Information Group for Spatial Planning

The Informationskreis für Raumplanung e.V. (IfR) — rendered in English as the Information Group for Spatial Planning — is a nationwide German professional and trade association for urban and spatial planners, headquartered in Dortmund. It acts as an outward-facing interest representation for the planning profession, is active in promoting young talent, moderates current debates on spatial planning topics, organizes specialist conferences, and is the publisher of the specialist journal RaumPlanung. Its work is carried out through specialist working groups, networks, and regional groups. The association's most visible product is the journal RaumPlanung, a specialist publication for spatial planning and research with an interdisciplinary approach. It appears four times a year in a glued, four-colour print edition of 76–92 pages per issue. Each issue combines a thematic focus with further specialist contributions and various regular sections. The journal publishes both scientific contributions that undergo a double-blind peer-review process and practice-oriented contributions. The editorial team is made up of a fixed group of scientists working for the association on an honorary basis. Beyond publishing, the IfR runs several event formats that take place regularly online or in person. "RaumPlanung im Fokus", established in 2023, is held several times a year and centres on a current thematic focus of a recently published issue of RaumPlanung, with authors presenting their published contributions in roughly 15-minute talks followed by joint discussion. "IfR-Impuls" is a digital format offering space to discuss innovative approaches in the planning world. "PLAN:ERfahren" is a student initiative of the association created to give spatial planning students insights into various planning professional fields through expert-led excursions, aiming to give students incentives for their later career choice and to make first contacts. The "Planer-Stammtisch" takes place at regular intervals in Dortmund pubs, offering members and interested parties a relaxed setting for getting to know one another and exchanging ideas. The association also engages in topical advocacy and member consultation. Its working group "Planung.Demokratie.Haltung" has been examining how planners can deal with the growing influence of right-wing actors on topics and processes of spatial development, and has invited practitioners to take part in a survey running until the end of October 2026 to help develop practice-oriented exchange and further-training offerings. The IfR also organizes specialist conferences, such as an online conference on the first year of the so-called "Bau-Turbo" (construction turbo) scheduled for 4 December 2026, a policy introduced in October 2025 to accelerate housing construction through simplified planning procedures. As a registered association (eingetragener Verein), the IfR is a non-profit membership organization rather than a commercial company. It is not listed on any stock exchange and has no parent company. Its identity is bound up with the German planning profession: it represents the profession externally, fosters the next generation of planners, and serves as a platform where current questions of spatial planning are moderated and discussed.

