Our goal

The ARL wants to shape sustainable spatial development and social prospects for the future. That is why we facilitate interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research on current spatial issues. We aim to identify action- and solution-oriented ways and means of making cities, rural areas and regions liveable and crisis-proof for all people, while protecting the diversity of nature and the landscape and preserving them for future generations.

Who we are

The ARL works at the interface between science, planning practice and politics. Its research and work covers issues of spatial development and spatial planning – fields in which many key social challenges are concentrated in a concrete and conflictual manner. Addressing these issues requires interdisciplinary cooperation and reflective exchange between scientific analysis and planning and political practice.

The Academy

This platform

ARL-international.com is your gateway to spatial development and planning from a global perspective. It serves as the ARL's platform for international collaboration, transdisciplinary research, and knowledge exchange on pressing spatial challenges.

Here, you’ll find opportunities to connect with experts from academia and practice. This website is dedicated to fostering an international dialogue and strengthening cross-border cooperation in spatial development.

Latest News

30/10/2025

Photo of a camera screen showing a New York street scene with a yellow taxi and zebra crossing

Vote now in the ‘2025 PhD Video Challenge – People's Vote’

By voting, you are helping young researchers to increase their visibility and reach.

Vote here: https://www.buildingsandcities.org/video-challenge/peoples-vote-2025.html

30/10/2025

Call for Membership: International Working Group “Land Take in Europe – In Pursuit of Net Zero”

The group will work for three years (2026–2028) to explore how European countries can move toward No Net Land Take (NNLT) by 2050 — a core EU objective aimed at avoiding, minimizing and compensating land consumption.

13/10/2025

Graphic with a panoramic view of Brussels, showing the Mont des Arts and the Gothic town hall tower in the background. The image is diagonally divided: the left half in black and white, the right half in red overlay. A white-outlined text box on the red side reads: “Brussels Talk 2025”.

ARL Brussels Talk 2025 on Land Policies in Europe

Land as a scarce resource: The ARL brings experts together in Brussels for European dialogue

30/09/2025

Difficulties for Theorisation: Insights from a roundtable at AESOP Annual Congress 2025

With the objective of reflecting on persistent tensions in spatial planning theory members of the ARL Working Group “Beyond the Process: Finding Common Ground for a Discussion on Planning's Substantial Foundation” came together with external experts for a roundtable discussion.

25/09/2025

Good Planning & Cooperation Practices in the Baltic Sea Region

On 18 September 2025, VASAB hosted a hybrid workshop in Iława, Poland, and online, bringing together project partners of the Planners’ Forum project, and other key stakeholders involved in spatial planning in the Baltic Sea Region.

View all news

Expert Circle

One of the ARL’s unique features is its large network of highly qualified experts. We are now making this network even more international and even more visible by launching our Expert Circle. Want to know who the experts are on certain topics? Who is doing research where and on what issues? Which planning professionals have valuable experience in which areas?

The platform enables professionals in our network to be filtered by topic, profession, country and regional expertise. Find interesting people you would like to work and exchange ideas with.

It’s very easy, try it out!