In the very end of August 2022 twenty participants, students and practitioners, from the Baltic Sea Region gathered for the Young Planners’ Summer School in Greifswald, Germany – five international and interdisciplinary teams developed ideas on the Sustainable Futures for the Baltic Sea Region by 2040.

Participants were allocated to and developed ideas for the five themes. Work of teams was guided through each day with specific tasks and advises from mentors whenever needed. Lectures, site visits, teamwork, walks and discussions resulted in in the end of the week – teams presented their results and solutions:

◊ Theme 1: Climate Change Impacts on human settlements
Resulting idea: Baltic States Roof Planning Strategy 2040 

◊ Theme 2: Vulnerability of marine & coastal environments
Resulting idea: Creating strategic partnerships across land-sea border to reduce eutrophication

◊ Theme 3: Demographic challenges and inclusive societies
Resulting idea: Yellow neighborhood guide for the Baltic Sea Region 

◊ Theme 4: Transforming Mobility
Resulting idea: Splashing benefits of Rail Baltica

◊ Theme 5: “Future-proof” Energy Systems
Resulting idea: Transforming brownfields into renewable energy sites 

The whole scope of ideas developed by the young professionals cover extremely important aspects and challenges of the Baltic Sea and other regions.  Hence the task of the Jury was uneasy, but as decided upon discussions – the winner of 2022 is the team of idea “Splashing Benefits of Rail Baltica: Connecting Rural Areas of the Baltic States to the European Rail Network“. Solution outlines a way to better connect rural areas along the new Rail Baltica high speed railway line, which is currently under construction in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Team is now invited to present their work at a high-level VASAB conference in spring 2023.

See presentations, pictures and more information HERE

Gratitude and congratulations for all participants, supporters and organizers!

The Summer School has been made possible by the Project “Spatial development in the Baltic Sea Region: Organisation of a Summer School for young planners” funded by the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building. The project partnership consists of the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR, Germany), VASAB (Vision and Strategies around the Baltic Sea), and the Institute of Geography and Geology of the University of Greifswald (Germany).