News

Photo: Jon Tang (@sotangy) on Unsplash

View of a window in a high-rise building. Two people working in the room. A metropolis in the background.

Under the heading “Shaping Spaces for Sustainability Transformation: Challenges for Policy and Planning”, the Dresden Leibniz Graduate School (DLGS) is inviting PhD candidates to this year's Summer School. The event will take place on 19 and 20 September in Dresden. Applications can be submitted until 4 August.

Photo: HTW Dresden

Two people smile into the camera. They are holding a certificate and a bouquet of flowers respectively.

Dr Juliane Albrecht from the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) is the new honorary professor of environmental and planning law at HTW Dresden – University of Applied Sciences. On 10 June, Rector Professor Ingo Gestring presented her with the certificate of appointment. The university is thus honouring the scientist's many years of teaching and the existing professional collaboration.

Photo: Artelle Creative auf Unsplash

Close-up of a bunch of green plants

Under the heading “Spatiality of sustainability-oriented innovation dynamics and transformation”, the Dresden Leibniz Graduate School (DLGS) is offering scholarships for a doctoral programme starting in March 2026. Interested candidates with a Master's degree and ideas for innovative research projects are invited to apply by 1 September.

Illustration: N. Bongaerts/IÖR-Media

Graphical representation of landscape elements, people and various types of diagrams.

The Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) is launching its research data repository “ioerDATA” with the publication of the first research datasets. This enables the IOER to provide easy access to a selection of its research results. The service makes an important contribution to the sustainable transformation of cities and regions. Once generated, the data can be used by various stakeholders from science and practice for their work, for example in urban and regional planning or in the sustainability sciences.

Illustration: N. Bongaerts/IOER Media

Drawing of a lively square in shades of green and yellow. A person is blowing colourful petals across the scene from the left.

On 1 July, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Transformative Urban Regeneration (IZS) will open its doors as part of the "Days of Open Real-World Laboratories" campaign week. Together with partner organisations, the IZS Görlitz team will be presenting its work in the city and the region. Interested parties can discover how the IZS Görlitz develops practical solutions for a sustainable future together with urban and regional development stakeholders and citizens.

Photo: U. Griessbach/IOER Media

Photo of an office building that is currently being demolished.

Possible steps towards greater sustainability in the construction industry are the focus of the upcoming lectures at the IOER Forum series. On June 18 and 25, the series of events will offer insights into research and practice relating to circular construction practices.

“Book a Scientist” lettering with information about the format on a turquoise background.

On June 3, curious minds are invited to a new edition of "Book a Scientist". In this format, initiated by the Leibniz Association, Leibniz researchers answer questions on topics that touch everyday life. This time, six scientists from the IOER are taking part.

Photo: H. Hensel/IOER Media

One person stands in front of the audience and explains something, two seated people listen.

In March and April 2025, Dr. Sabine Dörry from the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) was a visiting scientist at the IOER. As the first fellow, the economic and financial geographer helped shape the launch of the IOER Fellowship Programme. Her stay at the IOER was driven by the question of how “sustainable” a project or entire programmes can be when financing is based on economic structures that are themselves neither sustainable nor fair. In this interview, she discusses her work and the exchange with her colleagues at the IOER.

Photo: Plan4Better GmbH

Opened notebook with a view of the GOAT software and a person's hands on the keyboard.

The GOAT 3.0 project has resulted in greatly enhanced software for more efficient integrated urban and transport planning. Various partners, including the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER), worked together on the project with the aim of making cities and transport more sustainable. GOAT 3.0 was funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport as part of the mFUND.

Photo: R. Vigh/IÖR-Media

View of an office building that is being demolished.

The construction sector is one of the world's biggest polluters. It is responsible for the enormous consumption of natural resources and the emission of large quantities of greenhouse gases. At the same time, it generates many tonnes of construction waste. If this is to change, more building materials need to be recycled and components reused, among other things. With the “Material Cadastre of Buildings in Germany”, scientists at the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) are now providing an important basis for such recycling in the construction sector. For the…

The Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development is jointly funded by the federal government and the federal states.

FS Sachsen

This measure is co-financed by tax funds on the basis of the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.