News
Rural Mobility: Interdisciplinary workshop on 22 and 23 October 2026 at the Schelling Forum in Würzburg
On 22 and 23 October 2026, the workshop ‘Rural Mobility: Conceptual Approaches, Methodological Perspectives and Empirical Challenges’ took place at the Schelling Forum of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities. The event, organised by Andreas Kallert and Matthias Naumann (Würzburg) in collaboration with Michael Mießner (Trier) and Anke Strüver (Graz), brought together researchers from various disciplines and institutional contexts with practitioners to discuss current perspectives on mobility in rural areas.
The workshop took as its starting point the question of how social conditions influence mobility in rural areas and, conversely, how mobility shapes rural social conditions. The presentations covered a broad range of topics. Topics discussed included everyday mobility and accessibility, the mobility associated with care work, labour and residential migration, and the importance of local mobile services, as well as the positionalities and methodological challenges involved in the research process. Other contributions addressed the challenges facing public transport services, the dismantling of rail infrastructure, intermodal mobility practices, and the possibilities and limitations of cycling in rural areas. Other, more application-oriented approaches focused on the design of sustainable mobility and the integration of mobility services with tourism and regional development. In her keynote address, Anke Strüver emphasised the hitherto under-examined role of walking, which forms the basis for all other forms of mobility. The diversity of methodological approaches and empirical subjects highlighted how social conditions shape the possibilities for mobility in rural areas and how mobility practices, in turn, influence social relationships and spatial developments.
The results of the workshop will be documented in the planned Atlas of Rural Mobility , which is due to be published in November 2027 as an open-access volume by transcript Verlag in the ‘Kritische Landforschung’ series.
Prof. Dr. Matthias Naumann Appointed to the ARL Forum Bavaria
The members of the ARL Forum Bavaria have elected University Professor Dr. Matthias Naumann as a new member. The Executive Board of the Academy for Spatial Development within the Leibniz Association subsequently appointed Professor Naumann as a member of the ARL Forum Bavaria for a five-year term. The ARL is a network of experts from academia and the professional world who collaborate on current issues in spatial development.
new release: „ Progressive infrastructures: on the emancipatory possibilities of urban infrastructuring”
The international journal “City. Analysis of Urban Change, Theory, Action” has published an article by Gala Nettelbladt (Hamburg), Theo Aalders (Bonn), Matthias Naumann (Würzburg), and Rosa Aue (Münster) titled “Progressive Infrastructures: On the Emancipatory Possibilities of Urban Infrastructuring.” The article outlines a framework for examining the progressive potential of infrastructure in cities and regions.
Dr. Andreas Kallert as an expert on municipal financial equalization on BR24
On October 26, 2026, Dr. Andreas Kallert served as a guest commentator on BR24 reports about municipal financial equalization. The focus was on municipal financing and the structure of the municipal financial equalization system. His academic expertise helps provide an informed analysis of the financial framework facing cities and municipalities, as well as the associated challenges.
Publication of Dr. Andreas Kallert
The latest issue of the journal “Ländliche Räume” features an article by Andreas Kallert and @simondudek.bsky.social titled “Austerity in #ruralareas: On the Consequences of #austeritymeasures in Small #Municipalities.” The text is freely available online: www.asg-goe.de/pdf/LR226.pdf und beginnt ab Seite 18.
