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Urban Mutations on the Edge - Emergent Phenomena in Developing Territories
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:19:37
Abstract
The theory seminar Urban Mutations on the Edge will be directed toward the investigation of emerging urban phenomena that are predominantly occurring outside of the urban ‘centers’ of the twentieth century such as New York, London or Tokyo.
Content
The theory seminar Urban Mutations on the Edge will be directed toward the investigation of emerging urban phenomena that are predominantly occurring outside of the urban ‘centers’ of the twentieth century such as New York, London or Tokyo. The increasing complexity of contemporary urban conditions stresses the importance to the disciplines of architecture and urban design of interdisciplinary research investigations based not only upon the traditionally known methods supported by these disciplines, but also those integrating various methodological tools and theories associated with the multiple disciplines of the wider field of urban studies disciplines that include urban planning, urban sociology, urban geography, urban economics and so forth. While each discipline traditionally enforces its own set of methodological biases, contemporary urban studies is characterized by an increasing dissolution of these boundaries. It is the intention of the course to both foreground the productive cross-fertilization between disciplines as a result of this; and press for an awareness of methodological precision in other words within a more open interdisciplinary approach to urban research, it is critical that investigations be directed by the right (methodological) tool for the right (research) job. With this in mind, there will be an attempt to address each urban phenomenon, or ‘probe’ through the lens of the methodological approach applied to it. Straightforward examples include: the use of interviews (a method typical of sociology) by Koolhaas in his research on Lagos; the use of historiography applied to the escalator in the formulation of an urban theory of shopping by the Harvard Project on the City, and the use of cartography (a method typical of geography) in the West Bank research of Eyal Weizman. The course is conducted in two-hour sessions each week and structured in the format of a lecture and subsequent seminar discussion. Guest lectures are scheduled throughout both semesters. The language of the course is English. Students in the walfach stream are required both: to read texts pertaining to each week’s lecture; and to engage (in pairs) in their own research into an urban phenomenon of their choosing that will be presented in the final class session in the form of an oral and slide presentation. In addition to this presentation, students in the diploma walfach stream are required to submit a paper that will be the basis for a final oral examination.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- BSC , DS
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- ungraded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| seminar | Urban Mutations on the Edge - Emergent Phenomena in Developing Territories |
|
2 h weekly |