Description
How can cities become more sustainable, resilient, and climate-neutral? What can we learn from successful urban transformation projects across Europe? And how can researchers, policymakers, and practitioners work together to create meaningful change?
The lecture series “Changing Cities, Changing Societies” explores these questions through an engaging exchange of experiences, ideas, and best practices. Organised by the Environment and Climate Research Hub (ECH) of the University of Vienna in cooperation with the City of Vienna, the series highlights cities as both key drivers of environmental challenges and important laboratories for innovation and sustainability.
As part of the Circle U. alliance, the course brings together leading researchers from partner universities across Europe and local experts from the City of Vienna. Through keynote lectures and moderated discussions, participants gain insights into real-world projects, lessons learned, and innovative approaches to urban transformation. Rather than presenting ready-made solutions, the series focuses on understanding how change happens and how collaboration between science, policy, and practice can make it more effective.
The course is open to students from all disciplines who are interested in the future of cities and societies. It offers a unique opportunity to engage with international perspectives while learning from local experiences in Vienna and beyond. Through this dialogue, students develop a deeper understanding of urban sustainability challenges and the opportunities for shaping positive change.
The course page at the University of Vienna gives you more information on the course content.
Assessment
Form of assessment: Online Multiple-Choice Exam
Participants will receive a grade.
Expected Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Compare and reflect on international and local experiences of urban transformation, identifying transferable lessons, good practices, and context-specific approaches.
- Understand the opportunities and limitations of knowledge exchange between science and practice and apply this understanding to real-world sustainability challenges.
- Recognise the complexity of urban transformation processes and the diverse actors, perspectives, and governance structures involved.
Important Info
The audience comprises students from a variety of different fields of study, since the topics covered in the lecture series range from mobility to nutrition. The idea is to bring together different perspectives to address the complex challenges we face, so dissemination should happen as broadly as possible.
Please register via the Registration form by 13 Oct. Registration takes place on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, we strongly recommend that interested applicants register as early as possible, as places can fill up quickly.
After applying, students must complete their course registration by 15 Oct in u:find.
Full Name: Timo Bühler
Email Address: ringvo.ech@univie.at.ac / timo.buehler@univie.ac.at
Position: Coordinator at the Environment and Climate Research Hub (ECH)
Automatically accessible after successful completion of the course.
Start Date of hybrid component (if applicable) : 6 Oct 2026
End of hybrid Component (if applicable) : 26 Jan 2027
For further information please visit the lecture series webpage from the University of Vienna.
