With deep sadness, we bid farewell to Univ. Prof. Dr. Benjamin Davy, an outstanding scholar, sharp thinker, and charismatic individual who left us far too soon.

Born in Vienna in 1956, Benjamin Davy was a distinguished legal scholar and urban planner who shaped the fields of environmental law, land law, and spatial planning over several decades. His academic journey began with a doctorate from the University of Vienna. From 1980, he served nearly 20 years at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), first as a university assistant, then as an assistant professor, and later, following his habilitation – with an exceptional thesis on hazard prevention in industrial facility law – as an associate professor at the Institute of Legal Sciences in the Faculty of Architecture and Planning.

In 1998, he accepted a position at the Technical University of Dortmund as a full professor of Land Policy, Land Management, and Municipal Surveying in the Faculty of Spatial Planning. He held this chair until his retirement in 2019. Benjamin Davy served as Vice President and President of the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP, 2017–2021) and the International Academic Association on Planning, Law, and Property Rights (PLPR, 2012–2016), tirelessly advocating for international collaboration and the advancement of his field.

Benjamin Davy maintained a close connection not only to TU Wien but also, in particular, to the Department of Urban and Regional Research (SRF). Together with Franziska Sielker and Meike Levin-Keitel, Benjamin initiated the founding of the AESOP Thematic Group on Planning Theories. Under this joint leadership, numerous thought-provoking discussions and events emerged, fundamentally revisiting questions of planning theory. Additionally, during his regular visits to Vienna, Benjamin consistently made time to meet with us and engage with our early-career researchers.

Most recently, in 2023 and 2024, he significantly influenced the design of our corridors with his "Faces of Land Policy" series. We warmly invite anyone to visit us and view this poster series.

On a personal note, I am deeply grateful to Benjamin Davy for his unwavering support. He inspired me to think more critically, to never stop questioning, and, above all, challenged me in my new role as a professor to always see myself as responsible for actively shaping institutions.

With gratitude and respect, we bid farewell to Benjamin Davy. He leaves behind a void that cannot be filled but also a legacy that will endure.

On behalf of the Research Unit of Urban and Regional Research at the Faculty of Architecture and Planning, TU Wien
Franziska Sielker