At its core, PLANH conducts social science research at the intersection of three key thematic fields.
Planning
In the PLANH understanding, planning refers to both formal and informal legal rules that guide and steer spatial development. These include, for example, zoning plans as well as informal or customary rules and policies. Our work is grounded in an institutionalist approach to planning, which emphasizes the central role of laws and policies in shaping (un)sustainable spatial development.
At the same time, we do not treat rules and laws as fixed or neutral. Rather, we recognize that every formalized rule is the outcome of socio-political processes in which norms are debated, negotiated, and institutionalized among actors—for example in parliaments or municipal councils. In these processes, some actors (such as politicians or local authorities) succeed in advancing their interests, while others, often less powerful, remain excluded from this negotiating game.
Understanding how and why rules become formalized, which actors shape these processes, and what consequences they have for land use and spatial development lies at the heart of our research. These political power dynamics in planning and regulation are a central focus of PLANH’s work.
Housing
At its core, PLANH is concerned with the interaction between people, place, and space. Housing is a broad and multifaceted field that occupies a central position in this nexus.
It represents both a major topic in itself and intersects with – or is a key protagonist across – many of the core themes in human geography.
Importantly, housing is not a singular or simple entity. It encompasses a wide range of dimensions, including housing tenure, wealth accumulation, costs and affordability, residential stability, housing quality, residential satisfaction, social status, and the characteristics of the surrounding locality. Housing operates across multiple spatial scales—from households and neighborhoods to cities and national contexts.
In addition, housing is a fundamental human need and an essential right. Unlike other aspects of life, housing is not optional: everyone must live somewhere. This makes housing research inherently connected to issues of equality, social justice, inclusion, human rights, and human dignity.
Sustainable Spatial Development
The concept of sustainability, originally rooted in the environmental sciences, is a core guiding principle of PLANH’s research. Planning decisions related to land use and housing inevitably shape patterns of (un)sustainable spatial development. For instance, policies such as urban green belts may, over time, encourage densification while limiting urban sprawl.
At the same time, PLANH treats sustainability as a normative and contested concept. What is considered “sustainable” depends on the criteria applied, the indicators used, and the perspectives taken. Rather than assuming fixed definitions, our research critically examines how sustainability is defined, measured, and implemented in practice.
By doing so, PLANH aims to advance sustainability research, particularly in the context of urban densification, by combining conceptual clarity with empirical analysis of planning decisions and their socio-spatial consequences.