After successful completion of the course, students are able to work on complex design tasks from the field of urban planning independently, systematically and with an original, contemporary design approach based on a precise design language. They have the competence to recognise fields of action in the urban context and to develop corresponding urban planning solutions. The students are able to conduct independent research and collect topic-related basics. They are able to create design concepts and to comprehensively present them in the form of strategy, design and detail plans.
Transport axes function as an infrastructural backbone and spatial connection between cities and their surrounding hinterland. Dysfunctional infrastructures therefore weaken both urban and rural agglomeration. In the countries of the former Yugoslavia, the expansion of railways was declared unprofitable compared to road infrastructure in the 1960s. This initiated a major turning point in transport policy. The years of the Yugoslav wars eventually led to the collapse of the rail network, which has only been rebuilt to a small extent since then, especially for passenger transport.
The year 1965 marks the largest expansion of the railway infrastructure in the former Yugoslavia: a network that originally consisted of various track systems. Since then, however, the narrow-gauge railways along the most densely populated and economically important belts were gradually converted to standard gauge and the railways in the rural areas were dismantled on a large scale until they were finally closed down completely by 1978.
After almost half a century, however, the railways are now to be resurrected - according to the ambitious plan supported by all 27 EU member states as well as Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. The EU is providing the funds to renovate or build new lines. With 400-500 million euros, the EU wants to promote the mobilisation of the Balkan railways. Expansion, modernisation and renewal are also intended to move freight traffic from road to rail.
Sarajevo railway station:
The railway station is located in the Novo Sarajevo district, roughly in the middle of Sarajevo's ribbon town-like settlement structure, and also contains a post office, catering facilities and banks. To the west, directly next to the reception building, is also the bus station. From a traffic point of view, Sarajevo railway station is a terminus station.
The station is located on the two most important railway lines of Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the traffic corridor 5c of the European railway networks. The station building, which was reopened in 1953, was designed by the Czech architect Bedřich Hacar. It replaced the original reception building destroyed in the Second World War.
Today, there are no more international connections. Until the 2010s, however, trains were run to Zagreb, Ploče and Belgrade. Currently, the few regional trains that are operated leave enough capacity reserves for more intensive use.
In the context of the design studio, we deal with the urban space along the railway infrastructure in Sarajevo and Skopje. Based on contextual questions, we deal with the manifold interdependencies of centre and hinterland, the structure-forming properties of infrastructures and their spatial potentials on several scale levels. After in-depth analysis and in cooperation with experts and local stakeholders, both railway station areas and their urban surroundings will be worked on and the link with various forms of mobility will be developed and designed. The aim is to embed these areas adequately in changing settlement structures in the sense of a socio-ecological transformation.
Particular emphasis is placed on demonstrating and visualising the processual connections between transport policy and economic, ecological and social aspects, thus making them readable on both a scientific and political level. Building on a collectively developed matrix, as a cartographic atlas of situations and patterns, concrete scenarios and urban planning designs are to be developed on several scale levels.
Open access to questions to be searched for oneself on the basis of the findings during the one-week excursion and various input lectures. Even before the excursion, analyses are prepared and concepts are developed and discussed and subsequently elaborated into projects. (Group work) Design Studio with intensive workshop! Please note the dates!
The excursion Balkan Express, Lva Nr 260.849 to Sarajevo and Skopje is scheduled in week 45 and participation is compulsory for the design studio. Separate registration is not required.
Participation in the intensive workshop in calendar weeks 47 / 48 / 49 from Mon-Fri 10:00 - 16:00 o'clock at the Arsenal is also compulsory, and the final presentation is scheduled for week 51! (Rework, if necessary, possible)
