VVZ API is not affiliated with ETH Zurich. Data might be outdated or incorrect. Please view the official ETHZ Vorlesungsverzeichnis for binding information.
Critical Writing
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 16:23:01
Abstract
Writing about the urban, landscape, and territory in the Anthropocene–a contested yet transdisciplinary term to describe the planetary condition under climate change and environmental catastrophe. Researchers from critical landscape and urban research engaging in the diverse fields of earth sciences, art, environmental humanities, agrarian, literary, and cultural studies provide insights.
Objective
The seminar surveys key writings, ideas, and figures in the Anthropocene debate in conversation with critiques from environmental humanities and postcolonial studies. A number of invited guests working at the forefronts of Anthropocene research will bring seminar participants into their research and writing process. Additionally, the seminar will offer a number of hands-on critical writing and peer-review sessions to help the seminar participants develop and work with the allegories of the Anthropocene. The objective is to offer a pedagogical framework within which students learn to discuss their urban and territorial design work in relation to the theoretical writings studied in the accompanying Urban Theory Seminar, and inspitred by methods discussed in this seminar. The resulting texts should articulate the project’s broader theoretical, disciplinary, geographic, and sociocultural context as well as the specific design contribution. Students gain both theoretical and practical experience in writing, critical reflection and peer-reviewing.
Content
Programme: 24.02 Introduction – Writing in the Anthropocene Nitin Bathla 03.03 Botanical City, Sandra Jasper 10.03 Histories of Settlement workshop, Hollyamber Kennedy & Anooradha Siddiqi 17.03 Landscapes in deep time: Nuclear Waste and the Swiss Alps, Rony Emmenegger 31.03 Landscapes of the empire, Hollyamber Kennedy 21.04 Territories of Swiss Colonialism, Denise Bertschi 28.04 A guided walk through the multispecies landscape of Zurich, Flurina Gardin 05.05 Geological Filmmaking, Laura Coppens 12.05 Landscapes of fossil capitalism, Giulia Scotto 19.05 LUS Doctoral Crits In addition, three dedicated sessions are offered to focus on preparing the MAS project texts for digital publishing.
Resources
Literature
Access to an extensive literature list is provided at the beginning of the semester. Participants are asked to familiarise themselves with the selected texts before each session.
Learning Materials (Links)
- Main link
- Information
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- NDS
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- ungraded semester performance
Registration & Places
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture with exercise | Critical Writing |
|
30 h semesterly |
Offered In
-
MAS in Urban and Territorial Design (The MAS in Urban and Territorial Design requires one year of full-time postgraduate study for a 60 ECTS joint degree, the “MAS ETH EPF UTD”. It is taught in English and held at the two Swiss schools, EPFL (Autumn) and ETH Zurich (Spring).)