In spring 2026, the very first edition of the new international course Field course in urban studies took place. The course builds on long-term cooperation and research ties between our research team and colleagues from Université de Strasbourg, and this year it enabled students for the first time to carry out fieldwork together directly in Strasbourg.
During several intensive days, students worked in mixed Czech-French teams and explored transformations of different types of urban neighbourhoods — from city centres and inner-city areas to suburban environments. The course focuses on urban change in both Western European and post-socialist contexts and addresses topics such as revitalisation, gentrification, and suburbanisation.
What pleased us most was the students’ active and enthusiastic approach to the course. They handled not only the field research itself very well, but also communication and collaboration with their French colleagues. In a remarkably short time, they produced a number of interesting projects and presentations that clearly demonstrated the value of international and comparative teaching.
The course combines theoretical approaches with practical field research and seeks to place urban transformations within broader social, economic, and institutional contexts.
The course was initiated and organised by Petra Špačková, with Marie Sýkora Horňáková also contributing to the teaching. The very first edition already showed that this format of international collaboration has great potential while also providing a highly valuable experience for students. And since the first year turned out so well, we are already looking forward to the next one. Several new elements and adjustments are planned for the course, which should help further develop the overall concept. We believe these changes will make the next edition even better.