DOKORP 2025: “Planning in times of multiple crises“

The 7th Dortmund Conference on Spatial and Planning Research will take place from February 10 to 12, 2025 at TU Dortmund University.

Call for Abstracts & Roundtables extended until 7.10.2024.

The Dortmund Conference on Spatial and Planning Research is jointly organized by the Department of Spatial Planning at TU Dortmund University, the Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association, Hanover (ARL) and the Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development (ILS), Dortmund.

“When we think of planning, we usually think of shaping the future in advance. But the future is and remains unknown, even if it is planned. In the complexity of planning, we seek a kind of certainty that the future cannot offer.”[1]

Planning practice implicitly presumes relatively stable basic conditions: urban development is predictable, property is robust, institutions are stable, the financial system works, and geopolitical and environmental conditions remain largely stable. Within spatial planning methods and techniques are applied which alleviate uncertainty and predict future population development, traffic flows, or flood events as precisely as possible to provide the basis for long-term plans.
The current crises are challenging the foundations of such an assumption of stability and predictability. The 2008 economic crisis questioned growth-oriented spatial planning, natural disasters question land use designations in risk areas, the pandemic has called into question fundamental assumptions about the use of public space. However, after a brief period of shock, stability returns. For example, after the flood events between 1993 and 2021, only a few building areas were actually withdrawn. Planning – it seems – is not changed by crises. It is robust and therefore creates stability and planning security. Is planning unshakable and not adaptable?
Currently crises are occurring more and more frequently and simultaneously: climate crisis, energy crisis, housing crisis, looming wars, migrations, pandemics, social inequalities, radicalization of milieus – these are multiple crises that spatial planning can and may not ignore.
What does this mean for planning? How can planning be justified in times of multiple crises? How can planning act in the face of uncertain futures? After all, most coping strategies for crisis require more space: the pandemic requires more distance for “social distancing”, migration needs housing, wars destroy urban areas and landscapes and require more military areas, rivers need more space for dealing with floods. The Building Land Commission recommends active land policy for German municipalities, at the same time, land consumption shall be reduced, public infrastructure should facilitate different forms of mobility in a just way. In short: planning also needs space. These spaces is owned by various landowners. The recognition and consideration of diverse interests and human and non-human perspectives increase complexity.

The Dortmund Conference on Spatial Planning 2025 deals with such fundamental questions of planning with discussing planning in times of multiple crises.

^{[1] Luhmann, N. (2011). Organisation und Entscheidung. Wiesbaden: VS, Verl. für Sozialwiss. p. 231}

Keynotes

• Assoc. Prof. Heidi Falkenbach
  Professor of Real Estate Management in the Department of Built Environment, Aalto University
• Prof. Dr. Dr. Ortwin Renn 
  Sociologist, economist and sustainability scientist
• Prof. Dr. Richard Norton
  Professor of Urban & Regional Planning, University of Michigan

Recognition as a training event

The event is requested for members of the Chamber of Architects of North Rhine-Westphalia as a training event in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning.

Conference fees

For registrations until 10.1.2025 (Early bird ): full payer 140 € / day ticket 80 € / students (BSc, MSc and PhD) 60 €

For registrations from 11.1. to 24.1.2025: full payer 160 € / day ticket 100 € / students (BSc, MSc and PhD) 80 €

A conference dinner will be held on Tuesday evening and must be booked separately: more information will follow shortly

Cancellation fee information: Cancellations until 10.1.2025 100% refund / Cancellations from 11.1.2025 onwards will be charged 100% cancellation fee.

Tracks

Track 1: Multiple crises seen through the lens of international comparative planning research (GER/EN)
Track 2: Planning theory (GER/EN)
Track 3: “Rethinking spaces and spatial development –  planning in uncertain times” (GER/EN)
Track 4: Housing and Land Policy (GER/EN)
Track 5: Urban development in times of multiple crises (GER/EN)
Track 6: Toleranz, Demokratie und Inklusion – Quartiere als Orte des Zusammenhalts? (GER)
Track 7: Data-based Spatial and Urban Planning in the Digital Era (EN)
Track 8: Green and Blue Infrastructure (EN)
Track 9: Mobility and transport (GER/EN)
Track 10: Masterplanning for change: Designing adaptable cities and neighbourhoods (EN)
Track 11: New paradigms for more complexity (GER/EN)
Track 12: Marginalisation and planning in times of multiple crises (EN)
Track 13: Braucht die Energiewende die Raumplanung noch? (GER)
Track 14: Planning for resilient cities and regions in a changing climate. Objectives, players, risks and promising strategies. (GER/EN)
Track 15: Open PhD-Workshop (GER/EN)
Track 16: Call for Roundtable Proposals (GER/EN)

Call for Abstracts – deutsch
Call for Abstracts – englisch

You can also find further information here.