Lectures "Critical Transformations" 2008/09
Lecture Series delivered by Dr Ines Weizman (Autumn Semester)
Social and political discourses have recently been placed at the forefront of cultural practice. This can be seen in the art/culture world’s engagement with social and political critique and its search for ways of intervention and action. This lecture series emphasizes the social and political perspective of space making at the scale of the city. It is an introduction to key concepts in urban history and theory from the 19th century until the present. It addresses historical and contemporary processes of migration, issues of politics, mapping, architecture and urban regeneration. Episodes of architectural and urban theory are placed in the context of political and cultural transformations, and in particular in the context of the changing geopolitical conditions by which the contemporary city is shaped.
The series also investigates how different urban practitioners (rebels, soldiers, politicians, architects, artists, users and dwellers) intervened in the transformation of the city. It presents examples of new strands in current urban practices, particularly those focused on ‘design as research’. The idea is to develop a cultural and political critique of planning practices, aiming to open an interdisciplinary debate, but also to assume the tools to form a position regarding existing planning strategies.
Aims
- to provide a theoretical and historical framework for the understanding of contemporary questions of city planning and urban transformation
- to analyse important episodes in the history of urban planning and large-scale city transformation from the 19th century until today
- to explore general theories of architecture and urbanism
- to consider the relationship between architecture and ideology, space and power
- to consider architecture and urbanism as a tool of politics
- to encourage critical judgements on processes of regeneration and large-scale urban planning strategies
Learning outcomes
By the end of this module, students should be able to:
- understand major movements and changes in the history of architecture and urbanism
- grasp the complex relationship between space and power
- understand key concepts and ideas in urban history and theory
- examine current ideas and developments in urban practice and
theory
- critically assess social and political aspects of contemporary
processes of urban regeneration and renovation
- analyse and reflect upon a particular urban situation or concept in an essay
Teaching methods
The module will take place as a series of lectures and student presentations. The specific topic for the presentation as well as the essay is to be arrived at in consultation with the module convenor.
Assessment and Course Requirements
The assessment of the course will be based on a presentation and a 5,000 word essay reflecting about issues discussed in the module. The specific topic is to be arrived at in consultation with the module convenor.
