Population and society, urban and regional development

Processes of demographic and social change also involve dynamical change in the demand for space, in both rural and urban regions. Research is conducted on population development in different types of space, its determining factors such as fertility and ageing, as well as processes of mobility and integration, against the background of dimensions of social, economic and cultural change.

Agglomerations play an important role in this context, as change is particularly apparent there. The corresponding research projects focus on international immigration, processes of integration, spatial disparities, as well as connections between urban areas and their surroundings. In rural areas, the main issues are the provision of public services, opportunities and risks involved in tourism and the energy industry, as well as the mobilisation of endogenous developmental potentials.

This key research area is not limited to the theorydriven description and analysis of space-related patterns and processes as well as their graphic visualisation, but also includes the identification of problems and conflicts, as well as possibilities of their resolution through space-related planning and policies.