Course Syllabus

The European Urban Experience: Why Cities Matter

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Semester & Location:

Fall 2017 - DIS Copenhagen

Type & Credits:

Core Course - 3 credits

Core Course Study Tours:

Hamburg + Vienna & Budapest

Major Disciplines:

Sociology, Urban Design, Urban Studies

Faculty Members:

Regitze Marianne Hess

Program Director:

Neringa B. Vendelbo nb@dis.dk

Time & Place:

Monday / Thursday, 08:30 - 09:50, N7 - B12

Description of Course

Cities are both creative and destructive friction machines, full of contradictory tensions, goals, and visions about what constitutes the good life. This course is an introduction to the driving forces of this friction within a European context, including social, economic, environmental, technical, cultural, historical, and spatial influences. The main goal of the course is to provide a connection between theory and practice, between thinking and making. The texts we will read provide our theoretical framework. The sites we will visit, mainly from Copenhagen, Hamburg, Vienna and Budapest, will be our case studies which will help understanding how these concepts apply in practice.

Learning Objectives

This course aims to offer an understanding of:

  • field and paradigms of European urban planning
  • main drivers of historical and contemporary European urban development
  • the role of culture, infrastructure, urban governance and the built environment in shaping a city
  • the complex relationship between the various scales of the urban experience
  • the relationship between theory and practice in urban development through the application of critical thinking

 

Faculty: Regitze Marianne Hess

Architect MAA, Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture, Copenhagen (1993). B.Eng. – Civil, McGill University, Montreal (1985). Currently Special Advisor with International Federation for Housing and Planning [IFHP], working with IFHP in various capacities since 2005. A long range of experience advocating for better cities and built environments through the world of philanthropy, non-profits, academia & private practice; as conference organizer; curator; publisher, editor & writer; teacher and critic. Positions of trust include Gehl Institute Board Member. With DIS since 2002.

Readings 

Below is a listing of some the most significant readings the class will be referencing.

Primary reference:

  • Mumford, L. (1989). The City in History: Its Origins, Its Transformations, and Its Prospects. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Key references:

  • Alexander, C. (2013) A city is Not a Tree, The Urban Design Reader (pp.152-166). Routledge
  • Danish Ministry of the Environment (2007). Spatial planning in Denmark http://naturstyrelsen.dk/media/nst/Attachments/Planning_260907_NY6.pdf
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJbfQj0sNIg
  • Flyvbjerg, B. (2012). Bringing Power to Planning Research: One Researcher’s Praxis Story. In Fainstein, S. and Campbell, S. (eds.). Readings in Planning Theory (pp. 241-267). Oxford: Wiley & Sons
  • Eisenhardt, K. Building Theories from Case Study Research
  • Blau, Eva, The Architecture of Red Vienna 1919-1934, MIT Press
  • City of Vienna (2014) Step 2025-Urban Development Plan Vienna. Vienna: City of Vienna.
  • City of Budapest (2014) Transport Development Strategy 2014-2030. Budapest: City of Budapest
  • Morelli, John (2011) Environmental Sustainability: A Definition for Environmental Professionals, Journal of Environmental Sustainability: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article 2.
  • Sutton, Philip (2004) A Perspective on environmental sustainability?, A paper for the Victorian Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability
  • Naess, P. (2003). Urban Structures and Travel Behaviour. Experiences from Empirical Research in Norway and Denmark.EJTIR, 32(2003), 155-178.
  • Harvey, D. (2008). The Right to the City. New Left Review. II (53): 23–40.
  • Campbell, S. (1996). Green cities, growing cities, just cities?: Urban planning and the contradictions of sustainable development. Journal of the American Planning Association62(3), 296-312.
  • UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals
  • Hunt, A., & Watkiss, P. (2011). Climate change impacts and adaptation in cities: a review of the literature. Climatic Change, 104(1), 13-49.
  • Habitat III New Urban Agenda, & Quito Papers
  • Global Utmaning, Nordic Urban Ways: Local Leadership, Governance and Management for Sustainable Development, October 2016.

 

Field Studies and Study Tours

Field studies form an integral part of the course to support our understanding of how development is conducted in a practical urban setting. While in Copenhagen, we will be going on a half-day field study around the city: 

 

Field Studies

  • Wednesday morning, 27th Sept. 2017 [8:30 am -12:30 noon] = Copenhagen North by Northwest
  • Wednesday afternoon, 6th Dec. 2017 [13:00 – 17:00] = Hygge & Happiness - Copenhagen Style

 

Study Tours

CCW: Core Course Week = 11th - 15th September 2017

- 11th - 13th September 2017 = Short Study Tour to Hamburg

- 14th - 15th September 2017 = day tours of Copenhagen region

The short study tour is to the city state of Hamburg, the metropolitan hub of Northern Germany. Hamburg has a rich history as a center of trade and commerce. Hamburg is a vibrant city with dynamic urban life radiating throughout Northern Europe, including Denmark. Today, Hamburg is Germany’s second-largest city and one of Europe’s most important ports. Its industrial potential not-withstanding, it was voted the European Green Capital in 2011.

 

7th - 12th October 2017  = Long Study Tour - Vienna & Budapest

The long study tour is to Vienna and Budapest. Exploring these cities opens up the exciting and complex past and present of Central European urbanity. Metropolises in their own right, they

both became crystallization points for the clash of imperial and ethnic-national identities, and served as the platform for defining the urban modernity of the 20th century, be it in architecture, art, literature, music, psychology, or politics. Furthermore, these cities also allow us to reflect on the differences between the Western and Eastern urban experience in European history and in present time.

