On 12th – 14th November 2025, we were in Leipzig for SPADES second General Assembly. 14 months into the project, this marked the end of the Diagnosis phase with the pilots. Our team presented the insights they collected from the 17 pilots during this phase. Taliah Dommerholt, together with colleagues from TUDelft, presented an initial analysis of the different spatial morphologies encountered in the pilots, with reflections on how historical development is still shaping today’s soil health. Tannya Pico and Yoann Clouet presented an overview of the 300+ examples of soil-inclusive practices shared by the pilots, and the demand they have for information regarding specific approaches to soil health restoration and enhancement. Other partners presented an overview of the different policy conditions that shape soil health in the pilots, and what type tools and methods they have available to possibly integrate soil knowledge into planning

This marks a pivotal point into the work of the pilots, as they are now entering the co-creation phase of SPADES, where they will develop a roadmap to experiment with soil as a steering principle in planning

While this work starts, iUE will continue to develop portfolios of soil-inclusive planning concepts and best practices, due this summer.