Specialization Transforming Cities and Regions: The specialization explains why cities and regions play a key role in coping with the myriad of current environmental and social challenges. Students will learn to develop urban and regional transformation pathways that are in line with socially just, climate-resilient development. The role of sectors critical for production and social reproduction such as mobility, housing, infrastructure, energy, and food supply will be highlighted. Recognizing that challenges differ by location—varying, among others, in land use, infrastructure, and access to resources—and that institutions are embedded in multi-scalar governance structures, solutions need to be tailored to particular spatial contexts (urban/rural, local/global). Hence, the course adopts an explicit spatial perspective on the social-ecological transformation problem, emphasizing the key role that supra-national entities (EU), states, cities, municipalities, and regions will play in realizing sustainable futures.  

Course I: Foundations: This course lays the groundwork for understanding the imperative for transformation in cities and regions amidst multiple socio-ecological crises. It offers an introduction and critical examination of key concepts required to understand and examine the spatial impacts of these crises and identify possible strategies and actors required to initate change for social-ecological transformations. Part I will focus on the political economy of cities and regions and seeks answers to questions such as: Why do (or should) some places grow while others deline? Why, despite globalization, the internet and social media, do more people than ever live in cities? How does economic change affect settlement patterns and land use and how do they affect in turn, economies and nature? What makes places "livable"?What are (un)just cites? How do places have to change to adapt to climate change and contribute positively to achive climate targets? Cities and regions are embedded in multi-scalar governance structures.  Part II will focus on governance structures and institutions and identify the political and legal frameworks determining who can affect what and where.  It explores the roles of cities in international, national, and local settings, their policy-making authority, their function as economic actors and as hubs for democracy and innovation. Guiding questions are:  How can Cities and Regions shape Law and Governance at the local level? What Role do Cities and Regions play in an international context? What are the economic objectives of cities and regions and how are law and governance relevant for achieving them? How can Cities and Regions address the current democratic crisis?  

At the end of this course students should be able to 

• define and work with key terms (cities, towns, regions, countryside, suburbs, etc.)
• apply a "spatial lens" to study social-ecological transformation
• understand the political economic levers for and barriers to urban/regional transformation
• explain how governance structures constrain or enable actors/actions at mulitiple spatial scales
• can explain different approaches to "governance" and the challenges arising in the context of "urban" governance
• understand that social-ecological problems are shaped spatial form (settlement patterns and land use systems)
• identify some typical examples of policy making at the city level such as urban planning and zoning
• develop a broad understanding of the multi-faceted role the law plays for transformating cities and regions
• understand cities as internationally embedded in international governance system and global city networks
• become familiar with the Austrian Constitutions' organizational legal framework (eg.Statutarstädte), the specific legal status of Vienna and understand the relevance of constitutional law for the organizational framework 
• explain "public procurement" and understand the difference to purely private contracts
• crititcally engage with the literature and develop writing skills
• develop and improve discussion skill

you are expected to attend at least 80% of the units 

• lectures
• (group) discussions
• independent readings 
• critical engagement with and discussion of readings

Participation 20%

Weekly Learning Progress Assessments (reflection papers, presentations, etc.) 20%

Final Exam 60%

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