Expectations for study tours:

  • Participate in all activities
  • Engage in discussions, ask questions, and contribute to achieving the learning objectives
  • Respect the destination, the speakers, DIS staff, and your fellow classmates
  • Represent yourself, your home university and DIS in a positive light

While on a program study tour DIS will provide hostel/hotel accommodation, transportation to/from the destination(s), approx. 2 meals per day and entrances, guides, and visits relevant to your area of study or the destination. You will receive a more detailed itinerary prior to departure.

Travel policies: You are required to travel with your group to the destination. If you have to deviate from the group travel plans, you need approval from the program director and the study tours office.   

 

Approach to Teaching

The class meets 18 times during the semester. Lectures, assigned readings and student presentations will act as background for class discussion. This course relies heavily on readings in order to gain a deeper understanding of varying case studies addressed during the semester. Assigned texts are to be read in advance of the class. Reading will go beyond finding information, or identifying main ideas. The purpose with the readings is to dig deep to identify meaning, relationships between ideas, their impact on the urban world. This involves analysis, synthesis and creativity. You are encouraged to draw on and share own experiences of cities and urban issues. In short, critical reading requires intense questioning.

Copenhagen will serve as a living classroom and will be discussed in juxtaposition with various European cities. Cities are a collective effort. And the class will also include group work in the analysis and understanding of the European urban experience.

Expectations of the Students

This is not a traditional lecture course. Classes will be conducted both in the classroom and out on site in the context of the city. It relies on

- experiencing the European city full on, together as a class, and on your own,

- recording and reporting your urban observations and experiences 

- sharing your urban experiences and observations in class discussions, with your fellow students and via assignments

- and on class discussion, informed by an in-depth, critical reading of the assigned texts.

You are expected to engage and participate actively in class discussions. Students are expected to come to class prepared with questions with points of departure in the readings or references. You are expected to keep a notebook or journal recording your observations, experiences, and critical analysis of readings. You may be required to turn in written analysis (300 words) of readings and observations. Readings are to be analyzed and critiqued. Overall grades will be depending on an engaged, informed, and highly active participation in class discussion.

Evaluation

Documentation of field study learning points

Consists of recorded & written documentation of field study observations. The one pagers are to incorporate urban development learning points from the site visits, specifying urban challenges and solutions experienced in the field, referencing pertinent course readings. Documentation is to include illustrations in the form of photos, images or sketches. Images and literature to be referenced in the APA system.

Documentation of study tours learning points

Consists of recorded & written documentation of observations from both study tours. Observations are to report on urban development learning points from the site visits, specifying urban challenges and solutions experienced in the field, referencing pertinent course readings. Documentation is to include illustrations in the form of photos, images or sketches. Images and literature to be referenced in the APA system.

Final Project

The final paper commences as group work. Each group of students will produce an original urban strategy that reflects the theme of the course from one of a range of disciplines: spatial planning, history, urban studies, sociology, or cultural studies.  There will be three phases for fulfilling this assignment:

  1. Case study - 10%

In teams of 3-5 students, groups are to find and area in Copenhagen of interest and in need of further development. The group is to map the area through photos, maps, sketches, etc. Each group will be asked to write their motivation - 300 to 600 words. You will then give a 5-minute oral presentation to the class presenting your case. The presentation should be based on a very concise PowerPoint slide show, with max. 5 slides in order to give time for peer review. 

  1. Problem formulation - 10%

The teams will continue previous work and develop a problem formulation for their final project, that will build upon the case study, incorporate relevant scientific literature, propose a guiding research question, and briefly outline what the strategy proposal will address. Each group will be asked to write a description of their planning issue - 300 to 600 words. A seminar will be held where the students will present their problem formulation and get feedback from the other groups and instructor.

  1. Final project - 20%

Previous work forms the foundation of your final project - creating an urban strategy for the previously selected and analyzed area in Copenhagen. The urban strategy proposed is expected to be 2000-3000 words in length, and have a well-defined focus on one key problem. The project needs to include images, either photos, maps or sketches, that highlight both critical analysis and proposal. 

Grading

Assignment

Percent

Participation - individual participation, preparation of questions, in-class presentations

20%

 Documentation of field study learning points

20%

 Documentation of study tours learning points          

20%

Final Project

40%

Disability and Resource Statement  

Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Academic Support (acadsupp@dis.dk) to coordinate this.  In order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations within the first two weeks of classes.

Policies

Attendance

You are expected to attend all classes, guest lectures, workshops and field studies. If you must miss a class for religious holidays, medical reasons, or other valid reasons, you must let us know as far in advance as possible of the absence and obtain information about the work you must do to keep up in class. If you miss a class for any other reason (sudden illness, family emergency, etc.), you should get in touch with us as soon as possible and arrange to make up the work missed.

It is crucial for your learning that you stay on task and hand in assignments on or before the due date. All work– including in-class projects – have to be completed in order to pass the class. Late papers or projects will be marked down with 1/3 of a grade for each day it is late.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism and Violating the Rules of an Assignment

DIS expects that students abide by the highest standards of intellectual honesty in all academic work. DIS assumes that all students do their own work and credit all work or thought taken from others.   Academic dishonesty will result in a final course grade of “F” and can result in dismissal. The students’ home universities will be notified. DIS reserves the right to request that written student assignments be turned in electronic form for submission to plagiarism detection software.  See the Academic Handbook for more information, or ask your instructor if you have questions.

Use of laptops and mobile devices is allowed for the purpose of note-taking ONLY and requires prior consultation with us. Students should refrain from all other computer activities, as they prove distracting to themselves and fellow students. Mobile phones and other electronic devices should of course be turned off and stored away. Using the laptop for other purposes than note-taking will have a negative impact on your grade.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due