290059 UE Practical Exercices in Urban Geography and Planning (2023W)

The teaching language of this exercise is German. However, the inputs, discussion contributions and literature used by the course instructor will also take place in English. The students are free to provide evidence of performance and contributions to the discussion in German or English.

“Locally driven Alternative Food Networks (AFNs)” are a hot topic in urban development and spatial planning. Urban gardening projects, food coops, farm stands and direct marketing, weekly markets, solidarity farming, urban agriculture, vertical agricultural food production, and many more pose the perennial question to scientists and planners: Where can land for these initiatives be found and secured?

Downstream from this question of land availability, we add critical geographic perspectives that consider aspects of equity, accessibility, education, and caring. Locally driven Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) will engage us this semester both as a concept and as a practice. Students will set out to find exciting examples of "Alternative Urban Food Networks", exploring the city and its suburbs. We elaborate on the differences and similarities of networks and urban spaces that are (not yet) used for "Alternative Food Networks". We develop different types of spaces and actor networks, explore the history of these food production practices and their connections to other sectors, create our own typology, and ask what uses might be feasible in the future.

Students will gain insight into important concepts of spatial research and applied spatial planning, including: Relational approaches, structural change, urban food production, urban densification, spatial planning frameworks for after-use concepts, etc. This is complemented by an insight into methods of spatial science and systems thinking, which are applied independently and in group work.