Universität Wien

290069 SE Bachelor's Seminar in Spatial Planning and Regional Policy (2025W)

Participatory Approaches in Urban Studies

4.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 29 - Geographie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle
Mo 01.12. 15:00-16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Monday 06.10. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Monday 13.10. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Monday 20.10. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Monday 27.10. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Monday 03.11. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Monday 10.11. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Monday 17.11. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Monday 24.11. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Monday 15.12. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Monday 12.01. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Monday 19.01. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This seminar explores participation and participatory approaches in urban research. It examines different rationales for participatory work, like democratization, knowledge co-production, and participant empowerment, while critically assessing the power dynamics inherent to participatory processes.
Students will be exposed to various "choice points of involvement" - the strategic decisions researchers make about when and how to engage communities in research processes. The seminar covers a range of participatory methods including transdisciplinary methods and digital engagement tools like public participation GIS, with a focus on their strengths, limitations, and implications.
During the course, students will develop their own research question and design a small-scale participatory research proposal.
Students will gain insights into key components of participatory processes, including stakeholder identification and engagement, choosing normative stands, how to build trust and sustainable relationships, and developing ethical frameworks.
At the end of this seminar students will have developed:
1. Understanding of various participatory research methods and their appropriate application in different urban contexts.
2. Ability to assess the implications of participation, power dynamics, and ethical considerations in community-engaged research;
3. Experience in independently designing, and reflecting on a participatory research project.
Methods: The course combines theoretical foundations with practical application through learning-by-doing, with students developing their own research proposals throughout the course. Core concepts are also explored through concrete applied examples and guest expert sessions. Students engage in reflective exercises such as a learning diary and peer discussions during contact teaching to critically examine their own positionality as researchers.
This course is aimed at students interested in deepening their understanding of participatory approaches, especially in the context of transdisciplinary research. English is used as the working language during contact sessions, though students will not be assessed on grammatical correctness of their outputs.

This course is part of the teaching activities of the Urban Sustainability Living Lab. For more information, see https://urbanlab.univie.ac.at/en/

Assessment and permitted materials

This course is based on continuous assessment with emphasis on practical application and critical reflection. A prerequisite for positive completion is full participation in at least 80% of the seminar sessions. Attendance in the first unit is mandatory; registered participants who are absent will be de-registered.
Assessment components:
1. active participation (20%) – assessed via in class discussion and offline assignments;
2. submission of the research proposal (40%) – final output with midterm presentation; individual
3. submission of the learning diary (40%) – final output; individual

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

This course is continuously evaluated and requires a minimum of 80% attendance. All assessment components must be completed and achieve a minimum satisfactory level (50%) for positive course completion. Assessment criteria will be provided during the first class, as well as a table of contents for the brief research proposal.
The assessment standards are presented in the first course unit.
The minimum requirements include:
Attendance, active participation and contributions to discussions (also via Moodle & Miro)
Topic research and preparation
Short presentation of the research proposal for peer feedback
Written research proposal & learning diary
Deadline for submission of the research proposal: 26.01.2026 (Moodle)

Examination topics

N/A

Reading list

Course-relevant reading will be provided throughout the course.

Association in the course directory

(BA GG 8.1) (BA UF GW 16) (BA GG 7.1)

Last modified: Mo 06.10.2025 13:47