OVERVIEW

Urban planning is the historically stratified set of theories and practices aimed at giving shape to urban space, which is both a prerequisite and an outcome of the geographical, economic, social, environmental and cultural conditions in which it develops. The study of urban planning is the foundation for interpreting the urban fact as an effect of the design instances (explicit or implicit) of a community and of the contradictions that have occurred over time and that have determined its evolution. This first Spatial Planning and Urban Design Studio starts from the analysis of urban space, proceeding through a reconstruction of the principles and tools that have contributed to determining the forms of the historical, modern and contemporary city to arrive at considering the challenges to which urban planning is called to give answers, attributable to the current environmental, social and economic crises.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching is aimed at acquiring awareness of the transformation processes that affect the city and the landscape and of the methods to analyze and govern them developed by the discipline.

The module provides basic knowledge regarding the theory and practice of urban planning as well as the skills and knowledge of the urban planner and introduces the reading and interpretation of the contemporary city.

This teaching contributes to the achievement of the following Sustainable Development Goals of the UN Agenda 2030:

SDG9 - INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
SDG10 - REDUCED INEQUALITIES
SDG11 - SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The Spatial Planning and Urban Design Studio provides basic knowledge of urban planning theory and practice (in the double meaning that is known internationally: as spatial planning and urban design) as well as the skills and knowledge of the architect who works on the territory and introduces the reading and interpretation of the contemporary city.

The detailed training objectives refer to the following skills that the student must acquire:

- Reading and analyze cities, urban and regional systems at different scales and according to multi-disciplinary approaches (taking into account that urban planning is formed at the confluence of other disciplines: urban geography, urban and regional economics, sociology, political science, archaeology, anthropology, statistics, demography as well as architecture).
- Acquire analytical skills in order to the processes of formation and transformation of cities and urban and metropolitan regions through the historical reconstruction of the social, economic, technological conditions that are at the basis of the urban phenomenon.
- Master the operational tools of urban and territorial plans and the characteristics of urban transformation through the knowledge of their historical evolution in the modern and contemporary era.
- Know the technical methods and understand the formal languages ​​used by urban plans and projects to represent the structures of cities and territories and govern their transformations. Interpret the design value of the regulatory structures, drawn and written, through which the plans regulate the transformations of the city and the territory and know how to apply it in a responsible and conscious way.

PREREQUISITES

Basic knowledge of the fundamentals elements of architectural history, mathematics, representation techniques and tools, including digital, is required.

TEACHING METHODS

Spatial Palnning and Urban Design Studio includes lectures to illustrate the theoretical and methodological topics of the discipline, laboratory activities where the production of cartographic and descriptive documents will be required, simulations with digital tools, seminar meetings, group discussions. Meetings with the course teachers may take place either during office hours (or in the Department, upon reservation, or remotely). The individual documents and cards will be tested according to a work program that will be communicated at the beginning of the lesson cycle. Classroom exercises are also planned, both manual graphic type and with the aid of the PC (and the use of GIS or other tools reported during the Laboratory). Attendance is mandatory and any cases of students not attending must be reported at the beginning of the Laboratory, in order to agree on a specific teaching program. 

TRANSMISSIVE/FRONTAL TEACHING (48 h – 60%)
INTERACTIVE/PARTICIPATIVE TEACHING (4 h – 5%)
EVALUATION TEACHING (4 h – 5%)
LABORATORY TEACHING (8 h – 10%)
PROJECT TEACHING (16 h – 20%)

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course aims to provide the student with a fundamental basis of scientific, cultural and technical reference on the principles of urban planning, in relation to the challenges and objectives of contemporary urban planning and design.

