Thünen Institute

Thünen Institute, Research Section Rural Areas

The Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute – in short: Thünen Institute – is a scientifically independent Federal research institute at the interface of science, politics and society. The work of the Thünen Institute comprises research including long-term monitoring and science-based policy advice.

ZALF

Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research

Mission of ZALF is to deliver solutions for an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable agriculture – together with society. As a contribution to overcoming global challenges such as climate change, food security, biodiversity conservation and resource scarcity, we develop and design crop systems, integrated in their landscape contexts, that combine food security with sustainability.

ARL

Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association

The ARL – Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association is a network of excellent specialists from science and practice. As a social research infrastructure, we bring together recognised expertise on spatially relevant topics. We want to develop spaces sustainably. Inter- and transdisciplinarity characterises our thinking and our activities.

ILS

Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development

The ILS – Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development conducts application-oriented basic research and investigates recent urbanisation processes in order to develop inter- and transdisciplinary findings for a socially, ecologically and economically sustainable transformation and design of urban spaces on different spatial scales - including international comparisons - in an active dialogue with practice, politics and society.

IRS

Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space

IRS conducts research on the dynamic interrelation between social and spatial development of cities, towns and regions from a social science perspective. Processes of transformation and governance are of particular interest.

IfL

Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography

The Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (IfL) in Leipzig is tasked with analysing social processes from geographical perspectives and visualising social change. As a member of the Leibniz Association and as the only non-university research institute for geography in Germany, the institute brings together basic research and knowledge transfer.

iamo

Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies

Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies AMO analyzes economic, social and political processes of change in the agricultural and food sector, and in rural areas. The geographic focus covers the enlarging EU, transition regions of Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe, as well as Central and Eastern Asia. IAMO works to enhance the understanding of institutional, structural and technological changes.

IÖR

Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development

The IOER is a non-university research centre and a member of the Leibniz Association. It investigates the sustainable development and transformation of cities and regions in the context of the global human-ecological crisis, focusing on the dynamic interactions between ecosystems and society at and across multiple spatial scales, as well as options for responsible stewardship.

Network Activities

03.12.2024

Data and Policy Output

How do current scientific findings about space-related processes effect the practice? We redacted our reserach data and collected our policy outputs in an brief overview for you.

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05.02.2025

Register now: RWK 2025

Leibniz R organises the Raumwissenschaftliches Kolloquium - RWK every two years. The all-day events have been taking place since 2005 and are important forums for science and practice to discuss current issues of spatial development and exchange perspectives. The next RWK will take place under the title ‘Too much change? Contradictions and new beginnings in the socio-ecological transformation’ from 26 to 27 June 2025 in Berlin.

To the RWK 2025

13.01.2025

Meeting of doctoral students and postdocs: Leibniz enRichment 2025

Once a year, PhD students from the Leibniz R institutions organise a thematic meeting for all early career researchers from the Leibniz R network. There is always a special guest who gives a lecture, participates in joint panel discussions and takes part in a workshop. The topic of the enRichment meeting in January 2025 will be transdisciplinarity, with Ulli Vilsmaier as guest speaker.

to Leibniz enRichment 2025

Leibniz R Journal

Raumforschung und Raumordnung | Spatial Research and Planning is a forum for topics and debates relevant to the field of spatial sciences. The interdisciplinary journal addresses issues of spatial development and planning. It focuses on urban and regional planning, demographic and urban spatial change, landscape development, environmental planning, sustainable development, adaptation to climate change, mobility, economic geography, regional governance and planning theories. The journal is published Open Access („golden“ road to OA) by oekom.

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Network partners

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The Leibniz research network Spatial Knowledge for Society and Environment – Leibniz R is one of ten research networks in the Leibniz Association. The network partners analyse social, ecological and economic processes and interrelations in the spatial context.