Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
Learning Objective 2: Acquisition of research methods on urban phenomena and strengthening of the knowledge required to critically interpret their possible configurations.
Learning Objective 3: Acquisition of the ability to address the fundamental issues of design through the experimentation of an applied experience that synthesises different fields of knowledge, capable of relating the global challenges of the UN 2030 Agenda and the ecological and circular transitions to possible local-scale solutions through the tools of urban planning.
Course Prerequisites
At the beginning of the course, the lecturer will verify that students meet the prerequisite requirements. Any gaps identified will be communicated to the Programme Coordinator so that appropriate support and remedial actions can be arranged.
Teaching Methods
The course is structured into lectures and interactive classes, seminars (where possible delivered by experts, scholars, professionals, officials and managers from technical offices of public administrations or other bodies operating in the field of urban planning and spatial governance), and dedicated sessions for the in-depth study of theoretical topics, as well as for the design exercise, assessment and review of students’ work.
Students must register for the course no later than the second week of classes.
Attendance, in accordance with the Degree Programme Teaching Regulations, is compulsory and students are required to attend at least 70% of the teaching hours in order to be admitted to the final examination.
2_Types of Learning Activities
Lectures: no. 22 of classroom hours
Tutorials / Exercises: no. 38 of classroom hours
Practical Activities: no. …of classroom hours
Other (please specify): no. …of classroom hours
3_Independent Student Work
Reading and study of the course bibliography (theoretical component): no. 30 of hours
Preparation for assessments (practical/project work): no. 40 of hours
Examination preparation: no. of hours 20
Assessment Methods
Restrictions on Access to the Final Examination:
Admission to the final examination is subject to attendance of at least 70% of lectures, exercises, and other teaching activities provided for by the course.
Number and Type of Assessments Contributing to the Final Grade:
The final oral examination will focus on the discussion of the theoretical topics included in the syllabus and addressed during the course, as well as on the design exercise.
In-progress assessments of learning and of the advancement of the design exercise are planned (aimed at preparing for the final examination). These will be carried out on dates and according to methods that will be communicated from time to time by the lecturer (reports, drawings, PowerPoint presentations, etc.).
Purpose of the Assessments / Intended Learning Outcomes
The assessment tests are aimed at verifying the achievement of the course learning outcomes through the evaluation of students’ ability to:
· understand, critically interpret and discuss the main issues of contemporary urban planning, with reference to sustainability, innovation, and urban design tools, in line with the competences required for the professional practice of the architect (Objective 1);
· apply methods and tools of analysis and research to urban and territorial phenomena, developing critical readings of settlement, environmental, social and economic dynamics and their possible evolutions (Objective 2);
· develop integrated design proposals at the urban and territorial scale, capable of relating the global challenges of the 2030 Agenda, the ecological transition and the circular economy to concrete strategies and interventions for regeneration, transformation and sustainable development of local contexts (Objective 3).
The expected learning outcomes consist in the acquisition of analytical, interpretative and design competences that enable students to address urban and territorial transformation processes in a conscious and critical way, integrating theoretical knowledge, research skills and design experimentation.
Final Assessment and Grading Criteria
• 30 - 30 cum laude (with honours) (Excellent): Excellent mastery of the course content, addressed with an organic and coherent vision, critical thinking, and appropriate language; remarkable design ability in the conception and development of the required coursework for the exercise; autonomy of judgment, evaluative capacity, and effective communication through different expressive languages.
• 28 - 29 (Very Good): very good knowledge of the course content, addressed with good critical ability and appropriate technical language; solid design competence in the conception and development of outputs featuring innovative elements; effective application of knowledge and ability to formulate independent judgments; clear, articulate and well-structured communication through different expressive languages, with minor non-substantial inaccuracies.
• 25 - 27 (Good): good knowledge of the fundamental contents and adequate understanding of the discipline; ability to identify the main concepts and to apply the acquired knowledge in design and operational contexts. Communication is generally clear and correct, although with some terminological inaccuracies and at times a schematic treatment, which limits critical depth and the coherence of the presentation.
• 22 - 24 (Fair): overall adequate knowledge of the main contents and essential understanding of the discipline, although with some gaps and inaccuracies in the framing of the topics. Fair ability to apply fundamental concepts and to develop outputs consistent with the requirements. Communication is generally correct, although not always fully coherent and well-structured, with occasional elements that are not fully relevant or not adequately in-depth.
