The ARL at the VASAB Young Planners’ Summer School 2026: Navigate Planning Through Changes
From 23 to 29 August 2026, 30 young planning professionals and students from across the Baltic Sea Region and Ukraine gathered in Gdańsk, Poland, for the VASAB Young Planners’ Summer School, held under the theme “Navigate Planning Through Changes.” The international and inter- and transdisciplinary format brought together participants from different countries and professional backgrounds to explore emerging spatial planning challenges in the Baltic Sea Region and to find adequate solutions for different planning levels.
The event was organised under the Polish Chairmanship of Visions and Strategies around the Baltic Sea (VASAB), by the VASAB Secretariat, the Polish Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy and Gdańsk University of Technology, in cooperation with the Estonian Association of Spatial Planners and the ARL – Academy for Spatial Development in the Leibniz Association, whose participation was made possible financially by the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS).
During the Summer School, inter- and transdisciplinary groups were formed to develop proposals addressing spatial planning challenges related to preparedness & resilience, climate change adaptation & mitigation, connections between people & places and land-use use of space for two selected cases, Stogi Island – a district of Gdańsk - and the Port of Gydina. The teams took part in different workshops and were supported throughout the week by dedicated mentors. Jana Baldy, responsible for early career development at the ARL, was one of the mentors and supported one of the groups in developing its project proposal.
At the award ceremony, Jana Baldy (right) together with the group of early-career planners she mentored throughout the Summer School: (from left to right) Austin Hämmerli, Ance Ludborža, Danilas Abukevicius, Aditi Toome, and Sybil Tong.
As a partner, the ARL also contributed an expert input by Britta Bockhorn, responsible for international affairs at the ARL. Drawing on her experience in cross-border cooperation, she highlighted the importance of international collaboration and the added value of inter- and transdisciplinary approaches in addressing complex spatial planning challenges. She was also one of the jury members who evaluated the group works and selected a winning team at the final day of the event.
The jury faced a difficult decision, as all teams presented highly original and innovative concepts. Ultimately, the winning team, mentored by Tīna Šipkēvica (VASAB Secretariat), stood out with its concept exploring the role of territorial identity in fostering the socially resilient spatial development of Stogi Island.
The jury members. From left to right: Britta Bockhorn (ARL), Kinga Stańczuk-Olejnik (Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy), Mārtiņš Ulāns (VASAB Secretariat), Kazimierz Musiał (Council of the Baltic Sea States), Karolina Krośnicka (Gdańsk University of Technology).
For the ARL, the Summer School provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen its engagement with early career planning professionals in the Baltic Sea Region and further expand its international network. The proposals developed by the groups during the Summer School will be presented through VASAB events and networks, with the winning team invited to present its work at the VASAB Directors General Meeting in October 2026.
The ARL also plans to invite the participants to present their concepts in an ARL Lunch Talk, connecting the outcomes of the Summer School with a broader professional and academic community. Further information on this will be available shortly on the ARL’s websites.
Participants, organisers and jury members of the VASAB Young Planners’ Summer School gathered in front of the historic main building of Gdańsk University of Technology in the end of the week-long event.