November 8, 2021
Rethink the City: New Approaches to Global and Local Urban Challenges
Learn about today's urban challenges focusing on developing countries, referred to as the Global South. We will debate the benefits associated with three different themes, going beyond traditional urban strategies and policies: Spatial justice - Having fair, inclusive and healthy urban contexts is one of the greatest challenges of cities in emerging economies. Housing Provision and Management - Increasing demand in the Global South calls for alternative approaches in housing provision and management. Sustainable Urban Transitions - In order to transition from our current (unsustainable) system towards a fair and sustainable future we need to pay attention to the social, economic, and cultural context. In the course, we will address questions such as: Is the 'just city' framework applicable to cities with extreme socio-economic inequality? Can community-led housing initiatives provide effective solutions for households in need? How can the transition towards an environmentally sustainable future also be socially just? In this architecture and urban planning course, academic urban planning expertise from TU Delft is used to formulate possible answers to these questions, and is applied in a range of challenging case studies from Latin America, MENA region, Sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia, , among others. This course offers you a new perspective to understand and analyse the urban challenges of the Global South. Through a combination of short theoretical lessons, presentation of case studies, testimonies from practitioners and practical assignments you will also learn how to develop a critical perspective about your own urban environment and how to translate this knowledge into analytical tools and innovative urban solutions.