Industrial Land Conversion in German Regions: Extent, Spatial Patterns and the Role of Urban Policy

ILS researcher Dr. Bastian Heider, together with colleagues from TU Dortmund University and the IÖR, has published an article in the journal European Planning Studies. This article analyses long-term trends and spatial patterns in the conversion of commercial and industrial land in German city regions. Contrary to many other international studies, the results show no significant loss of industrial and commercial land in most core urban areas. This highlights the influence of national and local planning institutions in the context of global urban development phenomena such as reurbanisation and the displacement of industry from central urban areas. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2026.2644411. Further current selected papers can be found here.