• 18 - 21 (Pass): sufficient knowledge of the essential contents of the discipline, although with gaps in learning and not always complete understanding of key concepts. Basic ability to apply the acquired knowledge and to develop simple design outputs, with limited autonomy of judgment and minimal elements of critical insight. Communication is essential and sometimes poorly structured, with not always precise use of specific terminology.
Fail: insufficient and fragmented knowledge of the fundamental contents of the discipline, characterized by widespread gaps and an inadequate understanding of key concepts. Significant difficulties in applying the acquired knowledge and in developing outputs or projects consistent with the requirements. Analytical and evaluative skills, as well as the ability to re-elaborate content, are limited, while the presentation appears poorly structured and characterised by inappropriate use of specific terminology.
Texts
Required readings:
ASviS (2022), Infrastrutture verdi urbane e periurbane, Position Paper 2022, Gruppo di Lavoro sul Goal 11 Città e comunità sostenibili, https://asvis.it/position-paper/
Carrà N. e Pultrone G., LEAVE NO PLACE BEHIND. Politiche e strategie per la transizione. Processi e progetti di rigenerazione territoriale inclusiva, Aracne, Roma, 2025.
Pileri P., 100 parole per salvare il suolo. Piccolo dizionario urbanistico-italiano, Altraeconomia, Milano, 2018.
Pileri P., “L’urbanistica del togliere”, in Quaderni della decrescita N. 5, Anno 2 (2025) Maggio/Agosto 2025, https://quadernidelladecrescita.it/2025/04/30/lurbanistica-del-togliere/
Pultrone, G. (2024). Transform Active cities facing the ecological transition: Cha(lle)nges, strategies and practices in the EU panorama. TeMA - Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment, (1), 79–96. https://doi.org/10.6093/1970-9870/10210
Recommended readings:
Webliography:
https://www.icesp.it/gruppi-operativi/fp/citta-e-territorio-circolari, link to the “Cities and Circular Territories Focus” of ICESP (Italian Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform).
Other Study Material:
Further bibliographic and web references will be provided during the course.
Contents
1_Course Syllabus:
The course Urban Design for Territories and Cities between Sustainability and Innovation aims to contribute to the general educational objective of preparing students for the activities “normally exercised under the professional title of architect” (Directive 2005/36/EC – formerly Directives 85/384/EEC, 85/14/EEC and 86/17/EEC).
At the conclusion of the first three-year cycle of studies – mainly oriented towards basic training and the experimentation of experiences aimed at the applied synthesis of knowledge – the course completes the educational pathway concerning the fundamentals of urban design and planning, with particular reference to methods for the reading and critical interpretation of the city, the territory and urban phenomena at different scales, as well as to the analysis and understanding of planning instruments (municipal general urban plans and implementation plans).
The course aims to foster the development of an updated critical, cognitive and design-oriented awareness, consistent with the major settlement and environmental issues affecting contemporary cities and territories, the objectives of the UN Agenda 2030, the European Urban Agenda, and the socio-ecological, digital and circular transitions. The educational objective is to provide, through applied exercises aimed at comparing strategic and programmatic visions with design visions capable of influencing the spatial and morphological quality of places: the specific knowledge underlying urban and territorial planning and design; advanced knowledge concerning the critical reading of urban and territorial settlements; and the tools needed to promote the sustainable development of cities and territories through the rational use of available resources and the enhancement of their resilience.
The course programme will focus on the main issues related to the key themes of contemporary urban planning and on the tools and techniques of urban and territorial planning oriented towards the sustainable development of territories, based on their cultural, landscape and identity values, in line with Goal 11 of the UN Agenda 2030 (Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable).
The theoretical-methodological approach will be closely linked to a practical exercise/experimentation applied to the complex and multidimensional reality of the contemporary city and territory in an innovative way (with the support of external experts for seminar and/or complementary activities and, where possible and deemed appropriate, through the use of Geographic Information Systems – GIS), taking into account the fact that the need to facilitate the ecological and digital transition opens up new scenarios and design approaches in the field of urban planning, with the aim of promoting balanced and sustainable development, based on the rational use of available resources, within the broader framework of the transformative actions envisaged by planning projects.
The course will therefore be structured, over the eleven weeks of teaching scheduled in the first-semester academic calendar, into a theoretical-methodological module and a practical exercise, as specified below, together with the related contents that will be presented, developed and explored in depth.
