Urban regeneration: industrial heritage between spatial practices and governance

Invited lecturers: Michele Bonino, Filippo De Pieri, Giulia Setti, Chiara Geroldi, others

The legacy of the Industrial Revolution as an urban landmark reveals the extent of anthropogenic impact on the environment worldwide. Industrialization and production systems have profoundly changed the way we live and work today. The traces of this heritage are currently being challenged by the cilmate crisis and the need to create new, inclusive, healthier spaces.

The course explores different approaches to industrial heritage, from governance strategies to design and reuse processes, as well as the social and political implications of the urban and architectural legacy. The course offers a cross-disciplinary debate on current issues and challenges in the frame of a dialogue between the three polytechnics: EPFL, PoliMI and PoliTO.

Four axes guide this interdisciplinary course:

• The urban regeneration and reuse of industrial sites: including the legacy of worker's social housing and other infrastructures;
• Governance related to tangible and intangible industrial heritage policies at various scales: from grassroots to international regulations, and the discourses around its recognition;
• The circulation of production models and transmission of technical knowledge to deconstruct dominant narratives;
• Rethinking environmental and social sustainability: the impacts of industrialization and the new tools addressing the socio-ecological transition.

The course is open to PhD students in the fields of Architecture, Urbanism, Social Science, and Heritage Studies interested in industrial and post-industrial contexts.

Organization:

• Day 1: Lausanne

The first day will provide inputs to create a rich theoretical framework emphasizing the four axes, and their potential implications. Contributions from internal and external experts will be followed by a public roundtable and a book launch (The Story of a Section: Designing The Shougang Oxygen Factory, Oro Editions, 2022)

• Day 2 : La Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle

In the morning, students will be invited to freely explore the two cities and elaborate on observations/comments. The afternoon will be dedicated to student presentationss of their urban exploration. These propositions should offer a link between their research, and the ideas inspired by the fieldwork. Finally, participants will take part in a second book launch (Porter le temps: mémoires urbaines d'un site horloger, Métispresses 2021).

Evaluation:

Following the course, PhD students will be asked to provide a final paper relating the  fieldwork in Le Locle / La Chaux-de-Fonds with their own research.