Estrategia y urbanismo

Urbanism is about much more than design, think about strategy, working and living processes and dealing wit a variety of stakeholders. For the Academys of Art of Amsterdam and Tilburg we organised lectures about these themes to broaden the knowledge and way of thinking of students. Economy, strategy and stakeholders are vague for students in urbanism and architecture, but they experience daily the economic situation, the behaviour of stakeholders during decision processes or why projects don’t continue. We lecture about these topics and invite many other people to speak to hear as many different voices as possible.

2014 and 2015: Urbanism and economy: MA+U Tilburg

During 7 evening lectures we discussed the existence of money, the role of money in the past and current situation and the way it affects our daily work and alternative models. Continuously we showed how our profession is affected by financial systems in a positive and negative way. Most students didn’t have a clue who owns our money or where money comes from, that rising housing prices are positive for banks, municipality and government but makes people loan more and dependable of systems. We also showed urban designs that deal with these topics and showed for example our projects about the Creating class (crafts and skills), Energetic City (alternative economy) and why offices are vacant.

In 2015 we led a design studio about new economy as a follow up of these lectures. Students did a theoretical research ans applied their knowledge into a design for a former industrial town.

2013 and 2012: Urbanism and economy: MA+U Tilburg

We organized for the Academy of Arts of Tilburg a lecture series about urban planning and economy. The aim is to broaden the knowledge and way of thinking of the students

Lecture 1: URBANOS about Urbanism and economy at national, regional and building level
Lecture 2: Martijn Jeroen van der Linden about the past and future of economy
Lecture 3: Concire, Annemieke van Doorn about social innovation
Lecture 4: Arcadis, Arie Voorburg about social and economic values
Lecture 5: Corio, Lara Muller CSR about malls

In 2013 most of these lectures spoke again.

2012 en 2013The Academy of Architecture (School of Arts Amsterdam)

asked us to organize a series of lectures about strategy.

Students have to experience and discuss what could be their role as designer in the process. We invited people from different disciplines to discuss how they make decisions during the development process of a building or area and students reflect on this. If students understand how other stakeholders think and act they can adjust their way of working to support the decision process. Or they can rethink if designer is the only role; they also could be initiator, developer, trainer, etc.

2013
Lecture 1: URBANOS; Camila Pinzon about strategy
Lecture 2: Frantzen et al; Tom Frantzen about the architect as entrepreneur
Lecture 3: Triodos bank; Guus Berkhout about investment
Lecture 4: OGA Amsterdam, Michiel Bosman about the transformation of Sloterdijk
Lecture 5: TROM, Andre van Stigt about cooperative area development
Lecture 6: Winters&co; Anja Winters about the role of citizens
Lecture 7: Wij krijgen Kippen, Pauline Westendorp about initiatives by citizens

2012
Lecture 1: Our approach and the transformation of Bogotá
Lecture 2: Arie Voorburg (Arcadis) about values in Rotterdam-South.
Lecture 3: Harro de Jong; designer as initiator.
Lecture 4: Coert Zachariasse (Delta Development) about the first cradle-to-cradle business area “Park 2020”
Lecture 5: Hans Karssenberg (Stipo); about lively streets
Lecture 6: Anja Winters (Winters&co); about initiatives in the neighbourhood
Lecture 7: Coosje Brijker en Albert Ravesteijn (Stadgenoot); the development of Solids