After successful completion of the course, students are able to...

• Present and discuss their doctoral projects in the fields of public space research in particular and/or urban studies in general with international peers and supervisors;
• Engage in an informed academic exchange with colleagues from other disciplines and academic backgrounds, while discussing a diverse set of situated research and field work practices in cities in different parts of the globe;
• Trace professional histories of global urban studies scholars working in an inter-, trans- and postdisciplinary field of urban studies.

***Prof. Dr. Sabine Knierbein, Visiting Professor in Urban Studies 2021 Dr. Marie Glaser, Prof. Dr. Setha Low, Elina Kränzle MSc , with further guest inputs by Prof. Dr. Barbara Schönig and further colleagues (tbc)***

Approaching the field from variegated professional biographies, public space researchers around the world have recently engaged in a more systematic exchange with each other in a community of scholars having worked for decades in cross-disciplinary fashion: Disciplines like urban anthropology, urban and cultural sociology, human, social and cultural geography, political science, yet as well disciplines pertaining to the fields of the spatial arts (architecture, planning, urban design, landscape architecture, fine arts, …) have all contributed diverse bodies of knowledge, both conceptual and methodological, to the field of urban studies. With a focus  on an analysis of lived space and urban everyday life in relation to changing patterns of urbanization, different study programs/centers have emerged in the recent decade(s): Two research groups – one in urban anthropology and the other in environmental psychology –  at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, USA with a focus on public space research and broader aspects of urbanization (Prof. Dr. Setha Low),, the Institute for European Urban Studies at Bauhaus Universität Weimar with a special expertise at the intersection of urban studies and housing studies (Prof. Dr. Barbara Schönig), the Habitat Unit at the Institute of Architecture of Technische Universität Berlin with an emphasis on architecture, social infrastructure and informal settlements as well as the Interdisciplinary Centre for Urban Culture at the Faculty of Architecture and Planning at Technische Universität Wien in Vienna, Austria (Prof. Dr. Sabine Knierbein), among others. The seminar aims to bring doctoral students affiliated with TU Wien in contact with peers and supervisors of these universities. Through realizing a range of e-colloquia, we will set a focus on the study of urban everyday life and lived space, on public space and urban studies, in connection to the relating expertise and emphasis at these universities. In a concerted effort, we will exchange views, discuss approaches, share passions about cities, and learn from one another about current challenges of urbanization (during and beyond pandemic times), seen through the prisms of public space, housing, social infrastructure and everyday life. In lively and creative bilateral conversations, supervisors will jointly reflect on their ways of how they found themselves working in the field of urban studies.

The course contents will be provided by interweaving two approaches: (1) In each of the planned doctoral exchange encounters between two (or more) institutions, supervisors will engage in a moderated introductory dialogue about contemporary challenges of urbanization (before, during and beyond the pandemic) with emphasis being placed respectively at public space, housing, social infrastructure and everyday life. (2) Throughout the course, participating doctoral students will present, discuss and improve the narrative of their thesis projects as regards their diverse individualresearch interests, motivations, designs and strategies, and concerning approaches to collective work that help them find relevance and robustness in their research. Bringing both supervisor perspectives and students particular themes to the fore, the seminar aims at creating a vivid dialogue between motivated researchers in different cities and countries.

Wed 3rd March 2021, 2pm, Unit 1

Course Introduction 
Teaching Team: Sabine Knierbein and Elina Kränzle

Fri 5th March 2021, 6pm, Unit 2

Guest e-Lecture Sabine Knierbein at the e-conversations of the Public Space Research Group, City University New York: Quo Vadis Public Space? Conceptual explorations of lived space and everyday life in urban studies“

Zoom Link: https://gc-cuny-edu.zoom.us/j/83988004137?pwd=SU5hT2lrUStDK3Exa1BqUmM4RXVQZz09

