2026 ARL Congress | Cologne (“Maternushaus”) | 01 - 02 October 2026
Call for Abstracts
EUROPEAN REGIONAL POLICY IN TIMES OF TRANSITION
The ARL – Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association invites scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to submit abstracts for the upcoming ARL Congress 2026 on “European Regional Policy in Times of Transition”.
European regions are facing overlapping crises, ranging from economic and demo-graphic shifts to environmental and geopolitical challenges. There is a constantly changing patchwork of spatial structures, including structurally weak peripheries, growing and shrinking urban regions, and dynamic rural areas. “Left-behind” places pose major challenges, as does implementation of the Green Deal and the digital transition. With EU budget negotiations and the post-2027 future of the Cohesion Policy at stake, key questions arise about how to ensure territorial cohesion and spatial justice, particularly given the uneven impacts of sectoral policies.
This conference aims to create a platform for critical reflection and forward-looking discussion:
How can regional and cohesion policy be made effective, just, and sustainable in times of multiple transitions?
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
The programme will feature two keynote speakers:
- Professor Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, London School of Economics
- Rachel Lancry Beaumont, European Committee of the Regions, Head of Department for the COTER Commission
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND TIMELINE
Please submit your abstract by
01 March 2026 to
Further details and the full call text are available here: ARL Congress 2026 | ARL-Net
We look forward to your contributions and to engaging discussions!
