Can residents' visions change urban planning? For several years, a group of residents of Vienna's 15th district has been fighting for a park on the disused site of the Westbahnhof railway station.

The WESTBAHNPARK.JETZT initiative is calling for a 1.2 km long park along the tracks. The Westbahnpark is intended to bring more climate and green space justice to a densely built-up, socially and culturally diverse district of Vienna, which has cramped living conditions and a socially disadvantaged population.

Through artistic actions, workshops and petitions, the initiative is demanding a change in the current approach, which focuses mainly on residential development. It is campaigning for this unique opportunity to be seized and for the existing open space to be unsealed and turned into a green space that supports the common good and enriches future generations instead of further dense development.

The City of Vienna is responding to these demands and is currently working on a development concept for the district, which will include a broad participation process. This is where the course steps in: Equipped with expert knowledge from the two seminars, the students analyze the participatory transformation process in the practical, ask about groups of actors, the distribution and accessibility of resources, examine usage practices, needs and satisfaction and develop an inclusive participation process for the district.