Universität Wien

290612 VU Transdisciplinary and Comparative Theories - Urban Sustainability Transformations (2026S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 29 - Geographie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

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. 40 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

Please note:
Tuesday, May 5, 2026, full-day from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location will be announced on Moodle.

  • Tuesday 10.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Tuesday 17.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Tuesday 24.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Tuesday 14.04. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Tuesday 21.04. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Tuesday 05.05. 10:00 - 18:00 Ort in u:find Details
  • Tuesday 12.05. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Tuesday 26.05. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Tuesday 09.06. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Tuesday 16.06. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Tuesday 23.06. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 4C Geographie NIG 4.OG C0409
  • Tuesday 30.06. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum Geographie NIG 5.OG C0528

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This course aims to provide students with the competencies and skills to document and critically analyse the challenges of cities in their endeavours to move towards Urban Sustainability Transformations.

It gives an overview of current discourses on urban sustainability transformations across diverse geographies and brings together perspectives from different urban actors, particularly local governments and civil society organisations. Current political frameworks, conceptual scientific approaches, and practical examples are discussed jointly to facilitate integrated and pluriversal reflections. Reflection and analysis will be anchored in scientific theories and concepts related to urban sustainability transformations, as well as local to global sustainability agendas, including the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The sessions combine lectures and student-led inputs to ground wider conceptual debates in different urban realities. Throughout the semester, students will work on an individual basis on one selected city, which might be their hometown or another city they are familiar with, to critically assess to what extent current or past sustainability strategies and related initiatives have supported and/or hindered urban sustainability transformations, and how this relates to the transformative capacities of the actors involved.

Furthermore, students will share current news topics related to the course content as well as participate in - and document discussions of - the Shared Mobility Rocks Conference (https://www.shared-mobility.rocks/) in collaboration with Wiener Linien in order to engage with everyday realities of urban sustainability transformations.

The outputs of the course will include a) City profiles for students’ case cities and their evaluations in terms of urban sustainability transformations and transformative capacities, b) UrbanNews short presentations and c) a documentation of transformation discussions in regards to shared mobility.

Please note that we use English as our working language during contact sessions. However, students are welcome to conduct their research and submit some of their outputs in German.

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

The course contains several elements that are part of the assessment:
1. City profile (individual, 40%)
2. Active contribution to session discussions (individual, 30%)
3. Short presentation (individual, 15%)
4. Event report (individual, 15%)

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

To successfully complete the course, students are expected to complete each of these components positively. Assessment criteria will be shared in the sessions.
– Engage in preparatory material and actively contribute to session discussions
– Deliver one presentation on current urban news and its relations to urban sustainability transformations
– Submit one short report on the Shared Mobility Rocks conference
– Submit a City Profile

This course is continuously evaluated and requires a minimum of 80% attendance.

Examination topics

More information will be communicated via Moodle after course registration.

Reading list

Hölscher, K., & Frantzeskaki, N. (2021). Perspectives on urban transformation research: transformations in, of, and by cities. Urban Transformations, 3, 1-14.
Rink, D., Kabisch, S., Koch, F., & Krellenberg, K. (2018). Exploring the extent, selected topics and governance modes of urban sustainability transformations. Urban transformations: Sustainable urban development through resource efficiency, quality of life and resilience, 3-20.

More readings will be communicated via Moodle after course registration.

Association in the course directory

(MA GGCST M4.4)

Last modified: Mo 27.07.2026 09:27