The contemporary city, and in particular the urban theories that found the field of urbanism, are the core of this course, that aims to encourage students to think, because “La città contemporanea, con il proprio carattere instabile e perennemente incompiuto sollecita il dubbio, l’esplorazione, la sperimentazione” (B.Secchi, Prima lezione di Urbanistica). We will examine positions, case studies and thoughts on the contemporary city; we will also define a framework within investigate meaningful positions in the debate on the city of the last seventy years, from postwar (WWII) till nowadays.

At the end of the course we expect students to have acquired tools to contextualize urban design fields related to emerging issues of the contemporary city, as the program of the Master Degree within it is included demands. This course aims to guide the student in the development of a critic capability, to understand the reasons that found the project of the contemporary city and the complexity that inevitably subtends it. A wide knowledge on urban topics is at the same time at the base of this course, but also one of its objectives. A cultured designer will contribute to build visions on the city of the future, starting from a knowledge on urban theories.

The students need to have acquired notions and knowledge about the traditions of contemporary European urbanism.

Urbanism is a complex matter that concerns the city, the environment, their controls and modifications: layered praxis that dialogue with economy, sociology, politics, laws, architecture. This is the starting point for this course. Themes, that had been selected to understand reasons, issues, problems and theories that found the project of the contemporary city, are articulated into four modules (12 hours class for each module). The modules in turn are divided into three parts each: writings (a) – the author and the debate (b), case studies and research materials (c). 1) Give us a tool. Intellectual Grids. Team X. 1a. Writings: - Web, by Shadrach Woods (1962); - How to recognize and read Mat Building. Mainstream in architecture as it has developed towards a mat- building, by Alison Smithson (1974); 1b. Research material 1c. Case studies (Candilis-Josic-Woods-Schiedhelm, Berlin Free University, 1963-1973/ Alison and Peter Smithson, Robin Hood Garden, London, 1974-2017) 2) Experiments in freedom. 2a. Writings: - Non-Plan: an experiment in freedom, by Paul Barker, Reyner Banham, Peter Hall (1969) 2b. Cedric Price: the author and the debate 2c. Research material: On architecture, Education and the City 2d. case study: The Fun Palace, Cedric Price (from 1961) 3) Towards a new vocabulary. Terrain Vague and Archipelago. 2a. Writings: - The City in the City. Berlin, a Green Archipelago, by Oswald Mathis Ungers with Rem Koolhaas (1977) - Terrain vague, by Ignasi de Sola Morales (1989) 2b. Research material 2c. Case studies (Detroit, US) 4) Public Sphere, Public space and Right to the City 3a. Writings, a selection from: - Manuel de Solà-Morales, Public Spaces, Collective Spaces, 1992 - Herman Hertzberger, Collective space, Social use, 2002 - Bernardo Secchi, La lezione di Siena, 2005 - David Harvey, The Right to the City, 2008 - Vito Acconci, Public Space in a Private Time, 1990 3b. Case studies (Aldo van Eyck, Playgrounds, Amsterdam, 1945-1947/ Barcelona in the ‘80s, ) 5) About the crisis, into the crisis 4a. Selection of the essays, articles about the most recent debate 4b. Discussions 4c. Pandemic individual exercises (I,II,III)

This course in Urbanism is articulated into classes and into a group exercise. Classes mean to transmit knowledge on four different programs on urban theories, to help students to be opened to a wider complexity of the urban themes, with new languages, concepts and characters. The group exercise is based on the seminar form, to be developed in class, but not only. Books written by urbanists, architects, geographers, sociologists, economists and philosophers are meant to be a cultural baggage for the students, who are asked to read a book, to present the content in class and to write a critical essay to be published on a scientific journal.

Essays of urban theory are the fundamental bibliography. They are presented in class, with other research material. - Stem, Shadrach Woods (1960); Web, Shadrach Woods (1962); - Non-Plan: an experiment in freedom, di Paul Barker, Reyner Banham, Peter Hall (1969); - How to recognize and read Mat Building. Mainstream in architecture as it has developed towards a mat- building, Alison Smithson (1974); - Berlin. A Green Archipelago, O.Mathias Ungers and Rem Koolhaas (1977); - Terrain vague, Ignasi de Sola Morales (1995). - Manuel de Solà-Morales, Public Spaces, Collective Spaces, 1992 - Herman Hertzberger, Collective space, Social use, 2002 - Bernardo Secchi, La lezione di Siena, 2005 - David Harvey, The Right to the City, 2008 - Vito Acconci, Public Space in a Private Time, 1990

Slides; Dispense;

Modalità di esame: Prova orale obbligatoria;

Exam: Compulsory oral exam;

... Students who attend the course along the semester are asked to present contents from the fundamental bibliography and their exercise at the final exam (approximately 3 questions). The evaluation will be about the group exercise (40% of the final grade) and the conversation of the final exam (60% of the final grade) . Students who did not attend the course are asked to present the fundamental bibliography, plus another book, chosen among those of the seminar (approximately 5 questions).

Gli studenti e le studentesse con disabilità o con Disturbi Specifici di Apprendimento (DSA), oltre alla segnalazione tramite procedura informatizzata, sono invitati a comunicare anche direttamente al/la docente titolare dell'insegnamento, con un preavviso non inferiore ad una settimana dall'avvio della sessione d'esame, gli strumenti compensativi concordati con l'Unità Special Needs, al fine di permettere al/la docente la declinazione più idonea in riferimento alla specifica tipologia di esame.