Still a just city? Recent (dis-)continuities in Vienna’s housing and environmental policy with Michael Friesenecker, University of Vienna & Yuri Kazepov, University of Vienna

Seminar Cities are back in town

Sciences Po, Webinar, Compulsory registration

Historically, European cities have been characterised by a strong association between social cohesion, quality of life, economic competitiveness, and a robust state. Vienna is an excellent example for that. However, in more recent years Vienna was pressured by changing policy narratives in the context of demographic shifts, post-industrial transformations, welfare recalibration and rescaling. Against this changing context and dynamic multi-level arrangements, this presentation discusses Vienna’s policy responses to these pressures on housing and green spaces. By using a social and environmental justice lens we focus on social and spatial developments influencing access to, and availability of affordable housing and green areas, paying particular attention to potential trade-offs. In the conclusions, we reflect on the city’s resilience between urban justice and the challenges ahead.

Speakers

Michael Friesenecker, Doctoral Researcher at the Department of Sociology and the Department of Geography, University of Vienna

Michael Friesenecker's research interests focus on the social and spatial aspects of urban planning, housing, and environmental policies. On these topics, he has studied the socio-spatial implications of these policies from a multi-scalar and comparative perspective. He has contributed to a book entitled Vienna: Still a Just City (Routledge, 2022) and has notably published articles in Sustainability, Social Inclusion and Local Environment – The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability.

Yuri Kazepov, Professor of International Urban Sociology and Compared Welfare Systems, University of Vienna

Among Yuri Kazepov's fields of interest are multilevel governance, the territorial dimension of social policies. On these issues, he has been carrying out comparative research and evaluation activities for the EU and National Agencies. He has notably published: Local social innovation to combat poverty: a critical appraisal (editor with S. Oosterlynck and A. Novy. Policy Press, 2020) and Vienna: Still a Just City (editor with R. Verwiebe. Routledge, 2022).

Discussion

Pierre Wokuri, Postdoctoral Researcher, Sciences Po, Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics

For more information: citiesarebackintown@sciencespo.fr

Compulsory registration