Interest in urban development including on site exploration – walking, cycling, public transport.

General knowledge of working with digital data (maps) and visuals.

Curiosity, good humour and teamwork orientation.

Urban analysis as such is most useful for architects, urbanist, planners and geographers, nevertheless students of various (however remotely) related disciplines are welcome to explore its potential.

(1) Learning to identify basic patterns and elements of urban structure and interpret them in the context of urban development.

(2) Exploring various urban analysis techniques and tools in a process combining practical and theoretical inputs.

(3) Getting to know (and enjoying!) Prague form the urbanists´perspective.

The course includes:

• one-week on-site course in Prague (November 14 - 21) including all Athens activities

• three 2-hour lessons of on-line program (November 26 - December 2)

The participation in both parts of the course is mandatory. Please check your availability for the online sessions before applying for this course (see below).

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After 1990, the nature of public spaces in post-socialist cities began to expand. With the new economic model of urban development, in addition to classic streets, squares and public green spaces in modernist housing estates, we also have gated communities, shopping centres and privately owned public spaces (POPS). Most often, POPS are part of new office and commercial projects.

 

At the workshop, we will discuss the nature of public space and its development and analyze some examples of POPS in Prague. In groups, students will investigate POPS urban and architectural characteristics, the form of behavioural control, and see if and how POPS affects people and their activities in the place. At the end of the workshop, each group will present one selected POPS in Prague.

With this knowledge, in the second phase of the workshop, students will identify and describe selected POPS in the city where they are studying. They will perform a similar analysis as they learned at the Prague workshop. For the next three weeks after the Prague workshop, there will be twice-a-week a two-hour consultation at which the students will present the following outcomes:

1. identified POPS in their city

2. explain its history and development

3. describe its urban and architectural features in comparison with the public space in the vicinity

4. describe the activities that take place in POPS and the forms of control present in POPS.

 

At the end of the online part of the course, everyone submits a presentation of one selected POPS in one of the European cities. This way, we will learn about the various urban forms of POPS, forms of control and activities that take place there. We can also learn how European policies address the inclusion of the whole society in the urban space.

On-line meetings schedule:
You have to participate at tree of the following on-line sessions (UTC+2) (you can choose any of the following dates)

Thursday, November 26 at 15:00 - 18:00
Friday, November 27 at 15:00 - 18:00
Monday, November 30 at 15:00 - 18:00
Tuesday, December 1 at 15:00 - 18:00
Wednesday, December 2 at 15:00 - 18:00

At the end of the online part of the course, everyone submits a presentation of one selected POPS in one of the European cities.

Saturday, November 14, 16:00 – 18:00 Welcome meeting
Sunday, November 15, 15:00 –  18:00 Prague Discovery Game, 18:00 - 21:00 Dinner party
Friday, November 20, 17:00 – 19:00 – Farewell Party