Application of Artificial Intelligence in Spatial Development

Madlyn Miessgang

Digitalization and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are having a decisive impact on social and economic development. The interplay between analog and virtual spaces has become commonplace across many areas of society—such as commerce and supply, mobility, work, leisure and media use, social contacts, and increasingly education, health, and technical infrastructure. Fundamental organizational principles of daily life have become more flexible, and services are increasingly accessible independent of location and time.

These developments also present new challenges for spatial planning and development, especially under the guiding principles of future-oriented, sustainable, common-good-oriented, and resilient spatial design. Local actors face the expectation of adopting social, economic, and technological innovations and adapting their own governance structures. Depending on the size of the municipality, different resources and implementation opportunities exist. There is significant uncertainty regarding technical developments and their potential, as well as the requirements for their use in planning and administrative structures. Ethical and data protection issues are just as important as the professional implications for both research and practice in spatial planning and development.

Against this backdrop, the forthcoming working group aims to systematically explore the spatial relevance of AI, discuss and evaluate current and projected developments, and identify possible courses of action and strategies for both research and practice.