Weimar, Germany

Cultural Landscapes & Urban Resilience

when 17 August 2014 - 29 August 2014
duration 2 weeks
credits 4 EC
fee EUR 550

Urban Resilience relying to the robustness and preparedness of our built environment and society to its vulnerability is often hard to catch when it comes about its integration and realisation in the day to day realities. Disciplines related to spatial development are more and more asked to respond to these requirements to adapt to unexpected occurrences of natural hazards (earth quakes, floods) and to become reactive in the built space.

Next to the building related knowledge about vulnerability and preventive or adaptive measures among architects and engineers the process and acceptance of it is dependant from cultural values as well. The overarching topic of urban resilience therefore can be treated with a transcultural perspective, as a cultural landscape understood as an environment that is created by humans in relation to their natural surroundings with today’s expectations to construct resilient structures and communities. The process of change that forms the cultural landscapes for urban resilience requires an interdisciplinary approach that is taking into account diverse aspects for building schemes and planning processes.

For case study we will refer to two different settlements forms: informal and formal, trying to weight in how far both forms can contribute to resilient settlement patterns and which additional measures should be taken into consideration.

The course will systematically approach an understanding of urban resilience that both connects man-made as well as natural conditions in the urban context, including scales from the urban to the building level.

- Setting parameters for urban resilience
- The complexity of Integrated Urban Development Concepts and the realities
- Analytical approaches to urban heat islands (neighbourhood level and larger)
- Assessment of Earthquake risks (building level)
- Societal ideals and the impact of urban green for the urban environment: The Ilmpark.
- Drawing out a comparative study between informal and formal settlements.
- Learn how affected areas can be connected to user-oriented systems.
- Consequences from the case studies for integrative planning schemes.

Next to planning in an interdisciplinary and transnational context, the workshop offers different options to learn about different approaches and urban typologies and to assess them in a broader perspective for finally being able to shape and design in different geographical and cultural systems.

Course leader

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Philippe Schmidt M.Sc.
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Institute for European Urban Studies (IfEU), Weimar

Dr.-Ing. Lars Abrahamczyk
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Earthquake Damage Analysis Center (EDAC), Weimar

Dr. Conrad Philipp
Unive

Target group

Students (Bachelor from 6th semester & Master) of disciplines related to spatial development like architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, urban and spatial planning, cultural-, social-, economic geography, development and others.

Previous knowledge:
- Interest to work in a holistic and interdisciplinary way on urban settlements and urban environment.
- Basics in GIS are desirable (no condition) and/or CAD.
- Good knowledge of English language.

Technical requirements:
- Writing and sketching material, explorative mind
- Laptop with the following software for Geographical Information Systems:
Quantum GIS (QGIS) free download http://www.qgis.org/de/site/ AND
ArcGIS student trial: http://www.esri.com/landing-pages/software/arcgis/arcgis-desktop-student-trial

Please note:
- Some preparatory material (texts and a small task) will be sent out to participants 4 weeks before the course starts.

Course aim

Learn man-made and natural factors' influence on the built environment and develop responsive planning schemes for more resilient cities.

Participants will learn about several aspects of urban resilience from an environmental and cultural perspective through different tools, scientific methods and analysis, including gis-techniques. The course will introduce more general approaches for integrated urban development and urban sustainability to the specific analysis of urban heat islands as well as the analysis of different construction typologies in relation to risks of earthquake damage.

Credits info

4 EC
After successful completion of this course you will receive a certificate of participation. It will show the course title, the date and duration of the course, the number of contact hours as well as the main contents and topics.

Fee info

EUR 550: The course fee is 550,-€.
EUR 450: Students and alumni pay the reduced fee of 450,-€.