Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The aim of the course, in line with the educational objectives of the degree programme – 'which aims to train student architects to acquire a high level of ability to design, identify and develop problems and to understand the principles that link different areas of knowledge in order to give them a specific meaning (...) and to be able to combine problems of form at all scales, from architecture to urban and territorial planning, with those of sustainability through the intelligent use of advanced techniques and technologies" – is to help students understand which urban planning tools and techniques are most suitable for correctly integrating into the transition process currently underway, also highlighting the fundamental contribution of digital transformation, related data management and the transfer of knowledge between cities through continuous exchange and learning processes. Students will acquire a comprehensive understanding and mastery of the tools to integrate disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation into plans and projects for the built environment.
Course Prerequisites
It is necessary to have taken the Fundamentals of Spatial and Urban Design course exam.
Teaching Methods
The course is divided into face-to-face and interactive lectures, seminars and days dedicated to the in-depth study of theoretical topics and practice, verification and revision of the work done by students.
Attendance, as per the Didactic Regulations of the Course of Study, is compulsory and students with less than 70% attendance at lectures will not be admitted to the examination.
Lectures (classroom hours/year): 20 hours/semester
Tutorials (classroom hours/year): 40 hours/semester
The student's autonomous activities, which in total must engage him/her for 90 hours, are divided as follows:
- 45 hours of individual study to consolidate theoretical knowledge
- 45 hours of practical work oriented to independently conclude the graphic works produced for the exercise
Assessment Methods
To take the final exam, it will be necessary to have attended the lectures, participated in the collective activities of the course (lectures, seminars, workshops, reviews), and to have carried out the design exercise on the topic agreed with the lecturer. The examination will consist of an oral interview on the topics covered in the lectures and on the illustration and discussion of the graphic designs inherent in the urban design of the area under study on the basis of the seminar activity carried out during the Workshop activities (including intermediate deliveries). The project may be worked on individually or in small groups (maximum three people) and its progress will be discussed through collective, individual reviews, intermediate workshop verifications and seminars that with regularity will punctuate the activity of the Course.
Students will be required to demonstrate:
- theoretical knowledge acquired on the course topics, with particular attention to risk assessment processes, structural and non-structural mitigation measures, and tools to be applied in risk planning and management
- the ability to apply the knowledge and skills acquired by applying concepts and definitions to a real case study.
Texts
Barresi A. (2024), A reformulation of the planning process in the light of ecosystem, in Moraci F., Bevilacqua C., Pizzimenti P. (2024), Ecological and digital transition in cities, Springer open access
Barresi A. Moraci F. (in corso di stampa), Publicness come gestione dei rischi e cura dell’ambiente e del territorio: Il piano del verde e della biodiversità del Comune di Brescia, in Atti della XVII Conferenza Nazionale SIU Publicness: le sfide della dimensione pubblica nella città e nei territori, Milano Giugno 2025
Cortinovis C, Geneletti D. (2017), “Ecosystem service in urban plans: What is there, and what is still needed for bettere decisions” in Land Use policy Elsevier
Gabellini P. Merlini C., Savoldi P., Zanfi F. (2023), Urbanistica per una città media. Esperienze a Modena, FrancoAngeli - Collana del DAStU
Galderisi A., Di Venosa M., Fera G., Menoni S. (2020) ( a cura di), Geografia del rischio, Donzelli editore
Gazzola V. (2019), Uso del suolo e riduzione del rischio naturale in ambito urbano, Maggioli Editore
Mahmoud I., Morello E., Lemes de Oliveira F., Geneletti D. (eds.), (2022), Nature-based Solutions for Sustainable Urban Planning: Greening Cities, Shaping Cities, Springer International Publishing
Marescotti L.(a cura di) (2017), Insegnare l'urbanistica come scienza, Urbanistica, Ambiente e Società
Piano del verde e della biodiversità del Comune di Brescia in: https://www.comune.brescia.it/aree-tematiche/verde-e-parchi/piano-del-verde-e-della-biodiversita
Progetto Interreg Blue green city in: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/bluegreencity
PSC Reggio Calabria in : https://pianificazioneurbana.reggiocal.it/DettaglioContenuto.aspx?id_contenuto=61
Legge Urbanistica Regionale Calabrese n.19/2002
Legge n. 25/2022 della Regione Calabria recante “Norme per la rigenerazione urbana e territoriale, la riqualificazione e il riuso”
In addition to the bibliographical references listed below, further bibliographical information will be provided to students during the course.
