Urban voids: mind the gap!
PENS-322 / 4 crédits
Enseignant(s): Bender Stephanie, Brandi Aldo, Brkovic Dodig Marta, Florin Ian Roger, Jessel Beate
Langue: Anglais
Withdrawal: It is not allowed to withdraw from this subject after the registration deadline.
Summary
This course focuses on transforming urban voids, like vacant lots or abandoned buildings, into valuable spaces addressing challenges such as climate change and social cohesion. It equips engineers and architects with interdisciplinary skills to creatively repurpose these areas for multiple benefits.
Content
With this course we will delve into the often overlooked but significant spaces known as urban voids - vacant lots, abandoned buildings, urban brownfields, and other no yet developed areas. While these voids are often seen as blights on the urban landscape, they possess tremendous potential to address pressing urban challenges such as climate change, environmental degradation, and social disintegration. By repurposing these spaces, cities can enhance urban biodiversity, improve air quality, increase precipitation retention, and mitigate the urban heat island effect. Additionally, these spaces can be transformed into community gardens, urban agriculture hubs, recreational areas, or sites for solar energy production, fostering social cohesion and well-being among urban residents.
This course will equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to reimagine and transform urban voids into vibrant, multifunctional spaces that contribute to the resilience and sustainability of cities. Through a combination of theoretical learning and hands-on project work, students will engage with site-specific urban voids in Renens, Switzerland, collaborating in interdisciplinary teams to propose innovative solutions that address the environmental, social, and governance aspects of urban voids. The course is structured into two main parts: (1) thematic and methodological sessions focusing on ecological, design, and social dynamics, and (2) a project-based component where students develop concrete proposals for the transformation of an urban void.
Keywords
Urban voids, biodiversity, ecosystem services, urban wastelands, resilience, climate change, social cohesion, environmental justice, urban agriculture, green spaces, multifunctionality, participatory mapping, interdisciplinary design.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, the student must be able to:
- Analyze urban voids: Students will explore the ecological, social, and design aspects of urban voids, understanding them as opportunities for transformation to address biodiversity, social inequality, and climate change.
- Apply interdisciplinary methods: Students will learn practical skills like GIS mapping and ecosystem assessments to propose sustainable, multifunctional uses for urban voids.
- Organize collaboration on site-specific projects: Working in interdisciplinary teams, students will combine expertise from various fields to develop holistic solutions for urban voids in Renens, emphasizing teamwork and diverse perspectives.
- Take into consideration governance and property regimes: Students will navigate ownership models and regulatory frameworks that shape the redevelopment of urban voids.
- Explore ecological impacts: The course will highlight how urban voids mitigate climate change effects and contribute to urban resilience by integrating green infrastructure and enhancing biodiversity.
Transversal skills
- Use a work methodology appropriate to the task.
- Set objectives and design an action plan to reach those objectives.
- Demonstrate a capacity for creativity.
- Communicate effectively with professionals from other disciplines.
- Evaluate one's own performance in the team, receive and respond appropriately to feedback.
- Negotiate effectively within the group.
- Take account of the social and human dimensions of the engineering profession.
- Take responsibility for environmental impacts of her/ his actions and decisions.
Teaching methods
The course combines theory with practical, hands-on learning to promote critical thinking, creativity, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Key methods include:
- Thematic and Methodological Sessions: Students will explore the ecological, social, and governance aspects of urban voids, focusing on biodiversity, climate change mitigation, and social cohesion. They will learn tools like participatory mapping and GIS analysis, using case studies from Switzerland and Germany.
- Fieldwork and Guided Tours: Students will explore the urban void in Renens, Switzerland, through guided tours and self-exploration, assessing its history, ecology, and challenges. This fieldwork supports idea generation for project work.
- Interdisciplinary Team Projects: In the second half, students will work in interdisciplinary teams to develop proposals for transforming the Renens urban void, applying the knowledge gained earlier. Projects will emphasize practical application and innovation.
- Expert Testimonies and Case Studies: Guest speakers and experts will provide insights into urban design, ecology, and governance, offering real-world examples of successful urban void transformations to inspire student projects.
- Peer Review and Feedback: Group presentations will allow for constructive feedback from peers and instructors, ensuring comprehensive solutions that address ecological, social, and governance challenges.
- Final Presentations: The course concludes with final group presentations, evaluated for feasibility, creativity, and interdisciplinary approach, followed by reflection and feedback.
Assessment methods
Based on the thematic inputs, interdisciplinary groups will develop concrete proposals for the redesign of the urban void in Renens, which has been selected as a case study. Each group will develop and elaborate their own project idea for this purpose. Evaluation is based on active participation in the course, the presentation of the project proposal and a final report.
Prerequisite for
Master's studies in Architecture, Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering
Dans les plans d'études
- Semestre: Printemps
- Forme de l'examen: Pendant le semestre (session d'été)
- Matière examinée: Urban voids: mind the gap!
- Cours: 1 Heure(s) hebdo x 12 semaines
- Projet: 3 Heure(s) hebdo x 12 semaines
- Type: optionnel