CBSS Funding Granted to Boost VASAB Young Planners’ Summer School

The VASAB Young Planners’ Summer School “Navigate Planning Through Changes” has withstood fierce competition in CBSS Project Support Facility (PSF) call and is among five selected projects who will receive the funding for its implementation. CBSS funding will ensure possibility for more young professionals and experts to take part in the event and enrich its content.

The aim of the project is to strengthen societal security and resilience in the Baltic Sea Region by equipping young spatial planners with skills to address emerging risks, including climate change and infrastructure vulnerability.

3rd edition of VASAB Young Planners’ Summer School is organised as part of VASAB Polish Chairmanship and is co-organised by VASAB Secretariat, Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy of Poland, Gdansk University of Technology in partnership with Estonian Association of Spatial Planners and Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association (ARL).

Organisers have selected 30 young spatial planning professionals from Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark and Ukraine to take part in VASAB Young Planners’ Summer School. During the event participants will be divided into six groups with the aim in a competitive way to solve four spatial planning challenges:

Preparedness and resilience;
Climate change adaptation and mitigation, including green energy investment;
Connections between people and places;
Effective use of space, including no net land take and multiuse concepts.

Expected results of the VASAB Young Planners’ Summer School are recommendations, ideas and solutions from young spatial planning professionals on emerging Baltic Sea Region challenges. The winning group will be granted a possibility to present their work at the VASAB Directors General meeting, October 2026 and results of competition will also be disseminated in relevant spatial planning events and networks.

VASAB Young Planners’ Summer School is an international contest and collaborative learning event for young professionals working or studying across a broad range of topics related to geography, spatial planning, and regional studies. It engages young professionals in shaping the future of the Baltic Sea Region, providing an opportunity to build a network of next-generation planners, make new contacts, and connect with the spatial planning community. This year the Summer School will be held on 23–29 August 2026, in Gdańsk, Poland. More about VASAB Young Planners’ Summer School here.

VASAB Young Planners’ Summer School has been funded by the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) Project Support Facility (PSF).
The CBSS does not make any warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the information in this publication. The views, findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in the publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the CBSS.