The course presents the major outlines and main themes of applied Geography as a discipline that studies the anthropic transformations of ecumene.
The course aims to give students the main instruments of geographical science to read and interpret land, landscape and their dynamics. In order to avoid giving students an arid collection of methods of analysis and representation, these will be discussed in the context of an epistemological framework of geosemiotics and social geography. With Vallega we cannot but recall that territorial and landscape analysis must not ignore the need to put in place forms of representation of space that enable communicating meaning so that its government is responsible and sustainable. In this way, on one hand contexts and ways of using the analytical instruments proposed are defined, and on the other it will be possible to attribute “meaning” to the representation of territory and landscape that these enable building. In the context of the course on territory (exemplified by some case studies), while continuing to be conceived as an objective unitary entity, territory will no longer be solely “explained” as a set of elements and interconnected relations, that is following a Cartesian type logic. Conversely, how territory must be “understood”, capturing its non tangible aspects that constitute its mantle of symbols and values, will be shown
The course will be taught mainly through lectures but it may also be integrated by field trips
Definition of geographical space, ecumene, territory and landscape
The definition of landscape proposed by the European Landscape Convention
Landscape according to rationalist and non-rationalist perspectives
Indicators of landscape
Context of application of landscape indicators
Application of indicators and field work
MAURO SPOTORNO (President)
GIAN MARCO UGOLINI
Assessment is by a questionnaire of open and closed questions and a written discussion of a case-study. The final mark will assess: a) knowledge of the discipline (70%), and b) correct expression in Italian (30%) in the questionnaire’s open questions.
