Start semester
60 409 Urban theory: Current theories in urbanism
Admission to AHO and successful completion of three years bachelor level studies (180 ECTS).
The course is open to students from: Architecture, Design and Landscape Architecture
The course focuses on current theories in urbanism, with a special emphasis on how to understand the contemporary city in terms of urban development and socio-cultural features. The overall emphasis of the course will be to read and discuss a selection of texts that present new theoretical perspectives on the current urban condition. We will also, related to the various theoretical topics, visit a selection of exemplary sites in Oslo.
Priority is given to cross-disciplinary approaches and to theoretical perspectives that seek to interrelate issues of planning and design with social and cultural issues. The course can be combined with or prepare for master studios at Institute of urbanism and landscape. The course also has general relevance for architecture and design students interested in the relationship between architecture and societal developments.
Knowledge: The students shall acquire knowledge about a selection of important issues and theoretical positions within contemporary urbanism.
Skills: The students will acquire skills in critical reflection about contemporary urban development as well as in a selection of methods and approaches in urban research.
Competence: The students will acquire competence in urban theory and research that prepares them to write up a paper about a current issue in urbanism.
The course consists of a series of lectures, curriculum readings and seminar discussions related to current theories in urbanism. Students are expected to make presentations of a selection of curriculum readings.
Students will also be introduced to methods and tools for conducting field work studies. Related to this, the students will be given shorter assignments, for instance related to site visits.
Students are expected to read a selection of the curriculum for each weekly session. The students will also be given the task of preparing seminar presentations (1-2 times) based on the curriculum. They are also expected to carry out shorter field work assignments (3-4 times). Presentations and assignments are compulsory. The students are expected to write up a final paper (8–10 pages) over an optional theme within the overall course topic.
Course literature will be available in Leganto.
| Form of assessment | Grouping | Grading scale | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project assignment | Individual | Pass / fail |