Planning space is usually defined by political and administrative boundaries, although our living and economic space is shaped by functional contexts such as: catchment area, everyday travel, and spatial identity. When planning regional development, the region must always be redefined as the object of planning and communicated as such during the participation process. Further development of the region in partnership with local people is the goal of innovative regional development.

The Research Unit (formerly Centre) of Regional Planning and Regional Development deals with methods, the process design, implementation, and evaluation of regional spatial planning and regional development. Through dissertations, research projects, commissioned projects, final year projects and practical courses, we study, develop and accompany the implementation of spatial development processes and instruments that cut across municipal, provincial, and national borders. In this context, interdisciplinary collaboration with experts, universities, public authorities, and NGOs is regarded as an essential component and put into practice accordingly.

News

Around 25 people pose for a photo.
© Karoline Hadek

Under the motto “Beyond Borders”, 23 students traveled to Brussels and Hamburg together with Petra Hirschler and Sibylla Zech from 12 to 16 May 2025…

[Translate to English:] eine grüne und blaue Landschaft, Sichtbar vom Boot
© Elias Grinzinger

As part of the Master's elective module “Spatial Planning in Rural and Alpine Areas”, 20 students and the teaching team visited the Salzkammergut…

Park with skyscrapers in the background
© Stefan Mitrovic

In order to gain inspiration for the “Transformation of urban parking spaces” in the Krems region, the architecture and spatial planning students of…

On a square lined with old buildings, there are market stalls, people on foot and a streetcar.
© Clemens Beyer

As every year, some students were able to attend the international REAL CORP conference as part of a course. Among other things, our research project…