To path indicator Subpages of “Teaching“ To navigation To quick access To footer with other services
To content
RER Logo
Department of Spatial Planning
Lecture at IRPUD with a lecturer © Wiriya Puntub​/​TU Dortmund
Seminars

Summer term 2026

This course will examine current issues in spatial planning and regional development—with a focus on North Rhine-Westphalia—from both theoretical and practical planning perspectives, drawing on specific case studies. The course is primarily designed to deepen and apply the knowledge gained in introductory courses at the state and regional planning levels.

The focus is on a topic that is becoming increasingly relevant to spatial planning: ensuring public services within the context of demographic and socioeconomic change, the privatization of infrastructure, and the challenging situation facing public budgets. In this context, the role of “central place” concepts is discussed in greater depth. In addition, a variety of regional cooperation projects must be taken into account, such as those in the BMVBS’s model projects for spatial planning.

During the course, a lecture component will provide an overview of current developments in regional planning, state planning, and regional planning within this subject area. In a series of student presentations, this foundational knowledge will be explored in greater depth using selected examples.

Prerequisites

B.Sc. RP (2012): Successful completion of Modules 1, 2, 8, 9, and 12 is required to participate in the seminar. (Deadline: Seminar registration)


Dates: Tuesday, April 14, 2026, through July 21, 2026, 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., weekly
Location: GB I, R 410
Further information: Course listed in LSF
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Stefan Greiving (RER)

The purpose of the seminar is to provide the necessary knowledge regarding the development and practical application of data analysis methods and models for the planning and management of natural, green/open space, and environmental systems, as well as for climate adaptation. There is a strong focus here on the role of GIS in climate adaptation. The management of open space and environmental systems in the context of climate change and the energy transition determines the content of the seminar.

With regard to modeling techniques, the seminar emphasizes process- and system-oriented modeling as well as statistical modeling. At the beginning of the seminar, the structural-type approach will be introduced as a method for spatialization, modeling, and multi-criteria analysis of spatial structures using authentic examples.

To demonstrate successful active participation, students are expected to develop, under the instructor’s guidance, selected models and simulations for environmental planning and climate adaptation using software programs such as ArcGIS Pro, ENVI-met, FloodArea, or HEC-RAS, and to present their work in the form of presentations. The following topics may be selected for the presentation:

  • Municipal housing demand forecasting
  • Quantification of green space proportions and green volume using the structural type approach
  • Urban Neighborhood Green Index
  • Modeling and simulations using the ENVI-met program, e.g., simulation of various effects of different building greening scenarios
  • Modeling and simulations using the FloodArea program from Geomer GmbH—heavy rainfall simulation
  • Modeling and simulations using the FloodArea program from Geomer GmbH—flood hazard maps
  • GIS-based assessment of wind energy potential
  • GIS-based assessment of solar energy potential
  • GIS-based assessment of the potential for biomass energy
  • Cellular automaton simulation of urban systems
  • Modeling of urban sprawl
  • Agent-based simulation
  • GIS for Surface Water
  • GIS for Groundwater
  • GIS for Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
  • GIS for Floodplain Management and Watershed Delineation in ArcGIS
  • GIS and Water Quality
  • Digital Elevation Model Issues in Water Resources Modeling and
  • HEC-RAS and HEC-GeoRAS
  • SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool)

 

1st Session: Tuesday, April 14, 2026, through July 21, 2026, 2:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. weekly (Greiving)
2nd Session: Tuesday, April 14, 2026, through July 21, 2026, 4:15–5:45 p.m. weekly (Thinh)
Location: GB III, R 214
Further information: Course listed in the LSF
Instructors: Prof. Dr. Stefan Greiving (RER), Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thinh

Modern societies are vulnerable to a wide range of processes that have both natural and human-made causes (see COVID-19!)
As a rule, risks have a spatial component because they arise, spread, and have an impact in specific areas.
Spatial planning determines whether and how specific areas should be used, and in doing so must take into account the exposure to natural and technological hazards as well as the vulnerability of spatial and settlement structures. Proactively addressing risks from natural and man-made hazards through planning is a critical task for spatial planning, as demonstrated by this summer’s extreme flooding. The importance of this issue continues to grow due to climate change.

Seminar objective: To convey the relevance of risks from natural and man-made hazards to spatial planning. The seminar will discuss the key theories of hazard and risk research, as well as climate impact research. Furthermore, the seminar will include a critical examination of the role of spatial planning in the assessment and management of risks and in adaptation to climate change. Finally, specific case studies will be analyzed and reflected upon in light of the theoretical knowledge gained.


Dates: Tuesday, April 14, 2026, through July 21, 2026, 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., weekly
Location: GB I, R 410
Further information: Course in the LSF
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Stefan Greiving (RER)

Marine areas are increasingly subject to competing demands from economic development, environmental protection, and social uses. Activities such as offshore renewable energy, fisheries, shipping, tourism, aquaculture, and nature conservation all rely on access to marine space. As pressures on oceans and seas intensify, governments are turning to Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) as a strategic planning approach to coordinate these activities and manage spatial conflicts in marine environments.

This seminar introduces students to the fundamental concepts, governance frameworks, and planning practices associated with MSP. Building on theories and approaches from spatial planning, the course examines how planning principles developed for terrestrial environments are adapted to the specific institutional, ecological, and spatial characteristics of marine systems. A central focus of the course is the role of planning in balancing ecological sustainability with economic development within the emerging “blue economy.” Particular attention is given to the challenges of governing multi-use marine spaces that cross administrative boundaries and involve multiple stakeholders.

To achieve this educational goal, students are encouraged to actively participate in discussions and presentations led by the instructor and their peers. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory (a maximum of one session may be missed).
Students will critically examine the legal and policy frameworks shaping MSP, including international maritime governance and regional policy initiatives such as the EU Maritime Spatial Planning Directive. Through a combination of academic literature, policy documents, and case studies, the seminar examines how MSP is implemented in different national contexts and how planning processes address conflicts between sectors such as offshore wind energy, fisheries, shipping, and marine conservation.

To achieve these learning objectives, students will give oral presentations on and discuss case studies of marine spatial plans from Europe and beyond.
The seminar adopts a discussion-based format in which students actively engage with key debates in MSP research and practice. By the end of the course, participants will have developed the ability to critically evaluate marine planning processes and to apply spatial planning concepts to complex marine governance challenges.

To achieve this learning objective, students will develop a discussion paper (approximately 4,000 words) in which they systematically reflect on marine spatial planning as a tool for managing our seas.
The course is offered as a block seminar. An introductory lecture is scheduled for May 13, and the “block” is scheduled for July 27–31. All sessions are in English.


Further information: Course listing in the LSF
Instructor: M.Sc. Peter Rico Davids (RER)