Martina Stepper completed her studies in spatial and environmental planning at the TU Kaiserslautern in February 2010. After graduating, she worked as a research assistant with a degree in urban sociology until she completed her doctorate as a doctoral scholarship holder of the IRTG on the topic: "Inner-city shopping location, qualification of inner-city retail locations against the background of increasing online shopping". Since 2014, she has been teaching and researching as a research assistant at the Chair of Urban Planning at RPTU.

Professional training

2010 -2014

Doctoral scholarship holder of IRTG 1131 (DFG's International Research Training Group) (TU Kaiserslautern), title: "Einkaufsstandort Innenstadt. Qualification of inner-city retail locations against the background of increasing online shopping"

January 2010 - June 2010

Resumption of the study program "European Spatial Planning and Regional Development" at the BTH Karlskrona (Sweden) and graduation with a Master of Science degree

August 2007 - January 2008

Semester abroad at BTH Karlskrona (Sweden) as part of the ERASMUS program in the degree program 'European Spatial Planning and Regional Development'

2004 - 2010

Studied spatial and environmental planning at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern with a degree in engineering and a semester abroad at BTH Karlskrona (Sweden)

Professional career

since September 2014

Research assistant at the Chair of Urban Planning at RPTU

April 2010 - December 2010

Research assistant with degree at the Department of Urban Sociology of Prof. Annette Spellerberg at the TU Kaiserslautern

Teaching activity

Since 2014

Independent teaching as a research assistant in the Bachelor's degree program "Spatial Planning", in the Master's degree program "Urban and Regional Development with a specialization in Urban Planning" and in the Master's degree program "Urban Planning" at the Chair of Urban Planning as well as supervision of study projects and theses (Bachelor and Master).

Research activities

2021 - 2023

Integrated urban development concepts and integrated action concepts for inner-city development - adaptation needs in times of Corona?

Memberships and activities at the department

• Board member of Wissensnetzwerk Stadt und Handel e.V. and head of the office
• Member of the Association for Urban, Regional and State Planning SRL e.V.
• Member of the Academy for Urban and Regional Planning (DASL)
• Member of the Steering Committee for Studies and Teaching (SC) at RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau
• Member of the Admissions Committee Master Urban and Regional Development
• Member of the Admissions Committee Master Urban Planning
• Student Advisory Service Master Urban Planning
• Internship Office

Selected publications

• Uhlig, C.; Rhede-Bauers, C.; Busch, A.; Mitransky, T.; Kurth, D.; Stepper, M. (2024): Integrated urban development concepts for inner cities and centers - adaptation needs in times of Corona? BBSR online publication 100/2024. download.
• Stepper, Martina; Schwarz, Ina (2023): Fresh wind for city centers - Student perspectives on centers of the future, in: Planerin Heft 3/23, Berlin, pp. 16-19.
• Stepper, Martina (2021): Raumplanung ohne Raum - Ein Zwischenfazit zu einem (unfreiwillig) digitalen Semester, in: RaumPlanung 210, 1-2021, pp. 54-59.
• Stepper, Martina; Kurth, Detlef (2020): Transformation strategies for inner-city retail locations in face of e-commerce, in: Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Urban Design and Planning, 173(5), pp. 159-170, DOI: 10.1680/jurdp.19.00017.
• Stepper, Martina (2016): City centers and brick-and-mortar retail - an inseparable pair? What is changing as a result of online retail? in: Raumforschung und Raumordnung 74 (2), pp. 151-163 (DOI 10.1007/s13147-016-0391-x).
• Stepper, Martina (2016): Der neue Konsument - das veränderte Kaufverhalten im digitalen Zeitalter, in: Korzer, Tanja; Ribbeck, Juliane; Weidner, Silke (eds.): stationär und online - Handel in der Stadt, opus4.kobv.de/opus4-btu/frontdoor/index/index/docId/4041, pp. 52-57.
• Stepper, Martina (2015): Stadt- und Handelsentwicklung 2030 - Was braucht die Innenstadt der Zukunft, presentation at the fall conference of the City-Management-Verband Ost (CMVO) on 06.11.2015 in Leipzig.
• Stepper, Martina (2015): Inner city shopping location. Qualification of inner-city retail locations against the background of increasing online shopping, dissertation at the TU Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern
• Stepper, Martina (2015): Digital media as future potential for stationary retail, in: RaumPlanung 179, 3-2015, pp. 61-66.
• Stepper, Martina (2015): The Digitalization of Retail and the Consequences for Urban Space, in: Forum Stadt 3/2015, pp. 151-167.
• Stepper, Martina (2014): Der Neue Konsument, lecture at the International Symposium 'SUB urban virtuell - Eine Zukunft für Stadt & Handel im Zeitalter der Digitalization' on 27/28.11.2014 in Leipzig.
• Grotheer, Swantje; Schöbel, Arne; Stepper, Martina (eds.) (2014): Nimm's sportlich - Planung als Hindernislauf, Hannover (= ARL working reports 10).
• Stepper, Martina (2013): Strengthening inner-city retail locations against the background of increasing online shopping, in: Küpper, Patrick; et al. (eds.): Raumentwicklung 3.0 - Gemeinsam die Zukunft der räumlichen Planung gestalten, ARL working reports 8, Hanover, pp. 175-187.
• Hengst, Martina; Steinebach, Gerhard (2012): Multi-channel concepts as an opportunity for sustainable and future-proof development of city centers?, in: Schrenk, M.; et al. (eds.): REAL CORP 2012. Re-Mixing the City. Towards Sustainability and Resilience? (conference proceedings), Schwechat, pp. 513-522.
• Hengst, Martina; Steinmüller, Lena (2011): Integration - Was heißt das eigentlich, in: Planerin Heft 5/11, Berlin, p. 61 f.
• Hengst, Martina; Spellerberg, Annette (2011): Mehr Lebensqualität - Soziale-Stadt-Gebiet Kaiserslautern Innenstadt-West, in: Planerin Heft 2/11, Berlin, p. 46 f.