REALE MODELS - UNREAL WORLD:
Planning and dealing with the unpredictable
(Major topic)

Decisions concerning the future should be based on good analysis no matter if it is the purchase of stocks, the choice of a company site or investments in infrastructure. Urban and regional planning deal with medium to long-term developments and decisions cannot be revised at any time without bigger expenditures - it is a must to make decisions well considered.

To predisct future devlopments, different kinds of models are used. The technical potentials of stimulating the real world and forecasting future developments have been improved. However, sometimes it happens that in spite of the best analyses the world does not behave like predicted by the underlying model. How can planning handle such unpredictable events? Which models and methods are used in other disciplines?

OPEN SOURCE: for public sector!? (Special topic)

The discussion regarding advantages and disadvantages of "freely" software is a hot topic. Are open source products an interesting and acceptable alternative to commercial products for public sector? What are the advantages and disadvantages then? What about the overall costs of different solutions? Is it either-or, or is there a coexistence of licensed and license-free software.

Are current tendencies even a threat to business and the well-functioning of public administration? Which practical experiences do already exist? Is the idea of open source only applicable on software products?

TRADEMARKS AND CAMERAS:
The new face of ou cities
(Special topic)

There have been two recent developments, remarkably changing the face of our cities. The invasion of trademarks and cameras in the cityscape. Those developments appeared even stronger than changes that Architecture and Urban planning were able to acomplish.

This invasion of trademarks transforms a city into a medium for advertisements. Cameras generate an instance to control and survey public space. Both tendencies influence the appearance and impact of "public space".

Advertisements claim on the prestigous areas of spaces for experience. Camera surveillance on the other hand illuminates the subsurfaced and less prestigious places.