OVERVIEW

The course deals with the development of integrated and strategic urban planning projects by understanding the development of meta-urban and territorial structures, defined by cycles of abandonment, reuse and transformation. The nature of these landscapes, places of cohabitation or separation of a mix of populations and activities prompts us questioning on the shape and nature of the city, about the objectives of the project, the economic realities, the social practices and future challenges. Moving from the theoretical and methodological framework of Landscape Urbanism approach, the course aims to develop knowledge on the relationship among infrastructures, architecture and public space from a semantic, environmental and performative point of view.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The bicycle mobility as a paradigm of urban sustainability and alternative modes of home-to-work travel, represents an important field of experimentation for European urban agendas (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans-PUMS). The course deals with an integrated and multi-scalar project on intermodal systems for the redevelopment of existing urban transects in friezes of new strategic layouts and redesign of public space according to the idea of Bicycle Urbanism.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course is aimed at learning and experimenting multi-scalar methodologies for strategic territorial analysis and urban design techniques in order to elaborate urban space transformation interventions. The course aims to train students through a semester project-competition modality in which the themes of urban intervention focus on the system of networks, nodes and intermodal infrastructures. The focus is on the definition of car-free areas, urban greening and promoting sustainable mobility actions, as strategic objectives of the Genoa PUMS (see Preliminary Strategic Framework UNIGE-CIELI, 2018).

The learning outcomes to be achieved during the course are:

1. Interpretive reading and design concept: critical interpretative reading of the territorial and macro-urban framework (sense of places) in order to map the main spatial components on which to define the design proposal, by using also international reference projects, verifying the feasibility and sustainability of the proposed interventions;
2. Development and visioning process: defining the functional programme of the design concept, through the analysis of the stakeholders, actors and development processes, by visualising the main spatial and architectural qualities of the proposal (visioning) through alternative configurations (scenarios).

PREREQUISITES

Proficiency in graphics and digital design skills, which can be acquired independently or through the Fundamentals of Computer Aided Design course, is required.

TEACHING METHODS

The semester-long course is organised according to an in-presence teaching format, through thematic in-depth lessons and seminars that can also be held online, if necessary, in accordance with the SARS-CoV2/CoVID-19 virus prevention and containment provisions.

The projects will be developed by the students individually or in groups of 2. In parallel, students will have to carry out independently a collection of 3 design readings on the basis of different scales of intervention (local/urban/territorial) as indicated in the course Syllabus. The teaching will be carried out with lectures by the mentors, and presentations of significant case studies (readings) by students, seminars by guests and visiting-experts, individual reviews on a weekly basis, organised according to 2 subsequent step of design elaboration (2 Panels DIN A1 Vertical - 84.1 x 59.4 cm).

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

At the beginning of the 21st century the “infrastructural myth” seems to have lost its validity and the paradigm of landscape as infrastructure has become a primary interpretative key of the space in which we live and of the relationships we establish. In this framework, the theoretical and methodological positions of Landscape Urbanism are emerging, given the multiple interpretation of landscapes (natural, touristic, logistic, materials, metabolism, relational) through planning, programming and «as apparent form of a cultural, economic and social context, even before being physical». (Waldheim 2016)

From this point of view, the development of new infrastructures, whose primary objective is the mobility of people, brings out a concept of dynamic public space, which can also innovate the use of consolidated paths (space of cycling), as ordering and qualifying elements of new urban landscapes (place of cycling).

The rediscovery of the bike in recent years has been promoted especially in Northern Europe through a multitude of initiatives of associationism or genuine cycling advocacy campaigns. The infrastructure, from a relational space for daily life, becomes an opportunity for an overall landscape reorganization on the principle of urban proximity as proposed by the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo (2020), with the model "City of 15 minutes", where all residents can reach on foot or by bicycle all the services they need.

The design studio focuses on the development of urban & open space design projects enhanced by the role cycling infrastructures / sustainable mobility in different urban sectors of Genoa metropolitan area (Polcevera valley, City Center, Foce district, Bisagno valley, S. Martino, Albaro).

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Urban planning

Rossi A. (1966) L’Architettura della Città. Marsilio, Venezia

Lynch K. (1969) L’immagine della città. Marsilio, Venezia

Jacobs J. (1992) The Death and Life of Great American Cities, London: Vintage

Gabellini G. (2001) Tecniche urbanistiche, Carocci, Roma 2001

Gausa M. et al. (2003) The Metapolis Dictionary of Advanced Architecture. Actar, Barcelona.

