The German-speaking network (Arbeitskreis Landschaftsforschung (AK LaFo) is a long-established collaboration connecting landscape researchers and practitioners across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and the wider German-speaking community. The group began running activities in 2012 in cooperation with the Landscape Research Group and later became LRG’s first formal Landscape Research Network in 2019.
The network provides a platform for interdisciplinary exchange across the humanities, social sciences and practice-based landscape research. Its focus is on strengthening collaboration, sharing theories and methods, and developing events that lead to joint publications and research initiatives. Activities typically include annual seminars, workshops, newsletters and collaborative projects addressing current landscape challenges and policy developments.
The German-speaking network has an established programme of regular meetings and workshops, bringing together academics, practitioners and early-career researchers. It also supports dissemination of funding opportunities, promotes collaborative research, and strengthens connections between regional landscape research and the wider international LRG community. Participation is open to anyone working in or interested in landscape research in the German-speaking region, with no formal membership required.
To learn more or express interest in the German Network, please contact the Network Lead; Professor Markus Leibenath. Participation in network events is open to all, including non-members.
This 13th annual workshop, “Rethinking Landscape for Societal Transition: A German–Scandinavian Dialogue,” in Uppsala, Sweden, from 24–26 September 2026. The event brings together researchers from German-speaking and Scandinavian traditions to explore how landscape research can contribute to wider societal transitions.
Suburban, Metropolitan Landscapes: Transformation, Conflict, Co-Production – Sustainability? was held on 8–10 October 2025 at the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) in Dresden. Participants examined the evolving dynamics of suburban and metropolitan landscapes and the conflicts and opportunities shaping their transformation.
Held on 10–11 October 2024 at the Detmold School of Design, Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences, this workshop brought together researchers and practitioners from across the German-speaking landscape research community to explore approaches to climate adaptation and mitigation within spatial planning and design.
The German-speaking Landscape Research Working Group (Arbeitskreis Landschaftsforschung) publishes a regular newsletter to support exchange across its growing research community. The newsletter shares updates on workshops, calls for participation, publications and collaborative opportunities relevant to landscape research in German-speaking countries and beyond. It also highlights recent activities within the network, including summaries of past events and announcements of upcoming meetings.
Alongside network news, the newsletter provides space for members to share research initiatives, funding opportunities and developments in landscape policy and practice. This helps strengthen connections between universities, research institutes and practitioners working across planning, design and governance. The newsletter forms part of the network’s ongoing effort to maintain continuity between annual workshops, support collaboration and encourage participation from both established and early-career researchers.
Participation is open to anyone interested in landscape research in this region. You do not need to be an LRG member to take part.
LRG membership is encouraged for those wishing to connect more closely with the wider international community, funding opportunities and publications.
To learn more or express interest in the German Network, please contact the Network Lead; Professor Markus Leibenath. Participation in network events is open to all, including non-members.
