The ESARQ has included the Forum 2012 subject in the curriculum once again this year to encourage debate and reflection on the reality of architecture. The main objective of the subject is for students and teachers to exchange knowledge, perspectives and contrasting opinions through a conference cycle featuring architects and industry professionals.

Architect Vicente Guallart opened the Forum 2012 conference cycle with a description of ten urban renewal projects Barcelona City Council is working on based on new technologies and communications.

Guallart started his speech with a short history of urban development in Barcelona. He said, "Urban planning is currently based on the Cerdà model, which lasted 150 years. But now we are starting a new cycle in which urban planning and the environment will converge. This period is expected to last 50 years".

The architect went on to say, "This new urban renewal is based on two key tools. new technologies and communications" with the chief aim of combining the best of "slow cities" and "smart  cities", i.e. "productive neighbourhoods working at human speeds in the context of a hyperconnected city".

Guallart ended his speech with a short summary of the ten new projects in Barcelona. He said, "In the next 80 years, Barcelona is expected to become a self-sufficient city able to produce food, thus making it an industrialized city".

The title of Forum 2012 this year is "Ways of Seeing: Theoretical Action Based on Regional Approaches" and is taught by Professors Jorge Vidal and Joan Vitòria. The aim is to show how different perspectives affect how architects work and operate. The professors want students to learn to see and discover how to find new ways of seeing in order to evolve harmoniously with the world around them.

The different sessions of debate and criticism will help the students interpret these and other questions and will open new pathways for discussion and reflection on their ability to see.