Teaching Team: Sabine Knierbein  

Wed 14th April 2021, 11am, Unit 3

Presentation of ETH Case Approach, Institute for Landscape and Urban Studies, towards Urban Studies, Marie Glaser and

Teaching Team: Marie Glaser, Elina Kränzle

Wed 14th April 2021, 2pm, Unit 4

Preparing for the forthcoming colloquia 
Teaching Team: Elina Kränzle and Sabine Knierbein

Thursday 31st March, 7pm

Public Space Research - International Perspectives OSTA LECTURE
Please register for the event here: https://berkeley.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0sf-CsqDMpGtPYpsfq7U9lXlQH6dJQiUDT (make sure to enter the same email address as the one associated with your Zoom account) If you do not yet have a zoom account, you can obtain a free account here: https://zoom.us/freesignup/
Teaching Team: Sabine Knierbein

Thur 10^th June 2021, 3pm, Units 5 and 6 
Joint e-colloquium CUNY, New York and TUW, Vienna

Joint Colloquium Opening & Introductory Conversation S. Low and S. Knierbein 
Moderation: Elina Kränzle (TUW)

Four short presentations (2 CUNY, 2 TUW)
Teaching Team: Setha Low, Sabine Knierbein  

Fri 11^th June 2021, 3pm, Units 7 and 8  
Joint e-colloquium CUNY, New York and TUW, Vienna

Joint Wrap-Up Student Volunteer 1 (CUNY) and Student Volunteer 2 (TUW) of Day 1 

Teaching Team: Setha Low, Sabine Knierbein and Elina Kränzle

Six short presentations (3 CUNY, 3 TUW)
Teaching Team: Setha Low, Sabine Knierbein, Elina Kränzle 

Thur 17^th June 2021, 9am, Units 9, 10 and 11 
Joint colloquium BUW, Weimar and TUW, Vienna

Joint Colloquium Opening & Introductory Conversation B. Schönig and S. Knierbein 
Moderation: Elina Kränzle

Three short presentations (2 BUW, 1 TUW)
Teaching Team: Barbara Schönig, Sabine Knierbein  

Three short presentations (1 BUW, 2 TUW)
Teaching Team: Barbara Schönig, Sabine Knierbein 

Four short presentations (2 BUW, 2 TUW)
Teaching Team: Barbara Schönig, Sabine Knierbein, Elina Kränzle

Mo 21^st June 2021 (or Sat or Sun), 9am, Units 12 and 13 
Joint e-colloquium TUB, Berlin and TUW, Vienna

Joint Colloquium Opening & Introductory Conversation P. Misselwitz and S. Knierbein 
Teaching Team: Elina Kränzle (and optional: doctoral colleague from TUB, tbc)

pecha kucha format or other: Speed doctoral project presentations (5 TUB, 5 TUW)
Teaching Team: Sabine Knierbei

Joint Wrap-Up Student Volunteer 1 (TUB) and Student Volunteer 2 (TUW) 

Teaching Team: Sabine Knierbein and Elina Kränzle

Wed 23^rd June 2021, 2pm, Unit 14

Retrospective Tour d’horizon in urban studies – Conclusions and Further Prospects 
Teaching Team: Elina Kränzle and Sabine Knierbein

The seminar benefits from peer-to-peer coaching when it comes to doctoral thesis project presentations and feedback, including commentaries on written exposés. Supervisors and the teaching team will offer sufficient space for conversations between the groups and institutional approaches, as well as within and beyond US-centric and Euro-centric perspectives in urban studies. Through a range of previous meetings, students will be prepared to present their doctoral topics to an internationally informed professional audience. 

- at least 80% e-participation in the course
- submission of a proper thesis project (4-6 pages) exposé 10 days prior to the respective e-symposium
- commenting prior to the e-symposium to exposés of peers in written
- presenting the project during the course and successive colloquia
- participating in joint preparation, realization, reflection and documentation of the symposium

Registration is conducted via the institute.