A first-timer’s experience at the 2025 DLGS Summer School

On 19 and 20 September 2025, I had the opportunity to participate in the DLGS (Dresden Leibniz Graduate School) Summer School which took place at the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development in Dresden, Germany. The theme for this year’s school was, “Shaping Spaces for Sustainability Transformation: Challenges for Policy and Planning.”

The first day of the programme was marked with presentations from doctoral students at various stages of their research and a thought-provoking workshop by Prof. Lauren Andres – “Planning for change and uncertainties: adaptability, AI and their critical underpinnings for the future of cities.” On this particular day, I had the rare privilege of presenting an aspect of my ongoing doctoral project and receiving valuable expert feedback from senior researchers in the field of transformation. The second day involved a fascinating walking tour of Königsbrücker Straße, where we got the chance to experience the practicalities and dynamics of urban transformation discussed in the previous day’s workshop.

My key takeaways from this year’s DLGS Summer School are:

1. Transformation of urban and rural spaces is context dependent and looks different in different places due to different social, economic and political structures.
2. Transformation, no matter the context, will always be politically contested, and thus there is the need to develop a non-intimidating space that allows relevant stakeholders to share their ideas and participate in the process.
3. Involving locals in remaking or transforming urban and rural spaces not only empowers them but also helps build relationships and strengthen community ties while upholding the principle of local democracy.
4. The motivations and priorities of key decision-makers in power have a huge impact on the delivery of key policy priorities and the trajectory of transformation of public spaces.
5. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is invaluable in mapping and understanding places. However, it is important that planners partner with relevant stakeholders to put the people in place first.
   

To sum it up, I was intrigued with the depth of conversations that ensued within the two days, and the school left me reflecting on how the processes of transformation could be so different yet still similar in different contexts.