Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Urban Design III
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English
Teaching staff
Personal support (tutoring and doubt resolution) outside class hours will be arranged with the interested student upon request via email and can be conducted in person or online.
Introduction
MANDATORY
4th YEAR
2nd SEMESTER
6 ECTS
Urbanism 3 provides the conceptual and methodological foundations for developing the metropolitan urban project. It addresses large-scale and complex urban transformations in peripheral urban environments adjacent to the central city, intersecting with natural systems and connected to regional mobility infrastructures. The course expands the definition of the traditional compact city and tackles the challenges of regenerating the contemporary city-territory (transformation of obsolete industrial areas and urban roads, recovery of riverfronts, etc.). Urbanism 3 builds upon the urban design methodology learned in the previous two urbanism courses (iterative sequence of thematic and synthetic analyses, proposal of a model and general structure project, and strategic micro-projects) with a broader range of scales and a more rigorous synthesis effort. The course enriches the repertoire of urban formats (industrial zones and logistics spaces, tertiary use areas—offices, commercial and leisure spaces, etc.), mobility infrastructures (highways and urban roads), and green spaces (peri-urban green areas, agricultural parks, river parks).
Instructors: Álvaro Cuéllar, Pere Vall
Pre-course requirements
Students must have passed Urbanism 2 to enroll in this course.
Objectives
- Deepen the concepts, instruments, and methods for urban design in compact cities introduced in Urbanism 2.
- Provide the concepts, instruments, and methods for metropolitan urban design, with special emphasis on sustainability and urban health.
- Introduce knowledge of transformations in contemporary urban regions through emblematic reference cases.
- Train in the structural interpretation of the city and territory through the iterative sequence of thematic and synthetic analyses at scales from 1:50,000 to 1:5,000.
- Train in defining the urban-territorial transformation model at 1:5,000 and the urban structure project at 1:2,000.
- Train in defining strategic micro-projects with metropolitan impact at scales from 1:1,000 to 1:500.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 35-T - Ability to conceive, put into practice and develop urban projects
- 37 - Ability to develop functional programmes for buildings and urban spaces.
- 42 - Ability to catalogue buildings and urban heritage and plan their protection.
- 45-T - Ability to design and execute roads and urban development, gardening and landscaping projects
- 46 - Ability to apply urban planning ordinances and standards.
- 47-T - Ability to prepare environmental and landscaping surveys and plans to correct environmental impacts.
- 51 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the study methods of social needs, quality of life, habitability and basic housing programmes
- 52 - To acquire adequate knowlege of the environment, sustainability and the principles of conserving energy and environmental resources.
- 53 - To acquire adequate knowledge of architectural, urban development and landscaping traditions of Western culture, as well as their technical, climate, economic, social and ideological foundations
- 55 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the relationship between cultural patterns and the social responsibilities of the architect
- 57 - To acquire adequate knowledge of urban sociology, theory, economy and history.
- 58 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the methodological principles of urban planning and metropolitan and regional development.
- 59 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the mechanisms of preparing and managing urban development plans on any scale.
- 60 - To acquire knowledge of civil, administrative, urban planning, building and professional regulations.
- 61 - To acquire knowledge of feasibility analysis, supervision and coordination of integrated projects.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Upon completing this course, students will be able to:
- Apply concepts, tools, and methods for metropolitan urban design.
- Reflect on large-scale contemporary urban transformations and select appropriate intervention strategies.
- Interpret the structure of the city and territory, analyzing with intentional insight and synthesis across scales from 1:50,000 to 1:5,000.
- Define urban transformation models at a 1:5,000 scale and urban structure projects at a 1:2,000 scale.
- Develop strategic micro-projects with metropolitan impact at 1:1,000 scale in plan and 1:500 in section.
Syllabus
- Introduction to Metropolitan Urban Design: 1) Conceptual framework: sustainable and healthy city-territory, green infrastructure; 2) Challenges: transformation of obsolete industrial areas, urban highways, riverfronts, etc.; 3) Design methodology through case studies.
- Form: 1) Conceptual framework: metropolitan territoriality, morphogenesis, territorial identity; 2) Keys to representing the city and territory: scale, graphic code, types of documentation (thematic and synthetic cartography); 3) Guidelines for producing synthetic cartography, with reference examples.
- Substrate: 1) Conceptual framework: incremental-organic growth from agrarian matrix vs. exponential-disruptive growth, substrate, pre-urban patterns, and reintegration; 2) The role of the substrate (pre-urban patterns) in urban regeneration (design of civic matrices and micro-projects), with reference examples.
- Structure: 1) Conceptual framework: structure project (combination of systems and rules in an open process); 2) The Amsterdam case (AUP Amsterdam 1934, Van Eesteren): understanding the substrate, proposing a model, structure project, combination of elements.
- Green Space and Ecological Matrix: 1) Conceptual framework: ecological matrix of the landscape; 2) New types: agricultural parks, urban gardens, green spaces associated with mobility infrastructures, blue spaces (urban rivers, waterfronts, etc.), urban green corridors; 3) Design strategies through case studies.
