A common feature of many research projects is the development of approaches to solving the problems of rural and suburban areas. This specific profile is reinforced by a large number of cooperations with scientific institutions in Germany and abroad.

The development of models and software to support planning has been of particular importance for several years.

Teaching and research cross-fertilize each other to a special degree, since the staff members from the research projects are also active in teaching and the students are closely involved in the current research topics through project work and theses.