1001756_2 - TEORIE E STRUMENTI DELL'URBANISTICA (AL)

Teaching the fundamentals of urban planning in the first year of an architecture degree course is complex because, in a relatively short period of time (also in terms of available credits), it is necessary to help students who are approaching the world of architecture for the first time understand what urban planning means and what its tasks are in the era in which we live.

The course, in line with the specific educational objectives of the degree program—which is to provide new training paths that have a concrete link with the reality in which we live—begins, with a necessary in-depth examination of the characteristics of our era which, to paraphrase a neologism, should be defined as the era of the Koinocene, of community, of participation, of the absence of distinctions, and where nature is not to be considered as something other than man, but as the fine fabric that binds us to oxygen, water, and the sky. Koinocene is the new utopia (based on an ancient reality) of a world in which humans regain awareness of their relationships and participation, and of the risk of making humanitas the sole pivot of the world (Adriano Favole, 2021, The time of the Koinocene, as demonstrated today by the fragility of our territories, which are largely subject to multiple risks caused by the effects of climate change, the energy and water crises, and increasing social inequalities.

Architects and urban planners must have a clear understanding of the context in which they operate in order to intervene with the tools at their disposal in the ecological and digital transition process already underway. Only by directing the work of architects in this direction is it possible to reverse the trend that, according to Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen, has seen growth prevail over development in recent decades, where growth is defined as an increase in economic capital, while the concept of development, introduced by Sen, implies a parallel between technological and socio-ecological progress.

Naturally, architects contribute to the transition process with the tools of their trade, which they must know well, also with a view to being able to act in relation to and in collaboration with other skills and knowledge.

The course therefore allows students, after providing the necessary references to understand the context in which we live, to deepen their knowledge of the theoretical foundations, tools, and issues of urban research and design.

Urban planning has been the subject of numerous interpretations over time, which have proposed a variety of conceptualizations, particularly with regard to its relationship with society, with theoretical and design implications. Between the 19th and 20th centuries, urban planning was part of the processes of growth and modernization of society, cities, and the economy. today, the fragility of territories, climate change, cultural and social changes in the population, the economic crisis affecting the most developed societies, and the spread of digital technologies are among the factors contributing to changing the urban and social landscape, and new and urgent questions are being asked of urban planning in our century.

The course begins by focusing on the themes and issues that have affected urban planning and architecture in the construction of the nineteenth-century city. It then considers the theories, techniques, tools, and standards codified during the 20th century, concluding with the issues and prospects of contemporary urban planning, starting from the current conditions of cities and territories—from an environmental, social, functional, and landscape perspective, as well as the various types of risks to which they are exposed—in order to acquire the urban planning skills necessary to address their complexity.

Programme

To this end, the course programme is divided into four modules

Module I - The era we live in: from the Anthropocene to the Koinocene

The main urban and territorial challenges

Environmental risks and urban and territorial fragility

Characteristics of the country's settlement and infrastructure system: metropolitan cities, medium-sized cities, small towns, coastal systems, plains, hills and valleys

Module II - Urban planning, cities and territory from the 19th to the 20th century

Definitions of urban planning

Urban planning actions between the 19th and 20th centuries

Theories of urban planning in the ecological field

Module III – Urban planning techniques, tools and regulations

Elements of urban planning techniques

Urban planning tools in relation to the evolution of Italian urban planning legislation

First, second and third generation plans

Structural and operational plan

Municipal urban plan

Module IV – Urban planning, prevention and adaptation to environmental risks

The contribution of technological innovation to planning

Risk management through municipal urban planning

Expected outcomes

The course provides students with the tools to acquire knowledge of the regulations and instruments useful for understanding the contemporary city and the challenges it faces today.

In particular, the expected outcomes using the Dublin descriptors are:

- Acquisition of knowledge and ability to understand and interpret territorial and urban systems in order to identify their structures, hierarchies and relationships;

- Acquisition of knowledge and understanding applied to urban development planning and parts of the city (restoration of existing cities, environmental and functional redevelopment, recovery of abandoned areas, etc.);

- Acquisition of independent judgement in managing the complex issues of the contemporary city and in formulating judgements even on the basis of limited information;

- Acquisition of communication skills in illustrating the project and acquisition of interpersonal skills to manage dialogue with specialist and non-specialist stakeholders;

- Acquisition of learning and experimentation skills that enable students to continue to engage with the many issues of urban design.