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052-0827-20L 4 Credits BSC D-ARCH

Seminar History and Theory of Urban Design: The City Lived - Commons Underground

Lecturers & Examiners: PD Dr. Irina Davidovici, Dr. Janina Gosseye
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:36:03

Abstract

This seminar, which is taught together with Nicole de Lalouvière, will examine the underground through the lens of the commons. It focuses on underground infrastructures, services and resources as a specific category of built commons, as their negotiation entails practices of cooperation, and brings forth related issues in the commons, such as access, ownership, maintenance, etc.

Objective

Upon completion of the course, the students will have: (1) developed a firm grasp of the concept of the commons, and the skill to apply it in the discussion of a variety of case studies; (2) developed the ability to identify, analyse and interpret built artefacts, resources and services located underground through the lens of the commons; (3) exercised working on a collective project that will grow over time, creating a vital, open-access knowledge resource.

Content

Lecture 1 (17/09): Introduction Lecture 2 (24/09): Commoning transport Lecture 3 (01/10): Sanitation - Fle/ushing out the underground Lecture 4 (08/10): Probing geology Lecture 5 (15/10): Retaining soils Lecture 6 (29/10): Mid-review Lecture 7 (05/11): Excavating mining Lecture 8 (12/11): Consolidating defence Lecture 9 (19/11): Commemorating heritage Lecture 10 (26/11): Sharing knowledge Lecture 11 (03/12): Final review

Resources

Lecture Notes

Scans of the texts that need to be read prior to each of the lectures will be provided in digital form at the start of the semester via the website of the Chair of the History and Theory of Urban Design.

Literature

Bollier, David, and Silke Helfrich, editors. The Wealth of the Commons: A World beyond Market and State. Levellers Press, 2012. Dobraszczyk, Paul, Galviz López-Galviz, Bradley L Garrett, and Geoff Manaugh, eds. Global Undergrounds: Exploring Cities Within. London UK: Reaktion Books, 2016. Clayton, Antony. Subterranean City: Beneath the Streets of London. Rev. and Extended ed. London: Historical Publications, 2010. Hardt, Michael, and Antonio Negri. Commonwealth. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2009. Toland, Alexandra Regan, et al. Field to Palette: Dialogues on Soil and Art in the Anthropocene. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 2019.

Learning Materials (Links)

General Information

Language
English
Levels
BSC
Frequency
Semesterly recurring

Examination

Type
graded semester performance
The grade consists of:1) 10%: Active participation in the course;2) 30%: Mid-term assignment (29.10.20): Identify a case-study of an underground commons (details s. course description);3) 60%: Final assignment (7.1.21): Submit a 1500-word illustrated essay on a selected case study of underground commons (details see course description).

Registration & Places

Max Places
24

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
seminar Seminar History and Theory of Urban Design: The City Lived - Commons Underground
No course on 22.10. (seminar week) and 10th and 17th December 2020 (before final critics).
  • Thu 15:45-17:30 (HIL H 40.9)
2 h weekly

Offered In