KSTU 2325 - FLUX, MATTER, DATA : NEW ORDERS OF THE URBAN FABRIC

This seminar will provide students with insights from the ongoing material transformations of the urban fabric. The general idea is to contribute to an understanding of the complex socio-political and material nature of the urban production and to nourish their appreciation of these transitions with regards to ecological challenges and to the objective of a low-carbon urban society. This twelve-week seminar will cover the various facets of these material transformations, with a focus on urban technical services (water, energy, waste) and the construction sector. Case studies will be explored and debated in various areas of the global North and the global South. Students will also have to conduct a small research project on socio-political and material metabolism in the Great Paris or Greater London area. By the end of the course, students should be able to: - Develop a sociotechnical approach of various infrastructures and technical artefacts - Analyse the metabolism of an urban territory - Analyse the governance of an construction project - Have a critical understanding of public policies and industrial strategies with regards to ecological transition - Sketch a research protocol for an urban complex question

Daniel FLORENTIN

Séminaire

English

Spring 2021-2022

This course validates 4 ECTS. The design, content and requirements for the small research project will be detailed during the first class session. The course will then be evaluated as follows: - A collective small research paper based on the research project (50% of the grade, btw. 5,000 and 7,500 words) - An oral presentation of the small research project (30% of the grade, 30-minute presentation + 10-15 minutes of questions) - A small memo on the field visit (10% of the grade, max. 1,000 words) - Participation and contribution to the collective discussions (10% of the grade)

The course rationale relies on three interdependent blocks (flux, matter, data) that cover the various ongoing challenges of the material urban fabric and has been conceived in a cumulative perspective. It requires a proactive commitment of the students during and outside of the class sessions. For each of the sessions, readings will be assigned and their discussion will constitute an important part of the class. Each class will be divided in three parts: - A discussion on the texts to be read, led by the students. This requires to prepare key questions and elements of discussion identified in the texts. - A presentation on the topics relating to the texts - Alternatively a feedback on the fieldwork advancements and methodological insights