The Informationskreis für Raumplanung e.V. (IfR) is a German nationwide professional and trade association for urban and spatial planners, headquartered in Dortmund. It describes itself as an interest representation of the profession, active in promoting young talent, moderating current topics of spatial planning, organizing specialist conferences, and publishing the specialist journal RaumPlanung. Its work is carried out through specialist working groups, networks, and regional groups. A central pillar of the association is its journal RaumPlanung, a specialist publication for spatial planning and research with an interdisciplinary approach. The journal appears four times a year in a glued, four-colour print edition of 76–92 pages per issue. Each issue comprises a thematic focus, further specialist contributions, and various regular sections. It publishes both scientific contributions that undergo a double-blind peer-review process and practice-oriented contributions. The editorial team consists of a fixed group of scientists working for the association on an honorary basis; the editorial board has included Peter Ache (Nijmegen), Brigitte Adam (Bonn), Susanne Bieker (Karlsruhe), Stefan Gärtner (Bochum), Thomas Krüger (Hamburg), Ronald Kunze (Langenhagen), Frank Othengrafen (Dortmund), Heidi Sinning (Erfurt), and Katja Veil (Cologne). Recent thematic focuses of the journal illustrate the association's engagement with contemporary planning debates. Issues since 2022 have covered topics such as the city of small steps (Issue 215 / 1-2022), new actors in urban development (216 / 2-2022), digitalization in space (217 / 3/4-2022), climate adaptation in municipalities (218 / 5-2022), housing under new conditions and forms (219 / 6-2022), planning acceleration (220 / 1-2023), a new wave of suburbanization (221 / 2-2023), (post-)growth in city and region (222 / 3/4-2023), consumption of land (223 / 5-2023), development of public spaces (224 / 6-2023), the common good and urban development (225 / 1-2024), the future of spatial planning (226 / 2-2024), adaptation to climate change (227 / 3/4-2024), the 15-minute city (228 / 5-2024), the New European Bauhaus (229 / 6-2024), real estate and the city (230 / 1-2025), interdisciplinary perspectives on the smart city (231 / 2-2025), AI in the city together with 50 years of IfR e.V. (232 / 3/4-2025), the risk society (233 / 5-2025), spatial planning and energy (234 / 6-2025), the water-sensitive city (235 / 1-2026), and new living in existing buildings (236 / 2-2026). Issue 232 / 3/4-2025 marked the association's 50th anniversary, indicating a founding around 1975. Alongside publishing, the IfR has developed several event formats that take place regularly online or in person. "RaumPlanung im Fokus" was established in 2023 and is held several times a year; each event centres on a current thematic focus of a recently published issue of RaumPlanung, with authors presenting their published contributions in roughly 15-minute talks followed by joint discussion. "IfR-Impuls" is a digital format offering space to discuss innovative approaches in the planning world. "PLAN:ERfahren" is an initiative of students of the association, created to give spatial planning students insights into various planning professional fields through expert-led excursions, with the aim of giving students incentives for their later career choice and making first contacts. The "Planer-Stammtisch" takes place at regular intervals in Dortmund pubs, offering members and interested parties a relaxed setting for getting to know one another and exchanging ideas. The association also engages in topical advocacy. Its working group "Planung.Demokratie.Haltung" has been examining how planners in everyday professional life can deal with the growing influence of right-wing actors on topics and processes of spatial development. To develop practice-oriented exchange and further-training offerings, the group invited planners to participate in a short survey, active until the end of October 2026, on the challenges they currently experience on this topic. The IfR also organizes specialist conferences, such as an online conference on 4 December 2026 reviewing the first year of the so-called Bau-Turbo, a policy introduced in October 2025 to accelerate housing construction through simplified planning procedures.

• 2026

  Survey by the working group Planung.Demokratie.Haltung on the influence of right-wing actors on spatial development, active until the end of October 2026.

• 2026

  Online conference on 4 December 2026 reviewing one year of the Bau-Turbo.

• 2025

  RaumPlanung Issue 232 / 3/4-2025 marks 50 years of IfR e.V.

• 2023

  Establishment of the event format "RaumPlanung im Fokus".

• 1975

  Approximate founding of the association, indicated by the 50th anniversary marked in RaumPlanung Issue 232 / 3/4-2025.

Nationwide German professional and trade association for urban and spatial planners; interest representation of the profession, active in promoting young talent, moderator of current spatial planning topics, conference organizer, and publisher of the specialist journal RaumPlanung.

• RaumPlanung (specialist journal)

  Quarterly specialist journal for spatial planning and research with an interdisciplinary approach; four issues per year, glued four-colour print, 76–92 pages per issue; each issue has a thematic focus plus further contributions and regular sections; publishes double-blind peer-reviewed scientific contributions and practice contributions.

• RaumPlanung im Fokus

  Event format established in 2023, held several times a year, centring on a current thematic focus of a recently published RaumPlanung issue, with roughly 15-minute author talks followed by discussion.

• IfR-Impuls

  Digital format offering space to discuss innovative approaches in the planning world.

• PLAN:ERfahren

  Student initiative of the IfR giving spatial planning students insights into planning professional fields through expert-led excursions, aiming to support career choice and first contacts.

• Planer-Stammtisch

  Regulars' table held at intervals in Dortmund pubs for members and interested parties to meet and exchange ideas.

1. 1Startseite - IfR e.V.ifr-ev.de
2. 2Informationskreis für Raumplanung – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Information Group for Spatial Planning – Wikidatawikidata.org