Freie Wahl
Dozent: Gastprofessor Arun Jain
Modul: Freie Wahl M12
Umfang: 2 SWS / 3 ECTS
Veranstaltungstyp: SE
1. Termin: Mi. 21.10.2015
mittwochs 15.00 – 17.00h
Raum: B 224

There are many ways to define urban resiliency. For the purposes of this seminar class, we use it as the basis for the strategies cities may deploy to respond and recover from shocks to their systems and networks, thereby providing some degree of immunity and the ability to cope.
Although rural to urban migration is as old as cities themselves, periodic shocks such as war, famine, extreme economic distress, and climate shifts stress even the best managed urban settlements and regions. Currently we see mass migrations from war zones in the Middle East. In a rapidly changing world due in part to a cascading mix of environmental and human conditions, it is reasonable to assume mass migrations and related dislocations are likely to increase in frequency and magnitude.
How should cities, regions, and their societies cope with the sudden rush of people? What is urban resiliency in the face of sudden and dramatic change? How should or could cities (re)structure themselves to accommodate unexpected pressures? How can technology help in the creation of supportive infrastructure? Are there ways to realign current social systems, economies, and the productive patterns of cities to accommodate such pressures? Finally, are there urban form and spatial approaches that would help?
This seminar class will be a shared discovery into the above concerns. Students will do extensive reading, participate in active class discussions, and present the results of their personal inquiries in an interactive format.