Abstract:

Since the beginning of this century cities have been declared the most important habitat of mankind, at least when you measure this by the number of residents. If we measure the importance of cities not by what social, cultural, and intellectual progress they have achieved, then their claim can be extended even further.

Dealing with the complex processes of global urbanization and local urban transformation requires a multi-faceted and transdisciplinary approach to research and problem-solving. The lecture provides multidisciplinary insights in theory and practice of urbanism and urban planning in history and today. Focus is on the potentials of urban design to integrate aestethic, social, cultural, economic and ecological qualities into contemporary living environments.

Keywords:

• Concepts and models – Evolution of urban form and urban planning
• S,M,L,XL – Scales of the urban from the apartment to the region
• Economy and Ecology – The city as resource
• Informal is normal – Production of space beyond State and Market
• Space for encounters – Partizipation and Publicly used Spaces

About lecturer:

Mr. Urs Thomann,
Deputy Director, Vinnytsia Municipal Centre of Urban planning and Architecture