ARL International

Welcome to the knowledge and communication platform of the ARL - Academy for Territorial 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

Latest News

15/05/2026

New Edition Released: ARL Country Profile Italy

A new ARL Country Profile by Giancarlo Cotella (2026) explores the evolution of Italy’s territorial governance system, from traditional urbanistica to contemporary strategic and regionalised planning approaches shaped by EU cohesion policy and multilevel governance.

30/04/2026

„Land owners paradise?“ – ARL International Working Group Land Take in Europe

The international working group Land Take in Europe - In Pursuit of Net Zero met for its first live workshop at HOGENT University in Ghent (Belgium).

29/04/2026

New Edition Released: ARL Country Profile Czech Republic

The Czech Republic’s spatial planning system is characterised by a unitary state structure combined with a decentralised multi-level governance system shaped by post-socialist reforms and EU integration. The updated ARL Country Profile of the Czech Republic, authored by Univ.-Prof. Karel Maier, provides a concise overview of its constitutional and administrative framework, key planning instruments, and the hierarchical relationship between national, regional and local levels in spatial development.

23/04/2026

AlpPlan goes Forum Alpinum 2026 in Aosta Valley

From 28 to 30 May 2026, AlpPlan will participate in Forum Alpinum 2026. On 28 May, an AlpPlan workshop and the annual General Assembly will take place in Aosta.

21/04/2026

Landscape withwind turbines and the text “Regional expansion of onshore wind power under RED III”

The 2026 ARL Brussels Talk: Balancing Speed and Sustainability in the Energy Transition

How can the accelerated expansion of renewable energy be reconciled with biodiversity protection and meaningful public participation? Around 30 participants from research, administration and policy came together to discuss one of the key challenges of the energy transition.

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Who we are

The ARL – Academy for Territorial 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