ARL Congress 2026

ARL / Lea Molina Caminero

The ARL – Academy for Spatial Development in the Leibniz Association – is bringing together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners for its congress on

European Regional Policy in Times of Transition

to be held in Cologne, Germany, on 1 – 2 October 2026.

European regions are undergoing multiple, overlapping transformations. While the green and digital transitions offer new opportunities, they also risk reinforcing existing spatial and social inequalities. Disparities within and between regions – urban and rural, central and peripheral, growing and shrinking – persist or are even deepening. The problem of ‘left-behind places’ has, for good reason, gained increasing attention in recent years. At the same time, geopolitical instability, demographic change, and environmental risks are adding new layers of territorial vulnerability and contestation.

Regional policy is thus at a crossroads. The upcoming EU budget negotiations, the uncertain future of Cohesion Policy post‑2027, and the mounting pressure to redirect funds toward green innovation, competitiveness, and defence raise fundamental questions about how territorial cohesion and spatial justice can be achieved in the years ahead. The spatial impacts of sectoral policies – such as the Common Agricultural Policy, climate and energy policy, and digital infrastructure – continue to shape spatial development trajectories, often with uneven outcomes.

Keynote Speakers

Alongside invited panellists, we are pleased to welcome Andrés Rodríguez-Pose (London School of Economics) and Rachel Lancry Beaumont (European Committee of the Regions, Head of Department for the COTER Commission) as keynote speakers. Their presentations will address “The EU’s proposed budget and its implications for European integration”and “Future directions of EU cohesion policy".

Programme 

The full and detailed programme – including information on the panellists, individual sessions, and the excursion – is available here: Programme ARL Congress 2026

Venue

Maternushaus 
Kardinal-Frings-Straße 1
50668 Cologne, Germany

Walking Tour

Following in the Footsteps of the Romans Through Cologne

The tour takes participants to key sites of Roman Cologne: the city fortifications, the Ubii Monument, the Capitol, the Roman governor’s palace, and the Roman harbour. Some of these monuments are visible above ground, while others are hidden underground. The tour will explore concepts for the documentation, presentation, and interpretation of ancient monuments in the urban landscape, examining how these original components of a historically evolved European metropolis can assert their place within the modern city. Cologne’s Roman cultural heritage, with its authentic sites, is an integral part of the city’s collective memory and must always be taken into account in urban development processes.

The tour will be led by Dr. Thomas Otten (Director of MiQua. LVR Jewish Museum in the Cologne Archaeological Quarter)