THEORETICAL-METHODOLOGICAL MODULE
Cities, climate change, global challenges, and the role and responsibilities of Urban Planning.
The UN 2030 Agenda and the territorialisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with reference to Goal 11: “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”.
Policies, strategies, tools and experiences at the EU level for addressing the challenges of the socio-ecological, digital and circular transitions.
Integrated urban and territorial regeneration strategies in the EU through Green and Blue Infrastructure (GBI), Ecosystem Services (ES), Sustainable Land Use (SLU), and Nature-Based Solutions (NBS).
Planning instruments, guidelines and regulations for urban plans and projects within the European and national context: key issues, references, experiences and future perspectives.
DESIGN EXERCISE / PROJECT EXPERIMENTATION
The design experimentation is aimed at the development and application of a methodology for the sustainable planning/regeneration of cities and territories, focused on green infrastructure, Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), and the quality of public space, taking into account the interscalar nature of urban design and planning. The topic will therefore be addressed by considering the different territorial dimensions and the need to compare strategic and programmatic visions with design visions capable of influencing the quality of places.
The proposed experience will also provide an opportunity for a design approach intended to contribute to addressing one or more challenges of the contemporary city, in relation to the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda and the socio-ecological and circular transitions.
The exercise will be organised in small working groups through classroom activities, field surveys and workshops, with reference to the territorial context that will be identified as the study area. It will be structured into two main phases:
1. Interpretative reading of the physical, settlement and relational system of the study area, aimed at identifying their interrelationships, recognising the relevant characteristics and spatial systems that define them, with particular attention to issues related to sustainability, green infrastructure, services and the quality of public space.
2. Development of a target scenario/Masterplan for the study area, including hypotheses concerning the possible strategies to be pursued to shape such a scenario, together with scale-specific in-depth analyses and references to the SDGs of the UN Agenda 2030.
The materials to be submitted for the final examination are those produced and presented during the deliveries scheduled for each phase of work, subsequently systematised, reorganised and revised according to the guidance provided by the teaching staff during the various review sessions and workshops.
2_Expected Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the course, and of this first three-year cycle of the educational programme, the student shall have acquired adequate knowledge, capacities, skills and competences of a theoretical-methodological nature, as well as the ability to use the rules, regulations and instrumental frameworks specific to urban planning.
The design exercise, carried out individually or in small working groups, will enable the critical re-elaboration of acquired knowledge and its application through methodologies and tools useful for the cultural and professional training of the European architect.
With reference to the Dublin Descriptors, the student shall achieve the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge and understanding: The student is expected to strengthen his/her knowledge and understanding of the main tools and techniques for analysing and interpreting urban phenomena, as well as of the methods of representation.
Applying knowledge and understanding: Students will develop enhanced abilities to read, interpret and represent transformations of cities and territories, considering both morphological and functional aspects, through the tools of urban planning and within the framework of global challenges, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the ongoing ecological and circular transitions.
Making judgements: Students are expected to consolidate their ability to integrate different areas of knowledge and to critically reflect on the complexity of the topics addressed. They are expected to demonstrate personal autonomy of judgment in selecting the most appropriate approaches in the processes of reading, interpretation, representation and design within the design exercise.
Communication skills: Students are expected to enhance their ability to communicate acquired knowledge and their own proposals in dialogical, written and graphic forms, and to provide well-structured arguments during constructive critical discussions with peers throughout the course activities and at the final examination.
Learning skills: Students are expected to consolidate the necessary skills that enable them to independently research the topics studied, to deepen their level of knowledge across the various disciplinary fields, and to keep themselves updated in order to understand the cultural and operational evolution of technical disciplines, theories, practices, and relevant technical-regulatory frameworks.
More information
With reference to the possible presence of students unable to attend lectures, according to the different categories specified in the Teaching Regulations (students with disabilities and SLD/DSA, part-time students, students with specific needs, Dual Career students), the lecturer will agree on appropriate working arrangements and/or any necessary measures to allow them to take the examination.
The first lecture of the course will be dedicated to the presentation of the syllabus, the introduction of all theoretical topics, practical exercises, and assessment methods and criteria. It will also include an assessment of the basic knowledge required to properly develop the course content, as well as of any specific topics that students are expected to be familiar with, for example by reviewing selected topics from textbooks, scientific articles, or other appropriate teaching materials.