CHAIR OF ARCHITECTURE
AND URBAN DESIGN —
PROF. KEES CHRISTIAANSE

ARCHIVE

LECTURES 3RD COURSE YEAR

URBAN MANUFACTURING / MANUFACTURING THE URBAN II

Until the 1960ies when Jane Jacobs well recognized the creative capacity of citizen to facilitate urban renewal mechanisms, practically no one was yet aware of the potentials of this bottom-up urbanization. 40 years later the American economist Richard Florida attracted much attention with his concept of the “creative class” being a driving force of 21st century urban development. However, his thesis was dedicated to the economic potentials of the “creative class”, rather than its capacity to improve the quality of urban space.

Today, policy and planning is realizing the potential of creative professionals and other actors for the upgrading and renewal processes of urban neighborhoods. In the meantime some cities do not only actively allure creative professionals to strengthen the creative industries, but also integrate them in the upgrading of abandoned buildings and desolate quarters. Yet it is debated, whether such interventions can be considered sustainable. Critics argue that these strategies tend to exploit the creative milieu for political or commercial purposes, accelerate urban gentrification processes and are eventually disadvantageous for both the city and the creative milieu itself.

The second part of the lecture series „Urban Manufacturing/Manufacturing the Urban“ attempts to take on these questions. For this purpose the chair Kees Christiaanse has invited international architects, planners and decision-makers, who will talk about their experiences in integrating creative milieus in urban planning projects. In addition they will give insight into initial pilot-projects and discuss potentials and risks of their strategies.

Link to the Reader: Reader

Lecture hall and time

HIL E1

Thursdays, 10:00 to 12:00 am

Dates and lecturers