URBAN PLANNING

The course aims at providing students with knowledge about the role and content of spatial plans and urban planning instruments and the main stages of the planning process, with a focus on contemporary environmental sustainability issues.

• Understanding main concepts, applications, and challenges of the spatial/urban planning discipline
• Understanding the operational stages of the planning process and the role and content of spatial/urban planning instruments
• Identifying and analyzing the main information on the biophysical and socio-economic context of a city/territory, particularly with reference to contemporary environmental sustainability issues
• Applying methodologies to support planning practices, through the use of appropriate tools
• Proposing sustainability-oriented planning and design interventions

Good knowledge of the English language and general computer use (no specific skills required for using GIS software, but predisposition to quickly learn and apply new software's basic functions)

The course will be structured into the following modules.

Part 1: Introduction to spatial and urban planning and the stages of the planning process
• Main concepts and applications of the spatial planning discipline
• Spatial planning systems
• Main issues and trends associated with contemporary city planning
• Spatial planning process: steps, aims, and stakeholders

Part 2: Analyzing the context to support the definition of the planning objectives and the knowledge base reference framework
• Collecting and analyzing data for defining the biophysical and socio-economic context
• Urban spawl and land use/land take processes: causes, dynamics and consequences
• Synthesizing data and information: the SWOT analysis method
• Thematic focus on environmental sustainability aspects

Part 3: Methods and tools to support planning practices
• Use of web-GIS platform for consulting spatial and territorial data
• Use of GIS software for analyzing spatial data: introduction, training and class exercises
• The use of indicators in spatial/urban planning
• Examples of cartographic data and extracts from existing urban planning instruments

Part 4: From objective formulation to the definition of decisions/actions in urban plans
• Analyzing possible interventions for sustainable urban planning (e.g., for reducing land take, enhancing ecological systems, adapting to climate change)
• Presentation of best practices and case studies
• Emerging concepts and policy directions for sustainable urban planning: ecosystems services, green infrastructure, and nature-based solutions, and the role of EU policies in promoting them
• Urban planning instruments to support the implementation of actions

• References uploaded or cited in the presentations and made available on Moodle.
• The following textbook is recommended, particularly the chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 10:
Steiner F., The living landscape An ecological approach to landscape planning. Second Edition. Island Press, 2008.

• One or two mid-term evaluations on small assignments during the course
• Final exam (in the form of presentation or short report)

Both contribute to the final grade.

The content and structure of the assignments/final exam will be presented during classes.

• Input lectures to provide key concepts and references
• Active learning activities, where students learn more in depth the content of the lectures by analyzing data and case studies, and discussing in small groups
• Structured case study analysis using specific software tools

English

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Cities, infrastructure and social capital" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development