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The rapid urbanisation in many countries does not only have consequences for cities. The previously rural regions surrounding growing mega-cities are also undergoing change. The joint project “Urban-Rural Assembly” (URA), in which the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) is involved, has been investigating this transformation of urban-rural regions in China since April 2019. The project team has now published findings from the project and experiences from other regions of the world in a handbook.

The official launch of the European Union-funded project ‘TriLand - Cross-border Transformation Centre | TriLand - Transgraniczne Centrum Transformacji’ took place on 3 December with a kick-off conference in Zgorzelec, Poland. Welcoming speeches from government representatives from Saxony, Lower Silesia and North Bohemia emphasised the importance of the project topic: cross-border cooperation for the sustainable development of the three-country region. The Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) is involved in the project with its Görlitz-based Interdisciplinary…

The Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) has been honoured with the TOTAL E-QUALITY award for the fifth time in a row for its convincing equal opportunities strategy. For this continuity, the institute also received the achievement award for sustainability.

The EU-funded Climate_CRICES project aims to improve the resilience of regions in Central Europe to the impacts of climate change. The kick-off meeting of the European project partners took place in Venice at the end of September to discuss the joint strategy and the next steps. By providing harmonised climate data and developing adaptation strategies, the project supports authorities and municipalities in effectively implementing climate adaptation measures. Six pilot regions in Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia as well as in the tri-border region between Germany, Poland and the Czech…

In October, scientist Raghav Anand from India completed his stay at the IOER. He has received one of the prestigious German Chancellor Fellowships from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. For one year, he was able to advance his research project on climate adaptation in smaller Indian cities. In this context, he was also investigating which aspects of IOER's research work in Dresden and Görlitz can be transferred to Indian cities. An interview from his time at the IOER.

The Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) and the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements (KRIHS) intend to work even more closely together on aspects of regional and urban sustainability transformations in future. The two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the end of October. The MoU is intended to create a long-term exchange of knowledge that will support both countries in designing sustainable living spaces.

Urban watercourses and urban greenery are the focus of the current autumn series of the IOER Forum. From 6 November, the series of events will feature lectures from science and practice, an excursion to the Geberbach stream in Dresden-Prohlis and a panel discussion.

The Spatial Science Colloquium 2025 hosted by the Leibniz Research Network "Spatial Knowledge for Society and Environment – Leibniz R" will take place on 26 and 27 June 2025 in Berlin. It is dedicated to the topic "Too much change? – Contradictions and new beginnings in socio-ecological transformation".