Course syllabus for Social-ecological urbanism

The course syllabus contains changes
See changes

Course syllabus adopted 2022-02-17 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameSocial-ekologisk stadsbyggnad
  • CodeARK142
  • Credits22.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPARC
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyArchitecture, Architecture and Engineering
  • ThemeArchitectural design project 22.5 c
  • DepartmentARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 05122
  • Maximum participants20
  • Open for exchange studentsYes
  • Only students with the course round in the programme overview.

Credit distribution

0117 Project 9.5 c
Grading: TH		 9.5 c
0217 Project 13 c
Grading: TH		 13 c

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites


Aim

The aim of the course is to (1) strengthen students understanding of how urban form and the physical structure of cities provides a framework and creates conditions for sustainable urban development focusing on social, economic and environmental processes, and (2) apply this actively in a design project.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

Knowledge & Understanding

1. The student should be able to demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of the field of urban morphology and landscape ecology, and the central theories and methods used to better understand the role of urban form in steering social, economic and environmental processes in cities.
Main course component: Literature seminars and workshops
Examination form: written reports related to the workshops and active usage of the literature in the final course report

2. The student should be able to apply the methods and theories central to the course in a design assignment where the design choices are supported by research and spatial analysis.
Main course component: Design project
Examination form: Final course report and oral presentation


Skills & abilities

1. The students should be able to use GIS and PST software to analyse cities and neighbourhoods according to the theories and methods central to this course.
Main course component: GIS laboratories
Examination form: Presence at the laboratories (otherwise written assignment)

2. The student should be able to apply the methods and theories central to the course in simplified design assignments.
Main course component: Workshops and Design project
Examination form: Workshop reports and Final course report

3. The student should be able to support their design choices, using the methods and theories central to the course.
Main course component: Workshops, Literature seminars and Design project
Examination form: Workshop reports and Final course report

4. The student should be able to communicate results convincingly in text, drawings and maps.
Main course component: all
Examination form: Final course report, posters for exhibition and Oral presentations

Content

Theories and methods in spatial morphology, landscape ecology and spatial analysis will be introduced, especially network analysis (using Space Syntax) and density analysis (using Spacematrix). After the course the students should have basic knowledge of the field of urban morphology and landscape ecology. They should be able to discuss and analyse texts and plan drawings, use the analytical tools and apply the knowledge actively in a design project. The design project is divided in two parts focusing on two scale levels of urban development. During the first half of the semester students work in teams on a comprehensive plan covering various urban districts and during the second half they individually continue with development projects on the scale of a neighbourhood.

Organisation

The studio is organised around a sequence of workshops, GIS laboratories, lectures, literature seminars - and the design studio with each its own set of learning outcomes and assignments. Workshops give room for experiments, lectures transfer knowledge and inspire, GIS laboratories give the technical knowhow to conduct advanced spatial analysis, literature seminars deepen your understanding and critical reading of the central theories and methods of the course, and the design project synthesises all this.
  • GIS laboratories. The use of quantitative GIS (Geographic Information System) data is central for the work in the studio and the skills are learned during the GIS laboratories. Software and tutorials are provided. Examination form: Presence at the laboratories (otherwise written assignment)
  • Workshops. During the workshops the advanced spatial analysis and theoretical knowledge are applied in simple design problems and enable the students to quickly go through a "design loop" of analysing, designing alternatives and evaluating effects. Examination form: Written assignment in the form of a workshop reports.
  • Literature seminars. Central theories addressing the relation between urban form and urban life are discussed based on the reading of a selection of relevant papers and book chapters. Examination form: Oral presentation and integration of the literature in the Final course report.
  • Design project. The skills learned during the GIS laboratories and workshops and the knowledge of the literature seminars will be synthesised and applied. Design project presented in drawings, texts and an oral presentation at the final critics.
    Examination form: Final course report and Oral presentations, Posters for exhibition
  • Lectures. Throughout the whole semester a series of lectures are scheduled given by experts from Chalmers, but also guests from other universities and practice. The lectures support the other course component.

Literature

Alberti, M (2008) Advances in Urban Ecology: Integrating Humans and Ecological Processes in Urban Ecosystems. Springer-Verlag.
Berghauser Pont, M. and P. Haupt, 2010, Spacematrix. Space, density and urban form, NAi Publishers.
Dramstad, W, J Olsson, R Forman (1996) Landscape Ecology Principles in Landscape Architecture and Land-Use Planning, Island Press.
Harvey, D, 2006 "Space as Keyword", in, D. Harvey, Spaces of Global Capitalism - Towards a Theory of Uneven Geographical Development, Verso, Londres, pp. 119-148.
Hillier, B (1996) Space is the machine: a configurational theory of architecture. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge.
Hillier, B., Hanson, J (1984), Social Logic of Space. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Martin, Leslie & Lionel March, 1972, "The grid as generator", in, L. Martin & L. March, Urban space and structures, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Oliveira, V. (2016) Urban morphology: an introduction to the study of the physical form of cities, The Urban Book Series, Springer, Switzerland.

Examination including compulsory elements

The grade is a weighted average of the following aspects:
  1. Results: the result of the work for each element and the overall result.The separate elements considered are: workshops and reports, GIS laboratories (presence), lectures (presence), literature seminars (presentation and final report) - and the design studio (Final course report and Oral presentations, Posters for exhibition).
  2. Communication and presentation, including Oral presentation, Booklet and Exhibition.
  3. Process: how the process, ongoing work, has been carried out.
  4. Progression: how much you have developed during the semester.
  5. Attendance: obligatory attendance, less the 70% attendance pulls down your grades in all judgement criteria.
  6. Attitude: in the studio, towards the work, fellow students, and tutors.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.

The course syllabus contains changes

  • Changes to course rounds:
    • 2022-11-02: Max number of participants Max number of participants changed from 18 to 20 by UBS
      [Course round 1]