Transdisciplinarity in Urban Planning for Future Challenges at the Example of Digital Transformation

The tasks of spatial planning are becoming ever more complex as a result of the increasing and growingnumber of demands, such as climate change, digital transformation or densification. This increases theimportance of inter- and transdisciplinarity in planning. Integrated perspectives are necessary for the sustainable design of future settlement and landscape areas. The understanding of other disciplines and views is crucial for a fair and expedient balancing of interests. This paper aims to analyse and compare the views and assessments of three spatial disciplines: spatialdevelopment, transport planning and landscape planning. The topic of digital transformation provides an ideal basis for discussion, as it brings with it future challenges and uncertainties, besides all three planning areas are affected. The basis for this is a broadly-based two-step Delphi study on the spatial effectiveness of digital transformation. In an online survey, the members of the professional associations from Switzerland of the three disciplines were asked to assess the changes in space caused by digital transformation. The survey was carried out as part of a research project at the HSR University of Applied Sciences in Rapperswil (Switzerland) with the aim of assessing future developments (Engelke et al., 2019). The research project deals with the benefits of digital transformation for sustainable spatial development and represents a research focus of the Institute for Spatial Development and the Institute for Landscape and Open Space at the HSR. The disciplinary differences and similarities are not in the foreground of the research. In retrospect of the survey, however, interesting and particularly important aspects for goal-oriented, joint planning can be identified, on which this paper focuses on. Topics such as the future of public space, spatial data usage and the role of public authorities were surveyed and are discussed in this article. The aim of this publication is to elicit common and different assessments of the three professional groups concerning future space due to digital transformation. Using the mixed-methods approach, the survey results are compared quantitatively on the one hand and questions and comments are semantically analysed on the other. This methodological triangulation is necessary for a better understanding and comparison of different questions on a topic (Johnson et al., 2007). Based on this, the paper shows how the estimations of spatial, landscape and transport planners diverge and how they see the future to change due to the digital transformation. The analysis identifies the greatest common challenges. It can be stated that there are different levels of knowledge and various visions of the future between the professional groups. Finally, proposals are made as to how the challenges can be tackled using the principles of transdisciplinary research and where the focus can be advantageously placed