A. Keywords for a dictionary of urban planning and planning

• City and urban planning in the traditional city and in the modern and contemporary city
• City, urban, urbanization, urbanism, urbanization, urbanism
• Contemporary urbanization
• Urban, non-urban (rural?)
• Settlement, village, town, city, metropolis, megalopolis
• Land, boundary, property, power
• Urban real estate, rent, expropriation
• Land, nature, artifact, natural-artificial
• Soil and environmental ecology
• The housing question
• Activities, functions, uses, flows
• Spatial economics

B. Western city urban planning in the evolution of its foundations (theories, models, plans, projects, authors)

• The first modernity (1750-1915): the rise of the industrial city and the tools to regulate it
• The second modernity (1920-1945): the foundations of the “Modern”
• The mature Modern (1945-1989): the peak of the “urban planning” program of the Western city
• After modernity (1989-2024): crisis and prospects of the Western idea of ​​the city

C. Guiding principles and models for the urban design and planning 

• Morphology of the urban system: urban grids, plots, road networks
• Localization and urban functions – zoning
• Urban cells: from the neighborhood unit to the 15-minute city
• Proportion, density, sizing
• Networks and flows
• Urban metabolism and sustainability
• Morphologies of the urban fabric (from the block to the open building and back)
• From urban space to place: public space (from Haussmann to urban regeneration)
• The garden city (from Howard to new towns)
• Nature, land design, green and blue networks
• Heritage planning - the question of historic centers

D. Principles and land use analysis tools

• Elements of general cartography
• Introduction to the use of Geogaphical Information Systems (GIS)
• Urban Analytics: land use and land cover, urban/rural divide
• Urban Analytics: population and density
• Urban Analytics: forms and characteristics of urbanization
• Urban Analytics: functions and activities
• Urban Analytics: networks, flows and infrastructures

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gabellini, P. (2001); (ristampato 2010), Tecniche urbanistiche, Roma: Carocci.

Gabellini P. (2024) Avvicinarsi all’urbanistica, Planum Publisher (risorsa online open access)

Gaeta L., Janin Rivolin U., Mazza L. (2021 nuova edizione), Governo del territorio e pianificazione spaziale, Milano: Città Studi.

Gaeta L. (2024), Il primo libro di urbanistica, Torino: Einaudi.

Lombardini G. (2023), L'habitat urbano. Temi e questioni per una scienza dell'insediamento, Roma: Carocci.

Secchi B. (2000), Prima lezione di urbanistica, Bari-Roma, Laterza.

Astengo G. (1966), “Urbanistica”, in: Enciclopedia Universale dell’Arte, Firenze: Sansoni.

Spagnoli L. (2008), Storia dell’urbanistica moderna, Bologna: Zanichelli (vol.II)

Sica, P. (1977), Storia dell’urbanistica. L’Ottocento, Laterza, Roma-Bari (vol.I, capitoli II, III, V-1, V-4, VI).

Sica, P. (1996), Storia dell’urbanistica. Il Novecento, Laterza, Roma-Bari (capitolo II).

Balducci A., Fedeli V. (2017), Oltre la metropoli. L’urbanizzazione regionale in Italia, Milano: Guerini & Associati.

Secchi B. (2005), La città del XX secolo, Roma-Bari: Laterza.

Lanzani A. (2024), Rigenerazione urbana e territoriale al plurale, Milano: Franco Angeli.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

September 2025

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The textual/graphic descriptive documents of analysis and design of the selected case studies will be collected in a file.

An exercise involving the entire class will also be carried out (masterclass exercise). The final outcome will be the construction of a logical descriptive table of significant case studies, critically interpreted.

The exam will be carried out through a discussion of the produced documents (booklet and table) and an oral interview.

Students will be able to work in work groups of 2-3 people.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam evaluation will be based on the average of the grades assigned to the booklet, the general table and an oral colloquium, focused on the theoretical program.

The evaluation criteria will be:

- the results of the graphic / textual analysis and project activity (booklet and general table) (40%);
- the overall individual participation in classroom activities and open discussion (10%);
- an evaluation of the theoretical concepts and readings proposed during the lessons (oral interview) (50%).

FURTHER INFORMATION

Meetings with the course teachers may take place either during office hours (or in the Department, upon reservation, or remotely). The individual documents and forms will be tested according to a work program that will be communicated at the beginning of the lesson cycle. Classroom exercises are also planned, both manual graphic type and with the aid of the PC (and the use of GIS or other tools reported during the Laboratory). Attendance is mandatory and any cases of students not attending must be reported at the beginning of the Laboratory, in order to agree on a specific teaching program.