Wolfrum S., Nerdinger W. (2008) Multiple City. Urban Concepts 1908 | 2008. Jovis, Berlin

Solà-Morales M. (2008) A Matter of Things. Nai010, Amsterdam

Mostafavi M., Doherty G. (2010) Ecological Urbanism. Lars Müller, Zürich

Schröder J., Weigert K. (2010) Landraum: beyond rural design. Jovis, Berlin

Ciorra P., Marini S. (2011) Recycle. Strategie per l’architettura, la città e il pianeta. Electa, Milano

Ricci M. (2012) New Paradigms. List, Trento-Barcelona

Baum M., Christiaanse K. (2013) City as Loft: Adaptive Reuse. ETH Honggerberg, Zürich

Carta M. (2017) The Augmented City. A paradigm shift. List, Trento-Barcelona

Mareggi M. (2020) Spazi aperti. Ragioni, progetti e piani urbanistici. Planum publisher, Roma-Milano. Download gratuito: http://www.planum.net/planum-magazine/planum-publisher-publication/spazi-aperti-ragioni-progetti-e-piani-urbanistici

Infrastructures / Landscape

Corboz A. (1983) ‘Le territoire comme palimpseste’ in Diogene, n. 121, pp. 14-35

Allen S. (1999) ‘Infrastructural Urbanism’. In: Points and Lines: Diagrams and Projects for the City.

Princeton Architectural Press, New York, pp. 48-57.

Donadieu P. (2002) La società paysagiste. Actes Sud, Paris

Lanzani A. (2003) ‚Le trasformazioni insediative e paesistiche dell’Italia‘ In: I paesaggi italiani. Meltemi, Roma, pp. 9-202

Sampieri A. (2008) Nel Paesaggio. Il progetto per la città negli ultimi vent‘anni. Donzelli, Roma

Corner J., Balfour A. (1999) Recovering Landscape: Essays in Contemporary Landscape Architecture. Princeton Architectural Press, New York.

Ferlenga A., Biraghi M., Benno A. (2012) L’architettura del mondo. Infrastrutture, mobilità nuovi paesaggi, Editrice Compositori, Bologna.

Reed C, Lister N.M. (2014) Projective Ecologies. Actar, New York.

Sordi J. (2014) Beyond Urbanism, List, Trento.

Sommariva E. (2014) Creating City. Agricoltura Urbana. Strategie per la città resiliente. List, Barcelona.

Favargiotti S. (2016) Airports on hold. Towards resilient infrastructures. List, Trento

Doherty G., Waldheim C. (2016) Is Landscape…? Princeton Architectural Press, New York

Waldheim C. (2016) Landscape as Urbanism: a general theory, Princeton UniPress, New Jersey

Bicycle Urbanism

Augè M. (2008) Il bello della bicicletta. Bollati Boringhieri, Torino

Tira M., Zazzi M. (2008) Pianificare le reti ciclabili territoriali. Gangemi Editore, Roma

Pucher J., Buehler R. (2012) City Cycling. MIT Press,Cambridge

Lorenz F., Bufton S. (2012) ‘Beijing’s pedal-based livelihoods as a muse for bicycle urbanism’, in Zoll+, n. 19

Bendiks S., Degros A. (2013) Cycle Infrastructure. nai010 Publishers, Rotterdam

Bozzato S., Ceschin F.M., Ferrara G. (2017) Del viaggio lento e della mobilità sostenibile: Itinerari, paesaggi, territori, esperienze. Exòrma edizioni, Roma

Colville-Andersen M. (2018) Copenhagenize: Guide to Bicycle Urbanism. Island Press, Washington

Gruppo VENTO (2018) Ciclabili e cammini per narrare territori. Arte design e bellezza. Ediciclo. Portogruaro

Sommariva E. (2018) Bicycle Culture for Urban Design. La riscoperta della mobilità lenta per il futuro di Copenhagen. AREA ‘nextGen infrastructure’, n. 158/2018, pp. 18-25

Dorato E., Massari M. (2019) ‘Dal ciclo-attivismo alle politiche per la mobilità attiva’, atti XXI Conferenza SIU ‘Confini, movimenti, luoghi’. in Planum Publisher, Roma-Milano

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

GIAMPIERO LOMBARDINI (President)

NICOLA VALENTINO CANESSA (President Substitute)

EMANUELE SOMMARIVA (President Substitute)

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

During the course, a project proposal will be developed according to two design development steps (graphic panels, layout DIN A1 portrait), and a research of best-practices (3 design readings), that will constitute the final delivery materials (DIN A5 vertical booklet layout).

The final mark will be established during a final presentation at the end of the winter term and will take into account the active participation of the students, the delivery of all the required materials and the quality of the work produced as a whole. The evaluation of the projects will be based to the clarity of the proposal and its presentation, the spatial quality of the design and the graphic accuracy, the sustainability of the interventions, including their economic feasibility, as well as the student's learning process. The grade will be averaged with the module 'Urbanisation and the morphology of the urban habitat' (cod. 108929).

The final delivery of the course, in order to access the exam, is a project presented through the following materials:

• 2 graphics panels DIN A1 portrait (84.1 x 59.4 cm);
• booklet of readings design references DIN A5 portrait (21,0 x 14,8 cm).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The development of the design process is based on a research-by-design methodology articulated in laboratory activities among the groups and moments of individual research by each student. The progress of the work and the assessment of students' knowledge is verified weekly. The elaboration of the graphic tables is defined as an open process that can be continuously implemented throughout the semester. The ability to effectively communicate the design proposal, to synthetically elaborate graphics, mappings and project diagrams will be tested through oral presentations and open questions in group reviews up to the exam session.

Exam schedule