Exploring land-management across Europe: perspectives, challenges and practices
Call for Applications
2025 ARL International Summer School
17-19 June 2025 in Ås, Norway
Organised by the ARL – Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association and the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (BYREG) of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, we are pleased to invite PhD candidates to submit papers for the 2025 ARL International Summer School, scheduled to take place on 17-19 June at the campus of NMBU in Ås, Norway (30km south of Oslo).
The topic
Land has always been a finite resource, facing diverse and often competing demands from urban and infrastructural development, environmental preservation and agricultural use. In the context of climate change adaptation and climate mitigation and other emerging trends, sustainable land use is gaining new significance. Addressing these challenges requires a novel approach to land management and land-use planning, emphasizing sustainable policies and practices fostering transformative approaches towards just spatial development.
This interdisciplinary summer school provides a platform to explore the different perspectives, challenges, and practical experiences in transformative land management across Europe. Participants will critically examine how regulatory frameworks and planning approaches contribute to sustainable and just urban development and gain insights into the implications of land-use policies, including their role in mitigating urban sprawl, preserving natural habitats, and achieving long-term sustainability goals such as the EU’s ambitious goal of achieving zero land take by 2050.
Potential Contributions
We invite applications from PhD candidates internationally and across a range of disciplines whose work aligns with the following themes:
- Perspectives on effective urban and regional planning practices: The role of planning in promoting sustainable and resilient land management and urban development across different planning systems, including the role of e.g. private actors or stakeholder collaborations.
- Critical work on transformative land management approaches: Strategies for planning processes to achieve sustainable and integrated spatial development.
- Methodological work on legal Instruments for No Net Land Take (NNLT) property rights and land use regulation: An analysis of national and European legal frameworks, focusing on property rights and land use restrictions, aimed at limiting urban sprawl and land take to achieve goals.
- Reflections on environmental and ecological challenges: The relationship between land take policies and biodiversity, ecosystems, and natural resources, and the consideration of the trade-offs between development and conservation; including topics like urban regeneration, brownfield redevelopment, and the integration of green infrastructure.
The themes above are not meant to be exhaustive, encouraging applications to contribute innovative and cross-cutting ideas. We particularly welcome diverse methodological approaches, including pluralistic, heterodox, and power-critical perspectives. We encourage PhD candidates to apply who are interested in contributing to these discussions with creative and interdisciplinary approaches.
Eligibility
The Summer School is open to all PhD students whose work addresses issues related to planning, law, urban studies, environmental policy, sustainability, human geography and related fields. It is particularly aimed at 2nd and 3rd year candidates.
Fees and Scholarships
The ARL sponsors the accommodation and travel costs for all participants. A participation fee will not be charged.
Find the complete call for applications here: Exploring land-management across Europe: perspectives, challenges and practices | ARL-International
For further inquiries, please contact andreas.hengstermann@nmbu.no or britta.bockhorn@arl-net.de.
We look forward to receiving your contributions!
With best wishes from the ARL Headquarters