290116 EX Field Trip (2026S)

Breweries are more than production sites: They can an be an expression of regional identity, a component of urban culture, and a driver of economic and social development. The excursion "Urban Crafted Vienna: Production Cultures, Identity, and Community in the City" examines how breweries, as economic, social, and cultural actors, can contribute to the design and perception of urban space.

Using two selected case studies, the Ottakringer Brewery and the 100 Blumen Brewery, processes of urban development, urban production, sustainability, identity formation, and social cohesion are analyzed from a human geography perspective. Students experience how production facilities fit into the city, what social, economic, and ecological functions they perform, and how they can contribute to regional value creation and cultural identity.

Course objectives:

- Analyze spatial, economic, and cultural processes using breweries as an example (location selection, local integration, image building, cityscape, cultural venues)
- Recognizing and critically reflecting on connections between production, space, and identity
- Being able to establish connections between urban development, local economy, and everyday culture
- Being able to discuss sustainability aspects in consumer culture

Methodology:

The course takes an exploratory approach: urban breweries are the focus as actors that influence neighborhoods, the cityscape, local value creation, and social cohesion. From a human geography perspective, concepts such as location selection, identity formation and local economy are used to understand the role of breweries in the urban fabric. Students are provided with theoretical and literary foundations to enable them to analyze the excursion sites, but above all they develop their own approaches to the spatial and social dimensions of urban breweries through direct engagement with the sites themselves.

Estimated total cost of the excursion: 10-20 Euro.