Urban Studies

Cities around the world face rapid changes in their transportation systems with the advances in ICTs. Recent trends include on-demand and shared mobility modes and automation in public and private transportation systems; these new solutions impact the transport industry, infrastructures management, as well as political agenda. Focusing on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), a new “Smart Mobility” system and real-time network management have been developed as potential solutions to mitigate congestion issues and improve network efficiency.
This course brings a general overview of sustainable and smart transportation in the future smart cities in terms of i) industry trends, business models, technical, and urban design aspects. Based on different European case studies especially in Germany, this program explores innovative methods which Smart cities are currently dealing with as well as future solutions. The course combines theoretical and practical learning materials for transportation modeling and simulation techniques, with a focus on Smart Mobility and ITS solutions and real-world applications. Students review the most well-known traffic simulation models, learn about demand forecasting methods, business, social, and political issues and related analytical techniques. The course examines the concept of smart mobilities and how their business models could grow by analyzing case studies and companies. The course requires students to have basic knowledge of the fundamentals of mathematics and statistics as a prerequisite.

This course examines the relationship between transport planning and urban design in diverse urban, Australian and international contexts. It will investigate contemporary practices and policies of efficient integration between transport planning and design that delivers human health, ecological sustainability and social equity outcomes.

This course explores the contemporary utilization of typical Berlin discourses in the context of tourism and city marketing, such as Berlin-specific subcultures, economic developments a la Smart City, political activism, and environmental concerns for tourism. By testing different approaches to experiencing and sensing the city, the course examines the basis of diverse ways of “knowing Berlin.” The course discusses questions including: what makes the tourist perspective so intriguing and specific? Who profits from this way of experiencing a city? How is cultural diversity and complexity practically channeled into profitable tourism sites and activities? In small groups and workshop-based, the course develops and analyzes contents and methods of explorative walking performances based on specific contemporary Berlin discourses and urban projects. In an application of the seminar's findings and self-produced material, students go on tours of Berlin addressing contemporary urban discourses centering on smart city, participation, touristification, and urban activism.

This course explores the dynamic, culturally and historically contingent ways in which architecture and urban space are structured along the distinction between what belongs to the protected realm of the private and what is to ‘take place’ in the interpersonal sphere of the public. As the physical and experiential form of the city, it’s buildings and the character of its urban life are deeply influenced by the private/public distinction, it is important to understand these implications not only in theory, but also for urban politics, the practices of urban design and place-making as well as for everyday appropriation.

Students are introduced to a range of graphic skills that can be used to observe, record, and analyze urban settings in order to substantiate proposals for improvement. It combines the value of traditional free-hand sketching and technical drawing techniques with digital graphic tools and software, which are becoming increasingly important in the way we think, design, and communicate our ideas, in the contemporary information e-rich environment. Students work in small teams to develop their creativity and employ the practical skills taught in class to investigate an allocated urban streetscape in the surrounding area of UCL in London. They produce presentation panels that communicate coherent, clear, and legible information on urban analysis, before proceeding to produce a poster that reasons an inclusive environment proposal.

Modern day Israel and Palestine, the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, covers an area that is six times smaller than the state of Pennsylvania, but has about the same population size (about 12.7 million people). In addition to the high density of population, this land is the heart of a religious, ethnic, national, and political conflict. This context makes spatial planning an immense challenge and is often used as a tool for achieving various political agendas. After presenting some brief background on the geography and the history of the land, this course focuses on topics including national and regional planning; the New Towns scheme; water planning issues; transportation planning; Jerusalem's geopolitical question; tourism development in historic cities such as Nazareth, Acre, and Bethlehem; the fence of separation, and affordable housing plans.