BERGAMO
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
This is a lecture-based module involving a number of perspectives from various branches of urban design and spatial planning, aiming to familiarise and bring awareness to students on several aspects of urban design as well as make links between contemporary theory and issues, and design practice.
During the course, students will achieve:
- Awareness of historical examples, design issues, legal framework, and technical tools (Masterplan, Implementation planning, and management approaches for the development processes of complex projects) in the field of urban design oriented to the territorial regeneration.
- Knowledge about the work of urban designers within the broad context of the development processes and products supporting the environmental and social transitions in the metropolitan and post-metropolitan settlements.
- To familiarise future urban designers with the interdisciplinary approach needed in the process of change in the built/unbuilt environment, and where they fit in.
At the end of the course participants should be able to:
- Critically analyze socio-spatial dynamics in an urban context based on specific concepts and theories addressed during the course.
- Apply concepts and tools related to strategy development, integrating social, environmental, economic, spatial, financial, and institutional components of urban plans and projects.
- Reflect on the qualities of urban projects and identify strategies, policies, and actions developed by the involved agents.
- Identify and engage with inhabitants, developers, and stakeholders in a planning process and analyze their interests and needs.
- Asses the social, economic, and spatial impacts of the projects.
- Produce creative solutions by synthesizing and combining concepts and ideas that critically address socio-spatial dynamics and complex urban problems.
- Convincingly produce arguments (oral, written, and visualized), supported by theory, about masterplans and urban projects.
Course Prerequisites
None
Teaching Methods
The teaching activities will be carried out partly through 20 hours of frontal lectures, with particular attention given to dialogue and interaction with students, who will be encouraged to propose topics for further exploration or debate. These lectures will be supported by visual (PowerPoint) and online digital tools to facilitate learning.
The remaining 16 hours of the course will be dedicated to project work—an interdisciplinary activity built around applied territorial projects, involving co-teaching and active student participation.
The project work aims to offer a unified educational approach, combining theoretical training with applied research on real territorial contexts.
Assessment Methods
The exam is an interview covering the course content and the material presented in the “Neighborhood/Project Analysis Notebook”. The exam assesses the student’s understanding of the topics covered in the lectures and the mandatory readings.
Specifically, the exam evaluates the student's:
- Knowledge of the concepts explored during the course;
- Critical ability to apply these concepts to specific examples and to interrelate them;
- Clarity and precision in presenting the topics and responding accurately to questions.
In addition, the exam will assess the impact of the course within the portfolio developed during the project work. The portfolio includes both individual and group-produced materials (such as mapping, infographics, dossiers, project plans, and video clips), and it is used to evaluate the student’s progress and the practical skills acquired during the course.
The final grade will be calculated out of thirty, with the portfolio accounting for one-third of the overall assessment. The final grade will be communicated to the student and officially recorded in the electronic gradebook.
Contents
According to P. Healey (2010), urban design is the art of creating better places for people and for public life. The course in Urban Design and Urban Planning allows students to contribute to the improvement of the quality of post-metropolitan landscapes and the everyday spaces inhabited by people.
In line with this principle, the course develops along two main paths:
- A theoretical in-depth study, focused on key issues and challenges.
- A practical activity, based on the analysis of an existing project, documented in the "Neighborhood/Project Analysis Notebook".
Key Issues
- Disciplinary approaches and the evolution of urban design and planning.
- The “right distance”: methodological notes on analysis and critical diagnosis of urban projects.
- The strategic approach and the definition of alternative settlement scenarios.
- Urban planning techniques: parameters, indices, and the development of an implementation plan within the legislative framework defined by the Lombardy Region.
Challenges
- Beyond urban growth: urban and territorial regeneration.
- The role of landscape and nature in contemporary cities.
- Supporting the transition of urban environments toward more sustainable, inclusive, and integrated forms.
In the practical activity ("Neighborhood/Project Analysis Notebook"), a case study selected by the student under the guidance of the teacher, will be used as an opportunity to reflect on and apply key urban design issues in a concrete context:
- The strategic approach adopted (urban development, urban regeneration, reactivation of existing neighborhoods, etc.).
- Scenario-building and the ability to define flexible development frameworks versus the rigidity of forecasts.
- Invariants and the relationship between the project and higher-level planning tools (relations with PGT/PRG, environmental frameworks, etc.).
- The functional program included (housing, advanced services, innovative production forms, etc.).
- The role of nature and landscape in the analyzed project/neighborhood.
- The identity and conditions of public spaces involved and affected by the project.
- Final critical assessment.
Through lectures, seminars, and workshops, the course guides students in developing an independent analytical path, enhancing their disciplinary background, and encouraging a critical perspective on the issues addressed.
Online Resources
More information
Based on student availability and the class schedule, some lessons may be conducted as field visits, with the goal of allowing students to develop surveying and field analysis techniques on selected projects or neighborhoods currently under development.