German Institute of Urban Affairs

The German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu) is the largest urban research institute in the German-speaking area and is the research, further training and information institution for cities, municipalities, administrative districts, municipal associations and planning departments. Difu deals with all the topics which municipalities have to deal with now and in the future: whether in urban and regional development, municipal commerce, urban construction, social issues, environment, transport, culture, law, administrative subjects or municipal finances. The independent Berlin Institute, which was founded in 1973, and has another department in Cologne (Environmental Division), works on a comprehensive range of subjects on a scientific level but also in a practical way. Der Verein für Kommunalwissenschaften e.V. is the sole shareholder of the research institute, which is run as a non-profit organization.