ARL International

Welcome to the knowledge and communication platform of the ARL - Academy for Spatial Development in the Leibniz Association , where you’ll find comprehensive information on the Academy’s international expertise.

ARL Congress 2026

European Regional Policy in Times of Transition

1–2 October 2026 in Cologne, Germany

Programme available & registration now open - find all information at ARL Congress 2026 | ARL-Net

Latest News

03/08/2026

Call for Papers for a special issue on Transit-Oriented Development in Built-up Areas in the journal: Raumforschung und Raumordnung | Spatial Research and Planning (RuR)

Call for Papers for a special issue on Transit-Oriented Development in Built-up Areas in the journal: Raumforschung und Raumordnung | Spatial Research and Planning (RuR) (rur.oekom.de)

27/07/2026

New Edition Released: ARL Country Profile Estonia

The updated ARL Country Profile of Estonia, authored by Kristiina Martin and Kadi Väli, provides a comprehensive overview of the country’s spatial planning and territorial development system, outlining its governance framework, institutional structure, and planning system.

23/07/2026

New Edition Released: ARL Country Profile of the United Kingdom

How is spatial planning organised across the four nations of the United Kingdom? The new ARL Country Profile examines the country's planning systems, governance structures and territorial context.

17/07/2026

Learning Across Regions

Building Successful Cross-Boundary Governance from AlpPlan to the Baltic Sea. Short recap on the second ARL Roundtable Discussion at the World Planning School Congress 2026 in Helsinki

16/07/2026

Dortmund Conference – DOKORP 2027: Call for Abstracts and Roundtables due by September 15, 2026

22.02.2027 - 25.02.2027
Dortmund

Generative AI, machine learning, virtual worlds – opportunities, risks, and implications of the ongoing digitalisation for planning for the future

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Who we are

The ARL – Academy for Spatial Development in the Leibniz Association is the central platform and professional voice of spatial science research and practice. As a social research infrastructure, we bring together recognised experts on socially relevant topics.

We provide our members and all participants in our network with the human and financial resources necessary for inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation, the synthesis of spatial knowledge and the effective transfer of results. In this way, we tackle current issues of sustainable spatial development in an integrated, multidisciplinary and practice-orientated manner.

This inter- and transdisciplinary approach characterises all our activities, events and publications with the aim of stimulating forward-thinking change and actively shaping the process of spatial transformation.

The ARL is a member of the Leibniz Assoctiation.

The Academy