- Road Space and Sustainable Mobility: 1) Conceptual framework: retrospective view of urban design associated with infrastructure, metropolitan avenue (intensity and mix of uses, public transport, and active mobility); 2) Analysis and design methodology (understanding topography, identifying sections, cross relationships, nodes and intersections, urban space design) through case studies.
- Metropolitan Centralities: 1) Conceptual framework: balancing global dynamics with local needs and values, new urbanity with traditional urban recipes (density, diversity, continuity); 2) Design methodology (strategic value of the site, accessibility and project scales, formal and functional organization, creation of collective spaces) through case studies.
- Healthy and Sustainable Urban Form: 1) Conceptual framework: environmental, social, and productive determinants of sustainable urban form; 2) Urban design patterns (street and park, street and infrastructure, urban corners, blocks, islands and superblocks, perimeter and inner courtyard, party wall and square, party wall and passage, inner square) through case studies.
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The teaching of Urbanism 3 is conducted in a continuous workshop format that integrates theoretical and practical learning. The workshop is divided into two parts.
Theoretical Workshop: Aims to provide conceptual frameworks, reference models, and instrumental bases for developing the metropolitan urban project in the Practical Workshop. It includes an analysis exercise where each student selects and examines an urban intervention related to the topics of "healthy city," and "sustainable city." The information for each intervention is synthesized into A3 format.
Practical Workshop: Aims to train students in the practice of metropolitan urban projects across various scales through three work phases, the first two in groups and the last individually:
1. Purposeful Analysis Oriented Towards Proposal at Scales 1:50,000 – 1:5,000
- Physical Support: existing relief and hydrographic system.
- Heritage Elements.
- Productive Activities (manufacturing, logistics, commerce, offices, and services).
- Facilities.
- Housing: residential grids and fronts.
- Open Space: public land (parks, squares, and civic axes) and private land (abandoned, under transformation).
- Infrastructures: road network, public transport network, bicycle lanes.
- Discontinuities and Breaks.
- Opportunity Areas.
- Perception and Social Use.
2. Definition of Transformation Model at Scale 1:5,000 and General Structure Project at Scale 1:2,000
- Hierarchy and characterization of the mobility network for vehicles and pedestrians (roads with public transport and soft mobility—bicycles, scooters, etc.).
- Establishment of a clear and continuous system of proximate open spaces (civic ways, squares, and parks), accessible within 300 meters on foot via pedestrian routes. This system should be connected to facilities and daily-use shops, facilitating physical activity and community gardening.
- Replacement of obsolete productive activities with new ones compatible with residential use and that stimulate the local economy.
- Placement of diverse social housing types reinforcing urban nodes and axes. The housing layout should ensure the necessary usage intensity and perceived safety of open spaces.
- Identification of opportunity areas for transformation (embedded historical heritage elements, obsolete productive units, abandoned open spaces, parking platforms, etc.).
3. Micro-Project in Plan at Scale 1:1,000 – 1:500, with Cross-Sections at Scale 1:500 – 1:250 and Volumetry
Detailed definition of the program and morphological characteristics of the micro-project in plan, elevation, section, and volumetry. Proposal definition in coherence with the general structure project and relationships with previously identified urban and territorial structure elements. Planning of execution phases, quantification of urban operations (occupation, floor area), and assessment of feasibility (balance of costs and benefits).
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | COMPETENCES | ECTS CREDITS |
|---|---|---|
| Class exhibition | 35-T 37 42 45-T 46 47-T 51 52 53 54 57 58 59 60 61 | 0,73 |
| Class participation | 35-T 37 42 45-T 46 47-T 51 52 53 54 57 58 59 60 61 | 0,73 |
| Clase practice | 35-T 37 42 45-T 46 47-T 51 52 53 54 57 58 59 60 61 | 0,73 |
| Tutorials | 34-T 37 42 45-T 46 47-T 51 52 53 54 57 58 59 60 61 | 0,82 |
| Individual or group study | 35-T 37 42 45-T 46 47-T 51 52 53 54 57 58 59 60 61 | 3 |
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
Continuous assessment will be conducted, with mandatory class attendance and weekly reviews. In the Practical Workshop, beyond the quality of the submitted graphic documentation, the ability to communicate work succinctly and orderly, as well as the deliberate application of learnings from the Theoretical Workshop (concepts, models, strategies), will be evaluated.
The final grade will be determined based on two components: 1) Submissions from the Practical Workshop (two partial submissions and one final submission); 2) Closed-book Theoretical Exam. The Practical Workshop submissions and the Theoretical Exam will account for 80% and 20% of the final course grade, respectively.
Minimum conditions to pass the course are: 1) Passing the Practical Workshop, 2) Passing the Theoretical Exam. Each component will be evaluated separately and must be passed independently. Late submissions of documentation will not be accepted under any circumstances. Absences must always be justified and must not exceed 15% of the total class hours. Failure to meet these conditions will result in the student being unable to continue the course.
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