KGLM 2180 - Comparative Urban Planning

This class is an exploration of the spatial and territorial planning arrangements around the world. Rather than a discipline, spatial planning designates a large but interconnected area of political decisions in the broad framework of territorial governance to improve the relationship between local society and its environment. Planning can also be seen as the positioning of collective actions with regards to time and space. This positioning has become particularly relevant in the last decades when the restructuring of neoliberal societies has led to the compression of the twin dimensions of time and space. Long term or large-scale planning have thus lost ground both in theory and in practice. The class will therefore investigate how planning practices work, anticipating events, and trespassing scales.

Marco CREMASCHI

Séminaire

English

Weekly readings and preparation for the class debate, at least 2 hours per week; exercises, up to 1 hour per week plus the final paper.

No pre-requirements for this class

Autumn 2022-2023

Four types of exercise: 0%: (not noted, but mandatory): introduce yourself on the blog and state your interests - if any - in planning and urban design as a form of self-assessment to double-check at the end of the year 25%: One urban design exercise: elaboration and critical ‘reading' of a spatial design proposal (quick version, instructions to follow) 25%: One written intervention on the blog (at least 1500 words): a comparison of at least two urban development projects in cities of your choice (suggestion: large urban project creating new ‘centralities'; informal developments; transitory urbanism, etc.); it is meant to compare political aims and the physical form (use: Jacobs, 1984; for the approach, look at Firley, E., Grön, K. 2014). You can use the design projects in the book or pick up your own choice). 50%: In groups of two or three, produce a proposal for a spatial intervention at the neighbourhood scale in a city that you know. The proposal has to develop a proposal or describe a development scenario of a place. Recommendations address a specific urban context or a development site, illustrated by maps and pictures (all pictures have to be justified by a dida). The proposal has to address ecological development, circular urbanism and community development through a spatial solution. In the conclusions, the proposal will discuss the implications of these projects and trends for city making in the future. Each paper should be about 6 thousand words (not including additional pages for references, diagrams and images).

Teaching and class debates, design exercises