It is the aim of this lecture to acquaint students from the fields of planning and architecture as well as interested students from other disciplines with a selected range of core approaches to public space. The course aims at enriching students' conceptual repertoire regarding a contemporary object of planning, a policy field demanded in manifold ways and a challenging design task. In this sense, the dialog bridging various disciplines is one of the main basic features of this course offered. By choosing an interactive lecture format the lecturer intends to impart knowledge regarding the professional handling of public spaces as sociohistoric processes in the European City and regarding the logic of action brought in by those actors and institutions which constitute public spaces. A general reflection of our spatial understanding shall be stimulated by linking approaches to understand publics, publicness and publicité to theories of space. The lecture serves as thought-provoking impulse which also contains minor exercises and stimulating debates. At the same time, this interactive lecture provides space for free thinking and for progressive and prospective discussions on the subject matter.
Since the 1970s public space has been promoted to be one of the central fields of action of urban and open space planning and of designing actors coming from landscape architecture, urban design, spatial planning and architecture in European cities and on a global scale. In other disciplines mainly agitating in the fields of social science such as urban sociology, ethnology or political science public space is dealt with as self-confidently as in planning practice and in urban politics. But one discrepany is manifest: All these actors talk about very different public spaces. Consensus on the individual meaning of public space is reached only occasionally. Some understand public spaces as built places, as urban morphologies whereas others deny any material expression of public spaces. But how can we imagine social spaces and built , sometimes even well-designed spaces as two sides of the same coin? The existing diversity of theoretical approaches from different disciplinary backgrounds shows that there are basic disquietudes regarding theories on space, the role of institutions, their mechanisms and resources as well as regarding the players involved to be found when addressing public space. To put it in a more palpable and concrete way: This course asseses public spaces from a perspective that considers them as societal processes which day-to-day sediment as constructed and designed space. Who thus influences these continuours production of public space and in which way? Where do planners, where do designers locate themselves as part of societal processes? Which strategies are they familiar with and what kind of interests on behalf of other social players are planners and designers nowadays confronted with?
The lecture (VO) "Strategies and intervention of the production of space" is part of the module 11 "Urban culture, public space" of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Urban Culture and Public Space. The module consists of three courses, which in combination cover theoretical approaches to studying public life in the city, methodologies for researching public space and practice-oriented learning. Students are therefore strongly encouraged to take all the three courses of the module, which as a whole paves the way for both a broad understanding of and a conscious engagement in multiple urban publics of the city. The instructors will be as follows: Ass. Prof. Dr. Sabine Knierbein, DI Eva Schwab and DI Tihomir Viderman, MSc. The course language is English. We support students¿ active participation in debates and interactive teaching formats, and encourage them to bring in and develop their own ideas and critical perspectives.
The course is directed at Master¿s students (including final year Bachelor¿s and early PhD students too), internationally thinking students as well as students working interdisciplinarily. Participants of this course are strongly encouraged to take other courses of the module 11 too (namely 280.359 and 280.360). Participation in all classes is required for successful completion of the course.
Please register for the Module 11 until 5 October 2014 in the TISS registration system (registration at VO 280.358). Registrations for single courses of the Module 11 (including this lecture) will be possible at the Module¿s Kick-off taking place on 6 October 2014 at 9.00, or in person until 13 October 2014 at the SKuOR office.
Dates for the Seminar Course Units within the Intensive Teaching Blocks (ITBs) of Module 11:
ITB 1:
Monday, 6 October 2014, from 9.00 to 15.00 (3 units)
Wednesday, 8 October 2014, from 9.00 to 10.30 (1 unit)
Thursday, 9 October 2014, from 9.00 to 12.30 (2 units)
ITB 2:
Monday, 10 November 2014, from 9.00 to 15.00 (3 units)
Wednesday, 12 November 2014, from 9.00 to 10.30 (1 unit)
ITB 3:
Monday, 1 December 2014, from 9.00 to 12.30 (2 units)
Tuesday, 2 December 2014, from 9.00 to 10.30 (1 unit)
Register here for all the courses of Module 11 Urban Culture and Public Space (Master Curriculum Raumplanung, open for architects and further urban studies related disciplines, 6 SWS, 12 ECTS, teaching in blocks)
