Research projects

Regional and urban development is being confronted by the effects of the Corona pandemic, digitalisation and the climate crisis simultaneously. Resultingly, new demands are placed on space, both now and in the future. For example, there are indications that the boom in those working from home, sparked by the pandemic and digitalisation, is forcing an increased demand for space in the urban hinterland and, in some cases, even beyond in rural areas. New land demands are also arising as a result of trying to achieve climate protection goals, e.g. to expand renewable energies such as wind power. These demands are, however, in direct opposition to the contribution that more compact settlement structures can make through saving CO2 emissions in passenger transport and housing. Therefore, any new land claims resulting from sustainability and digitalization trends should be implemented with land-saving in mind. Demonstration Projects of Spatial Planning (MORO) are an established federal spatial planning instrument in responding to new challenges and developing and testing new planning approaches in cooperation between planning practice and science. On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB), the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) conducts to invite tenders in 2022 for Demonstration Projects of Spatial Planning on the topic of "New land claims - regional management of settlement and open space development after the pandemic". Together with the research and consulting institute Quaestio, the ILS has been commissioned by the BBSR to provide research assistance in implementing these model projects. The research assistance has the tasks of scientifically preparing and accompanying the work in the model regions and supporting the transfer of the results into practice and science.