After successful completion of the course, students are able to

• explore and theorise social inequality and space by focusing on the interplay of the materialities, spatial practices, shared meanings and discourses of the lived experiences and embodied interactions that take place in urban space. 
• understand and discuss concepts related to the appropriation of public space, and recognize the interrelationships of embodied practices and processes of space appropriation.
• discuss and critically reflect on care and communing debates and their relevance to the fields of urban developments, planning and architecture, with a particular focus on housing and public space.
• identify research problems, frame research questions, and present and discuss developed research projects and results in the course of a final presentation and in form of a written report.

The course is dedicated to the question of how social inequality is inscribed in urban space, in built, lived and imagined space. To this end, we will create a common theoretical basis through the reading and joint discussion of basic texts that elaborate differentiated theoretical approaches to social inequalities and explore the question of who can be involved in decision-making processes and how, who has what access to resources and privileges, and who is excluded from urban spaces and how, as well as the mechanisms linked to this. We will analysis practices of protest, art & activism and local initiatives at the neighbourhood level. We will explore the topic at selected locations. For this purpose, the participants will develop and implement a research design together, excerpt texts and go into the field. At the end of the seminar, each participant will have written a seminar paper and gone through a research process together. 

Possible Research fields and topics:

In the realm of the seminar, we will examine three urban areas and try out different methods of spatial and qualitative (ethnographic) methods.

Indicative research questions that will be explored in the context of the course are organized intro three thematic fields and are as follows:

1: Ways of usage of public space and different user groups

Who is dependent on public space and how do different supergroups use public space? What function does public space fulfil for the different user groups? Who can appropriate which urban subspaces? What barriers and inequalities are there in public space from the perspective of the respective groups?

2:   Actors of production of space and Practices of protest

Who can get involved in decision-making processes and how? How and by whom is the right to the city claimed? (Using selected examples) How do vulnerable groups organise their interests and who represents their interests? 

3: Hierarchies and inscribed inequalities in urban spaces and its infrastructures  

How do social inequalities inscribe themselves in urban space? How does this become visible on the material level, in the use, perception and representation of urban space? How are the designs differentiated in the various parts of the city? How do spatial hierarchies inscribe themselves in the design?

Matzleinsdorfer Platz (Art and Research) small interventions on the Matzleinsdorfer Platz. How to use the place as urban living room, considering the topic of mobility and its change 

Related phenomena: Mobility in the city design of public spaces in times of climate change and public housing (the decade of the 1950ies)

Reumannplatz (Social spatial analysis – mapping the sequences of movement and approbation of space)  presentation based on small research (about the planning history of the place) 

Related phenomena: dense and diverse urban public spaces, urban design and participation, visibilities and hierarchies in the city space. 

Wienerberg City (Social spatial analysis – of housing infrastructures and the public space )  presentation based on small research (about the planning history of the place) 

Related phenomena: dense and diverse urban public spaces, urban design and participation, visibilities and hierarchies in the city space. 

• Introduction to the theories of social inequalities in the urban context
• Joint discussion along the reading of the basic literature
• Common explorations in public spaces and discussion of short films 
• Writing excerpts of these theoretical foundations
• Common work on formulating an exposé 
• Guideline on writing a seminar paper

The Kick-Off of the Elective Module 5: Society, Everyday Life and Space will take place on October 4, 2022, 9:00 - 11:00 am together with all Course Instructors.

We invite all students to participate:

Tuesday, 4.10.2022 | 9:00 am - 11:00 am | Room BA 02B

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The courses mainly address master students from planning and architecture. We explicitly welcome students coming from other Viennese universities in disciplines relating to urban studies such as educational studies, migration studies, urban design, geography, (work, urban) sociology, political science, landscape architecture, cultural studies (‘Mitbeleger’ at TU Wien). The course language is English. We support students’ active participation in debates and interactive teaching formats. We encourage students to bring in and develop their own ideas and critical perspectives. We seek to create an international level of debate and exchange and welcome students from all countries and cultures. Just contact us (info@skuor.tuwien.ac.at).

• Discussion of the basic literature 
• Two excerpts of 3,000 characters including spaces (2 pages each) 
• Writing and presentation of the research exposé (approx. 3 pages) 
• Common exploration in the urban space 
• 15-minute presentation of the research projects and possible links to theory
• Written seminar paper of approx. 16,500 characters incl. spaces (8 - 10 pages)

The fulfilment of both criteria as well as 80% attendance are required for positive completion.

Please also visit, if possible, the core courses of this module (i.e. VO 280.909, UE 280.910, SE 280.911) as well as the VU 280.A28.