ARL-Net

The demand for land continues to rise making it increasingly difficult to implement sustainable land use within existing spatial planning systems. In regions with complex topographies identifying spatial solutions to land-use conflicts is particularly difficult. In the Alps, for instance, developable land is mostly restricted to narrow valley floors. The energy transition and climate-related extreme weather events are intensifying the pressure on the remaining land.

These demands often extend beyond national borders to encompass areas such as energy production, water management and resource use. Developing long-term solutions therefore requires continuous dialogue between researchers and planning practitioners, both within and beyond defined geographical regions. The ARL European Working Group AlpPlan has established itself as an important platform for knowledge transfer between research and practice, connecting local, regional, national and transnational actors throughout the Alpine Space. The network's experiences demonstrate the crucial role of effective governance structures and communication mechanisms in supporting cooperation across macro-regions. Similarly, the Land-based Planners’ Forum project, which was funded by a third party, and focused on the Baltic Sea Region, has identified key priorities driven by practitioners that need to be embedded in functional cross-border governance frameworks.