URBAN AND SUSTAINABLE PLANNING

Teachers: 
ROSSETTI SILVIA
Credits: 
6
Site: 
PARMA
Year of erogation: 
2021/2022
Unit Coordinator: 
ROSSETTI SILVIA
Disciplinary Sector: 
Urban Planning
Semester: 
Single Annual Cycle
Year of study: 
1
Language of instruction: 

English

Parent activity: 
URBAN PLANNING STUDIO FOR THE SUSTAINABLE CITY

Learning outcomes of the course unit

At the end of the learning experience, the student is supposed to be fully aware of how urban planning instruments work, to know how to apply them to a case study of urban regeneration and to communicate the design choices and outcomes.

Prerequisites

The student is supposed to have a slight conscience on institutional themes concerning the city and, mostly, on procedures of urban analysis.

Course contents summary

The course deals with the topics of urban planning declined with a focus on urban sustainability, with reference to the UN Sustainable Development Goal n. 11 “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”.
The course tackles the basic principles of urban and regional planning, providing elements for the construction of the cognitive framework of the territory, seen as a dynamic system with high complexity. Then, elements of urban planning techniques will be provided, paying particular attention to the planning of urban units (the neighbourhood, the neighbourhood, the community), their mobility system and public spaces and services.
During the Design Studio, students will have the opportunity to apply the theory to a case study of Urban Regeneration for a mid-sized European City.

The topics of the course are:
- Introduction on sustainability and contemporary urban challenges;
- the origins of urban and regional planning;
- the territory as a highly complex dynamic system;
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as tools for urban planning;
- urban planning surveys (physical, historical, social, economic);
- the basic principles of sustainable urban planning;
- planning of urban units: housing estates, the neighbourhood, the community;
- the design of public spaces;
- the main elements for mobility planning in urban environments.

Recommended readings

Gehl Jan, Cities for people, Island Press, Wahington, 2010

Hall P., Tewdwr-Jones M., Urban and Regional Planning, Routledge, 2011

Lehmann S., Low Carbon Cities. Transforming Urban Systems, Routledge, 2015

Parker G., Street E., Contemporary Planning Practice, Macmillan International, London, 2021

Further readings:

Global Designing Cities Initiative, Global Street Design Guide, Island Press, 2016

Hack G., Birch E., Sedway P., Silver M., Local Planning. Contemporary Principles and Practices, 2014

Regional Plan Association, Community Design Manual, 2011

Rossetti S., Planning for Accessibility and Safety, Maggioli, 2020

Tira M., Van der Krabben E., Zanon B., Land Management for Urban Dynamics, Maggioli, 2011

The Urban Task Force, Towards an Urban Renaissance, Spon Press, 1999

United Nations, New Urban Agenda, 2017 (http://habitat3.org/the-new-urban-agenda/)

Ventura P., Calderon E.J., Tiboni M., Sustainable Development Policies for Minor Deprived Urban Communities, Mc-Graw Hill, 2011

Ventura P., La città nuova. Elementi di progettazione urbanistica, McGraw-Hill, 2018

Teaching methods

- Lectures on the cultural and technical aspects of urban planning for sustainability;
- Integrated design studio on Urban Regeneration for an European middle-sized city;
- Study visits and seminars.

Assessment methods and criteria

Final exam, composed of three aspects:
1) discussion about solutions and statements assumed for the practical Urban Regeneration Design work;
2) oral or written test on theoretical and cultural aspects;
3) assignments to be delivered during the course.

For further details, see the corresponding voice for the “URBAN PLANNING STUDIO FOR THE SUSTAINABLE CITY”.

Other informations

The course will be delivered in class (online teaching and reviews only for students with proven difficulties related to the COVID-19 pandemics).
Teaching methods include:
- Frontal lectures on the cultural and technical aspects of urban planning for sustainability;
- Individual and group assignments;
- Integrated planning studio for an Urban Regeneration case study applied to an European middle-sized city;
- Study visits (if the pandemic will allow it) or guest lectures.