Transforming Cities and Regions III is a bachelor-level course about housing and cities. It starts with housing itself: what it is, why it is not like other things we buy, and the different forms it takes, from owning and renting to cooperatives, municipal housing, and informal housing. Then continues with why cities grow and sprawl, and what that does to housing demand. How zoning decides what can be built and who ends up living where. What climate change means for housing, and who pays for adapting it. How social housing is financed, using Vienna as the main case. And how rental housing has become an investment asset, and what that does to rents and to tenants.

The course takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on urban economics, economic geography, and housing studies. It is designed for bachelor students with an interest in urban studies, housing policy, economic geography, and related fields. No prior background in quantitative methods is required. Students will engage with a range of academic literature, from foundational theoretical texts to recent empirical research, and are expected to read critically, think comparatively, and communicate their ideas clearly both in writing and verbally in English.

1 – Explain the different forms housing takes, including ownership, private and social renting, cooperatives, and informal housing, and how each is financed, priced, and allocated.

2 – Apply core concepts in urban economics to real-world city contexts, including agglomeration, urban density, sprawl, and land use.

3 – Interpret how zoning and land use regulation shape urban form and housing outcomes, including where sprawl is contained, where mixed use is possible, and who is included or excluded, drawing on theoretical and empirical frameworks from the course.

4 – Critically analyze housing markets across different institutional settings, with an understanding of how financialization, rent regulation, social mix, and tenure structures shape access to housing.

5 – Situate housing within broader environmental and economic processes, including climate adaptation, the trade-offs it involves, and the question of who pays for it.

6 – Evaluate urban policy responses to challenges such as housing affordability, neighborhood change, urban sprawl, and ecological sustainability, drawing on evidence from the course literature.

7 – Engage critically with academic literature: summarizing arguments, identifying key claims, and connecting ideas across different papers and thematic clusters.

8 – Communicate findings clearly, both in written form (mini assignments / final exam) and verbally (in class / group presentation), demonstrating the ability to translate complex urban research into accessible analysis.

Students are expected to attend at least 80% of the sessions. 

Absences should be communicated in advance.

Attendance at the first and final session is mandatory.

40% == Final Exam

• Closed book, open-answer. 90-120 minutes.
• Define and explain key concepts from the course.
• Summarise and critically engage with arguments from the chosen assigned readings.
• Propose and justify policy responses to urban and regional challenges.
• Connect concepts or papers across clusters.

30% == Group Presentation

• City case study, groups of 3-4, pre-approved city list.
• In-depth analysis of an assigned or pre-approved city through the lens of at least two course readings.
• Assesment criteria: depth of engagement with literature, quality of case study analysis, and clarity of presentation.
• City assigment model to be confirmed.

20% == Mini Weekly Assignments

• 4 x 300 Words. Submitted after selected lectures.
• Short written reflection following each of four selected lectures.
• Summarise a key argument, raise a critical question, or connect content to real-world/personal example/experience.
• Graded on engagement, clarity, and demonstrated understanding.

10% == Active Participation

• Quality of contributions to dicussions and engagent with peers` ideas.
• Preparedness, evidence of having done the readings.
• Quality of contribution weighted over quantity.

Grading Scheme

• Excellent (1) == 90 -100
• Good (2) == 80 - <90
• Satisfactory (3) == 70 - <80
• Sufficient (4) == 60 - <70
• Fail (5) == 0 - <60

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