzig. The qualitative study focuses on activities, interactions and constraints associated with the respective everyday places. In addition, an emotional aspect is considered, that is conceptualised through places of well-being and provides insights into senses of belonging. A typification of temporary residents’ activity spaces reveals that places of well-being in particular should be given more attention in the future, as they significantly influence a feeling of being at home in the city.

Keywords

• Temporary living arrangements
• Qualitative activity space research
• Everyday practices
• Well-being, Home