Wednesday, April 10, 2013


INTRODUCTION
THE LABORATORY APPROACH TO BUILT ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION.
The project URBAN LAB+ is an initiation to set the interactive platform for various educational institutes who are involved in higher education in urban studies. The URBAN LAB+ is involved eight partners with TU BERLIN (Technische Universitat, Berlin, Germany) as host and coordinator for the entire project.

The Larger interest of URBAN LAB+ is to promote higher education, improve services of international students & strengthening relation among the institutes across the world. The partners of the URBAN LAB+ are as follows:

-        Technische Universitat, Berlin, Germany (TU)
-        University College, London, UK
-        Ecole Ploytechnique Federale De Lausanne, Switzerland.
-        Universita Della Calabria, Italy
-        Pontificia Universidad Catolica De Chile.
-        University of The Witwatersrand, South Arfrica
-        Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture & Env. Studies, Mumbai, India
-        The Chinese University of Honkong.

The contact persons are from TU Berlin entire coordination of the project for next three years:
Dr. Ing. Daniela Konard
Johannes Novy
Dr. Ing. Paola Alfaro d’Alencon.
(Email Contact: urbanlabplus@architektur.tu-berlin.de)

THREE DAYS SYMPOSIUM HAD THREE COMPONENTS AS FOLLOWS:

21/03/2013
Urban Lab 210313: 9.40am
SESSION I:  INTRODUCTION TO URBAN LAB+  
SPEAKER: Dr. Ing. Paola Alfaro d’Alencon.

URBAN INCLUSION

It began with emphasize on process of urban dynamics of our cities that needs clear planning strategies for future projection that may have impact of our daily life. It needs to be articulated through dialogue that needs to be synchronized among universities across the section for global learning. The speaker invited the international partners and elaborated the subject of international urban issues which requires collaborative research
Intellectual and disciplinary resources & how URBAN LAB+ can facilitate the entire process with in collaboration with EU.

The speaker further enhanced on the larger theme of the URBAN LAB+ as being “URBAN INCLUSION” where various sub themes can be discussed with respect to context specificity. The reason being that city is our larger objective and issues are diverse, complementing or contradicting which needs to address through the areas of interest as per the partner institute strength.

The broader areas are as follows:
Social Inclusion
Topological Objective vs. Pedagogical Objective
Right Answer vs Addressing Right Issues.

SESSION II PARTNER INSTITUTES: CHAIR PERSON: PROF. UWE-JENS WALTHER

The Second session invited the partner institute to present & share the academic and research areas as a larger pedagogic intent & how it can aid to the process of inquiry on URBAN LAB+ theme on “URBAN INCLUSION”

-        The Chinese University of Hon Kong.: Emphasized the contested space versus designated space within the city of Hon Kong
-        Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture & Env. Studies, Mumbai, India: Presented the case of city of Mumbai as global city dealing with challenges that are at various scales & imaginations.
-        University of The Witwatersrand, South Africa: Elaborated the social exclusion and economic aspects, Housing and informality, Urban Politics and Governance, Sustainability related issues within the city of Johannesburg.
-        Pontificia Universidad Catolica De Chile: Discussed the planning and urban management, Competitiveness, uneven development, segregation and climate change and its impact on our cities.
-        Universita Della Calabria, Italy: Elaborated the issues of Mega Region, Shrinking Phenomenon, Urban Sprawl, Megalopolis & Urban Geographies & Regional Exclusion.
-        Ecole Ploytechnique Federale De Lausanne, Switzerland. Emphasized on Periodicity and dual polarity Phenomena through ecological concern of sea level rising and desertificatin
-        University College, London, UK: Emphasized on Creative Urban Thinking, teaching, research and practice. The strategies for pedagogic intent are: Cross & Inter Disciplinarity, Public Collaboration & Participatory Approach, Experimentation & internationalization. The areas of activity are, Housing, Ecology, Change and Crisis, Data and Place.

-        Technische Universitat, Berlin, Germany (TU): Presented the ephemeral structure,
The Case of need to establishing integrating project work with master student in architecture, Urban Design, City & Regional Planning. The need for Case Study based and action oriented urban teaching method. The teaching method needs to test the innovative forms and method through application of media and technology.


PROF. UWE-JENS WALTHER in his concluding speech summarized the partner institute concerns with remarks on strength that each institute can bring it to the URBAN LAB+ forum.

-        He acknowledged the KRVIA concern and effort on academic intent through the city as laboratory.

-        The University of The Witwatersrand stand on social phenomena where city as lab for urban sociological studies and reality for information, approach to reality

-        Universidad Catolica De Chile case of urban research enlarges the scope of city as regional question

-        Universita Della Calabria concerns with setting: complexity n irreducibility is challenging our cities

-        Ecole Ploytechnique Federale De Lausanne on ecological concerns

-        University College on Urban Thinking

He stressed on the work Lab as being scientific terminology which brings the object and dissects for analysis while plus is unlike box approach to natural science is interactive, investigates the new method of documentation of city experience. It strives to break away from mummy of natural science boxed in approach.

In his concluding remark he elaborated the issues of boundary trespassing unquestioned enthusiasm of either or approach, as urban question. The question of production & dissemination of knowledge is larger concern to URBAN LAB+. It further metaphorises the experimentation n test approaches as really cannot be simulated. The URBAN LAB+ is thinking platform about the urban inclusion, cross disciplinary concessions & phenomena and  experimentation which are beyond the scope of scientific gloss.






