In April 2010 the presiding committee of the Leibniz University Hannover established the interdisciplinary research Initiative “Space and Region – History, Development, Planning” (FI R&R). Developing out of a working party with the same name, the FI R&R continues the Leibniz University Hannover’s long tradition of cooperation between spatial planning and regional studies. Its members belong to the faculties Architecture and Landscape Sciences, Natural Sciences, and the Humanities. Within the German research community, together they unite the rare potential to examine spatial and regional questions in historic, planning and perspective contexts. To sustain forward-looking planning historically, all members of FI R&R understand history as the research of a historic future.
Next to conducting interdisciplinary research, the working party aims at imparting scientific results to (postgraduate) students, scientific workshops, publications, regular public lecture series, etc.
Locally, the FI R&R remains in close contact with people and institutions outside the university that are active in the fields of spatial planning, regional development and regional history. In addition, it was part of the competence center for spatial research and development (KompZ) in the Greater Hannover Area which was founded in 2001. This has led to the creation of the interdisciplinary network “Space and Region” in Hannover which is unique within the German university landscape and, as a result, contributes to Leibniz University Hannover’s own profile.
