Spatial Science Colloquium 2023 Addresses Spatial Development and Digitalisation

The intensive interactions of digitalisation and spatial development are the focus of the Spatial Science Colloquium 2023 (SSC2023), an event hosted by the Leibniz Research Network “Spatial Knowledge for Society and Environment – Leibniz R”. For the first time, the SSC will take place on two days: 4 July is an online event aimed at an international scientific audience. Day 2 on 5 July will be a face-to-face event in Berlin dedicated to the application-oriented exchange between science, politics and practice. Registration for the event is now open.

The process of digitization leads to far-reaching changes in society. This is linked to various and sometimes contradictory expectations, hopes and fears with regard to spatial development: How are location perspectives and the mobility of households or companies changing? What does digitization mean in terms of resource conservation and ecological services? Will urban areas be the winners and rural areas the losers? How inclusive, transparent and creative are forms of digital participation or design? What are consequences for spatial planning and development? And finally: Are transformations towards sustainable spatial structures and processes favoured or hindered?

After approximately two decades of scientific debates and political strategies on digitization at all levels as well as, in particular, the considerable acceleration caused by the pandemic, an interim conclusion on intensive interactions between digitization and spatial development seems urgently needed.

The SSC 2023 therefore aims to discuss the current state of research and practical experiences and to identify future goals and challenges.

The focus will be on four key causal complexes:

• Governance, Planning and Management
• Socio-Economic Transformation, Land Use and Mobility
• Socio-Ecological Transformation, Agriculture and Energy
• Knowledge Co-Production, Innovation and Social Learning

The event combines two different formats:

The first day, 04/07/2023, focuses on the international scientific debate and will be held in English and exclusively online.

The second day, 05/07/2023, links the scientific exchange with application-related perspectives from politics and practice and will take place in German and exclusively on-site in Berlin.

The keynote lectures at the SSC2023 will be given by two renowned scientists. Prof. Dr Orit Halpern from the Technische Universität Dresden and Concordia University Montréal will speak on the topic of “Smart Natures: Technology, Spatial Development, and AI”. The lecture by Prof. Dr Annette Spellerberg from the RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau is entitled „Stadt- und Raumentwicklung mit Hilfe Künstlicher Intelligenz?“ (Urban and spatial development with the help of artificial intelligence?).