The social and built environment of cities, districts, quarters and neighborhoods offers manifold educational settings which can stimulate and qualify educational processes and thus form a basic framework for education (cf. Mack 2009, p. 60). Hence, “space” is a category of practical relevance for educational planning and of growing importance within scientific discussions on education (cf. Mack 2007, pp. 19-20).

In consequence of the close relation between the municipal level and education a process of communalization within the action field of education can be observed in Germany. Politicians, pedagogues and educational science encourage and claim a further municipalization and the development of a municipal educational planning (cf. Berkemeyer 2011, pp. 420-423; cf. Deutscher Städtetag 2007, pp. 1-2). This municipal educational planning shall create a coherent system of local education bringing together all local stakeholder and settings of education, upbringing and child care (cf. Olk 2008: 949-952 and 955).

Stakeholders of urban development are supposed to be stakeholders of this municipal educational planning and consequently education is an issue of growing importance for urban development and urban planners (cf.  BMFSFJ 2005, p. 566). In this context so called educational landscapes (Ger. “Bildungslandschaften”) create opportunities for the integration of education and urban development. An educational landscape is a long-term cooperation of divers formal and informal stakeholders of education, upbringing and child care on a regional or local level (cf. Bleckmann and Durdel 2009a, p. 11; cf. Deutscher Städtetag 2007, p. 2). Different programs at federal and state level contributed to the implementation of numerous educational landscapes in Germany in recent years (cf. Bleckmann and Durdel 2009b: 11).

One model of an educational landscape which is implemented in Germany focuses on the social and built environment. Educational landscapes of this type shall integrate the design of urban space in their concepts and thus such educational landscapes materialize in the built environment. So far there is no systematical and empirical research on this kind of educational landscape. Furthermore, the scientific discussion on educational landscapes lacks an adequate understanding of “space” (cf. Reutlinger 2011, p. 58) and contributions from urban researchers although both seems relevant for the further discussion of educational landscapes which focus on the social and built environment.

The paper to be presented at the conference comprises the design and first interim results of a doctoral thesis which systematically investigates educational landscapes with a specific focus on the social and built environment. The aim is to analyze such educational landscapes and the role of urban planning within municipal educational planning. The following research questions shall be answered within the doctoral thesis:

• Which connections exist between educational landscapes and the social and built environment of cities?
• How can these connections be designed by a municipal educational planning in general and by urban planners in specific?
• Which potentials and restraints does the involvement of urban planning in educational planning have?
• How can the findings on educational landscapes and the social and built environment be used for the further development of education in cities?

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