The German District Association e. V. is the municipal umbrella organization for all 294 districts at federal level, based in Berlin. The registered association represents 74 percent of the authorities, 68 percent of the population and 96 percent of the area of Germany.

The German Association of Cities is a voluntary association of urban and urban cities in Germany. The association actively represents local self-government. Around 3,400 cities and municipalities with almost 53 million inhabitants have joined forces in the German Association of Cities. The German Association of Cities is the voice of the cities.

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The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning is a higher federal authority and as such reports to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community. The BBR is based in Bonn and Berlin.

The BBSR works at the interface of politics, research and practice. Its self-image is based on the concept adopted by the federal government in 2007 for modern departmental research as an instrument of knowledge-based policy advice.