Contents
The course in Urban Planning for Territories and Cities between Sustainability and Innovation contributes to the general objective of the Degree Course in Architecture, which aims to provide students with the skills necessary to carry out the activities ‘usually performed under the professional title of architect’ (Directive 2005/36/EC - former Directives 85/384/EEC, 85/14/EEC, 86/17/EEC). In line with the educational objectives of the degree programme, which focus on the acquisition of design skills capable of addressing the most complex challenges facing cities and the territory today, the course aims to raise awareness among future contemporary architects of their important role in reducing the risk of natural disasters and adapting to climate change, which concerns not only the design of individual buildings but also urban plans and projects.
The topics covered by the course include the concept of risk and risk mitigation measures, both structural and non-structural, to be applied to existing settlements and new urban developments, with a focus on long-term measures. With regard to risks, the basic concepts of risk analysis will be provided, including hazard, exposure, vulnerability and resilience. Once they have learned the key concepts, students will develop a more interdisciplinary approach through integrated design and planning, focusing in particular on the mitigation and adaptation of risks due to climate change, in order to achieve more resilient and resistant urban fabrics and infrastructure.
In line with the provisions of the recent University Knowledge Reform (reference to Ministerial Decrees 1648 2 1649 of December 2023) the course transfers to teaching the first part of the research carried out by the lecturer (as head of one of the actions of pilot project 4.6.1 of Spoke 4 of the Tech4You Innovation Ecosystem, funded by a competitive call for proposals by the PNRR) on the relationship between urban and spatial planning and climate change, in particular through the use of green and blue infrastructure and ecosystem services.
Students will therefore apply the theoretical concepts learned to an area of Reggio Calabria, already identified by pilot project 4.6.1 for research experimentation. The decision to carry out the project experimentation in this area will facilitate the student in the important learning phase of their integrated urban planning experience, as they will be able to use information from the Reggio Calabria PSC documents and the initial results, already published, of the research conducted by pilot project 4.6.1.
Programme
In the first module, the course will provide both conceptual foundations and practical examples on the following topics:
Introduction to key concepts of risk assessment and management;
Main structural and non-structural mitigation measures on multiple scales, ranging from large-scale territorial plans to local municipal plans, individual buildings and infrastructure;
The multiscale nature of risks and measures for adaptation to risks and climate change, with particular attention to the interconnections between urban scales and sectors
The role of urban planning and design in the processes of mitigation and adaptation to risks caused by climate change: ecosystem services; Green and blue infrastructure and ecosystem services
The green and blue infrastructure project for municipalities in Piedmont
The Green and Biodiversity Plan of the Municipality of Brescia
In the second module, the course will provide all the knowledge necessary to prepare a project aimed at mitigating climate risks in the study area proposed within the Municipality of Reggio Calabria
Calabrian urban planning regulations
Analysis tools for understanding the area covered by the design exercises (morphological, functional, social, environmental risk conditions, etc.) and study of the relationships with the entire municipal context
The PSC forecasts of the Municipality of Reggio Calabria for the area covered by the project exercise
Levels of resilience and fragility of the territory in relation to the presence of certain priority ecosystem services
Expected outcomes
In particular, the course aims to provide students with skills and abilities related to the following topics:
Knowledge and understanding: students will acquire theoretical and practical knowledge of disaster risk, including the impact of climate change on the built environment and urban areas. The course will provide analytical tools for assessing risks in order to identify the best combination of structural and non-structural measures suitable for the territorial and urban context in question.
Application of knowledge and skills: students will develop the operational capacity to identify design and planning solutions that integrate disaster risk mitigation and climate change adaptation measures. They will use these measures in a design exercise on an urban area in the municipality of Reggio Calabria. Students will acquire tools and skills to understand risk before extreme events occur, integrating prevention and adaptation into ordinary planning and design.
Judgement skills: students will acquire the ability to include risks due to natural hazards, the impact of climate change and interaction with dangerous human activities in the necessary multi-criteria assessment of an urban area.
Communication skills: students will acquire the correct language in the field of natural hazards and mitigation and adaptation actions, becoming familiar with complex concepts such as resilience.
More information
No one