Climate adaptation in existing cities

In the summer semester of 2023, the field trips will focus on the topic of climate adaptation in existing cities. The expeditions will visit cities that will experience similar climatic conditions to Vienna in the future in order to find out what we can learn from them—both from newer strategic and design adaptation measures and from historically developed architectural or cultural aspects.

Comprehensive field research on site will enable us to go beyond the widely publicized “best practice” examples and learn about plans, measures, or phenomena in their political, social, and cultural context, as well as in their everyday use by diverse local people. 

The “Field Trips” format

Since 2016, Field Trips in Public Space have provided a framework for master's students in architecture and spatial planning to conduct independent expeditions to a wide variety of European cities. Experimental and art-based methods are used for the field research in public space, which usually lasts 10 days. The City of Vienna supports these projects with travel grants.

The students develop a research design based on changing semester topics in the field of public space and write a research proposal for the travel grant. They conduct the field research independently, evaluate the material, and finally produce a radio feature, an exhibition contribution, and a report.

Course content

• Design a research plan for (partly experimental) field research on the topic of inventory development
• Write and present a research proposal
• Independently plan and implement a research trip
• Collect material in the field using different methods and media and evaluate it scientifically
• Learn to design and implement supplementary communication media (radio/podcast, photography, text) with external input in order to write a scientific report

Visiting professor

This year's future.lab visiting professor is Dr. habil. Fritz Reusswig from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. As an interdisciplinary sociologist with a background in philosophy, he deals with various facets of urban transformation in the context of climate change. Fritz Reusswig has developed climate adaptation concepts for cities such as Potsdam, Bamberg, and Augsburg, published on learning from cities whose climate conditions we will have in the future, and studied the effects of climate protection measures on different milieus and the responsiveness of climate policy. His work productively combines social and ecological issues with scientific and social science analyses. We are delighted that he will be accompanying the field trips in the summer semester of 2023!

Schedule

Phase 1: Preparation (March/April)

In the first phase, the groups will prepare a research proposal (due April 30). The third session will feature a presentation of the research projects (March 19). Only after this step will the trips be approved.

The preparation phase concludes with a research proposal that outlines the content, methodology, practical arrangements, and financial framework of the expedition. Only after the proposal has been approved can the financial resources be committed.

Phase 2: Expedition (May)

Between May 8 and May 27, 2024, the teams will independently conduct a six- to ten-day expedition to their respective cities. They will observe, conduct interviews, record,
draw, play, intervene... and document their findings.

Phase 3: Evaluation and communication (June)

The results of the expedition will be evaluated and a report will be prepared based on the application. In addition, a radio report will be edited, photo elements will be created, and an exhibition contribution and an article about the project will be written.

Further information

The course is aimed at master's students in the two fields of architecture and spatial planning. Architecture students can have the course credited as a module (10 ECTS) + free electives (2 ECTS). (Crediting in the sense of a module including supplementary subjects is not possible.)

The course will be conducted in groups (approx. 3 students, mixed architecture/spatial planning). In addition to support from the course team, there will be input on photography, radio, and article writing.