Urban Studies

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. At the end of the course, students know how to interpret the characteristics of the contemporary city in a changing climate. The student will know the main available tools and methods to understand, plan, and design adaptive communities, taking into account the peculiarities of diverse context (urban, rural, island, mountain). Greening and ecosystem services are explored as a strong driver of resilience and sustainability, while the principle of environmental and climate justice is integrated throughout the course.

The course begins with an introduction to planning principles, processes, methods, and tools to support students' understanding around the concept of sustainability, resilience, and planning. Planning is considered in both rural and urban environments, considering those as a complex socio-ecological system. Around the idea of planning, the course touches upon the following topics: planning in a changing climate, but how is the climate changing?; climate and environmental justice; climate risks in urban and rural areas; urban areas: greening the city; rural regeneration theory and practice from case studies and projects; and landscape management and values.

In this studio course, students acquire knowledge and hands-on experience at the intersection of cityscapes, artificial intelligence, and data-driven site analysis and urban design development methods. The lectures focus on the theoretical background of data metrics relevant to urban design. The hands-on sessions help students gain technical skills needed to apply the knowledge. Students apply the theories and skills to analyze the study site, extract current issues, and develop concepts and directions for design interventions. The goal is to acquire foundational knowledge on the theoretical basis, measurement methods, and limitations of key quantitative indicators related to urban design, and learn how to select indicators that align with the objectives of a design project. Students acquire skills in data acquisition and preprocessing; learn how to generate, post-process, and analyze indicators using various spatial data and artificial intelligence; and develop effective communication methods through visualization. Students also learn the process of applying data analysis techniques to the design site to assess current conditions, identify issues and challenges, and establish a foundation for developing planning concepts and alternatives.

This course examines how smart technologies like AI, urban digital twinning, and internet of things are reshaping urban planning, design, and decision-making processes. It explores their potential and limitations in tackling urban challenges, improving efficiency, and aligning with sustainability development goals while critically examining ethical concerns surrounding their implementation in cities.

This subject explores traditional and contemporary relationships between tangata whenua and the urban environment in Aotearoa New Zealand. It examines how Māori worldviews shape urban planning practice, with a focus on the impact of Treaty of Waitangi settlements. Key topics include Indigenous development, governance, and resource management, as well as the responsiveness of planning processes to Māori values and aspirations.

This course examines the housing crisis as a central social justice challenge in contemporary cities. Focusing on issues of supply, affordability, and homelessness, with particular attention to Ireland, the course explores the economic and political dynamics of housing markets and the reasons these markets often fail to meet social needs. Drawing on social scientific concepts and empirical evidence, the course analyzes how governments and societies value, regulate, and provide housing. Emphasizing housing as a fundamental human need, the course adopts a social justice perspective to critically assess current conditions and develop creative, realistic solutions aimed at building more equitable and socially just cities.

Students analyze and evaluate the environmental impacts of human activity on the land in general, and of urban and architectural interventions in particular. The course focuses on architectural and urban planning, taking into account urban and environmental planning criteria.

The Urban Planning Methods and Practices course contributes to the development of the professional profile of architects, empowering students with the various methods and tools of urban planning focused on environmental interpretation, urban design, and planning, with a critical and proactive approach.

This course examines theoretical concepts, debates and worldviews relevant to envisaging ‘just’ urban sustainability, based on comparative critical analyses of city transformations led by Indigenous, environmental and/or equity imperatives.

This urban studies course is divided into three parts. Part one addresses the formation and evolution of the city from a historical and geographical perspective. Part two analyzes the spatial evolution of cities in today's world, focusing on dynamics such as tertiarization and gentrification in developed countries and rapid urban growth and hypertrophy in developing countries. Part three focuses on public spaces, their history, and the policies and actions for their requalification and improvement.  

Students complete an internship with a local organization or company. Each placement includes oversight and regular check-ins with an internship supervisor from the company or organization. The Internship Methodology Seminar accompanies the internship placement and offers a platform for reflection, enhancement of skills, and development of cultural competence. It focuses on practical skill application, cultural understanding, and adaptability within professional environments to provide a bridge between academic learning and real-world experience.