Digitalization is currently one of the most important and urgent topics. It is sometimes seen as a saviour, as the solution to important problems. But what role can digitalization play in spatial planning? (How) can digital data and methods improve or perhaps even reorient spatial analyses and concepts? How do "new" digital methods work together with "classical" analogue methods? And is this dividing line even accurate and reasonable?

In the field of spatial planning, digital tools are predominantly used to collect and present current and prospective facts in order to make them accessible for analytical and conceptual work, but also for communication with experts, citizens or politics. Often, such images come to light through digital methods in the first place.

Creating a picture - both of the current state of the situation and of future development options - is thus one of the fundamental competences of planners and represents the core of the department in teaching and research. Digital tools and methods are the thematic priority, but do not take precedence per se. Visualization can and should be implemented with the means appropriate to the problem. It is precisely the deliberate combination of data and manual work that holds great planning potential.

Digital tools are not an end in themselves. They only unfold their impact on planning when planners consciously integrate them into their tasks in order to support their own planning skills and approaches. The subject area therefore aims to enable future planners to use data and digital tools adequately, confidently and in particular themselves in their planning tasks. As a rule, this does not require highly technical special solutions, but rather a simple but effective structure in planning thinking and in applying the available means.

Planning is an application science. Teaching and research are therefore both scientific and strongly application-oriented.

The department is headed by Jun.-Prof. Dr. Martin Berchtold.