SESSION III: INTERNAL WORK SESSION:
URBAN LAB+: PARTNERS ROLES, RESPONSIBLITIES, EXPECTATION, QUESTION

The session elaborated the cluster configuration and need to identify and dismantle variables to understand dynamic, method of communication, dissemination process, website and publication as a tool to build knowledge structure, which in return can facilitate to strengthening relation, improve services of international students, Larger interest is to promote higher education.

EXPAECTATIONS: Enumerated Topics by Partners Inst.
Comparative Research
Commong Issues among the Urban Labs
Experimental Teaching Methods
Develop Short Terms Initiatives
Exchange Knowledge
Site Specificity (Contextualism)
Contemporary Urban Conceptions
Integrate  Stake Holders
Compendum Urban Lab Methodology
Building Long Term Research Partnership
Research Exchange Potential
Addressing International Research Potenti
“Urban Inclusion” Specific Issues
Reseach & Practice Integration
Production of Knowledge
Intsitutinalize Framework for Research Partnership
Channels for Communication
Beyond Cluster Work


.
SESSION IV: LECTURE BY PROF. UWE-JENS WALTHER
URBAN INCLUSION: POTENTIAL N PITFALL

He discussed the the plural of discourses on urbanism  resulting into phenomena of  tower of bable syndrome as very often the issues regareding “INCLUSION” are not specific to context and urged for the issue based research on inclusion rather than generic conceptual framework.

The Potential of generic coneptul framework has to deal with the issue agreement on perspectives of various contexts specific ideas that perhaps can result in unity in variety. This attitude may result in addressing the “Urban Inclusion” on longer time period. He further stressed on mapping the variey of disciplinn perspectives which makes the inclusion phenomena more comprehensive and wil able to break the boundaries.
Social economics exclusion, inequality.
In the concluding note he called for partener institute to enumerate issues that are context specfic to their region. He shortlisted the issues that URBAN LAB+ may have to deal with for next three years.

INCLUSION ISSUES
Housing market
Race and Ethnicity
Urban Context and Area Effect
Class Difference or Physical or Symbolic Barrier
Geography.
Legal Right
Age/ Abilities
Caste/ Religion & Food Habits
Accebility


22/03/2013
DAY 2
SESSION I:  INTRODUCTION TO URBAN LAB+  
The second day first sesssion was spent on half a day boat tour highlighting the dynamics of water edge reponses of City of Berlin over the period of last few decades. The water edge delienated the various attitude in response which can be categorises as follows;

-        Administrative Corridor
-        Cultural Corridor
-        Economic Corridor
(Note: Visuals are available in KRIVA Library)

SESSION II: LECTURE BY DR. REGINE SHONENERG F.U
ACADEMIC AND PRACTICE DIALOGUE

She discussed the idea of knowledge as a basic unit to bring two premises of “academic & Practice” together. She primarily described knowledge as context based and specific and such context based knowledge needs identification of “Knowledege Communities”. She elaborated the point that community produces their own knowledge and their own set of rules of dissemination. The issue that may perhaps divides the nature of academic vs. practics lies within the rules and cannons that operates dissemination. She called for commission of knowledge and building larger community of knowledge.





HISTORY AND INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT
Division of knowledge is hint to possible need of cooperation
Practical knowledge produced in political and administrative context
Interface between aims of academic and practice
Dialogue across border of knowledge communities
Information on power structure
Method to deal with power factor. 

COMMUNICATING KNOWLEDGE
Kind of knowledge to exchange
Common interest
Common question

SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND POWER
Create New Knowledge Communities
New Practice of Knowledge Exchange
Respect Context of Knowledge
Academic world and power
Construct frames for dialogue
Learn other perspectives



SESSION III: CLUSTER THEME CONCEPTS

 
 

             
SWITZERLAND
 
CHILE
 
MUMBAI
 
HONG KONG
 
SOUTH AFRICA
 
 

                                                                                                                                         
Urban Reversion
High Density
Social Vulnerability
Region: Valparaiso.
 
Accentuated Fragmentation
Local Identity
Public Space
Informal Housing
 
Typology delivery system & mechanism
Perspective on class & economic inclusion.


 
Inclusion exclusion
Informal, housing, transport system,
Urban village, public housing,

 
Articulate global phenomena.
Compare cultural specifics
The space of urban culture
Language of spatial articulation
Distill spatial knowledge

 
                                                                                                                                         

                                   










INCLUSION NAVIGATES THROUGH INTERNATIONALISM AND GLOBAL PRACTICE AMOUNTING TO PROMOTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

 
 




SESSION IV: LECTURE: JENIFER ROBINSON
COMPARATIVE URBANISM

She began with the problematrizing the existing comparative methods as being parochial theory driven dwells on scientific structure of explanation and research methods. It excludes the diverse contexts considerations.

The methodlogical reseach need to qualify the phenomena of Cities Now that challenge the global urbanism and work towards the “Refitting Comparativism”. She called for thinking about cities through elsewhere and understand outcomes by composing/ following analytical constellations/ proximities across diverse to particual urbanism.

Urban Studies as Research Question.

PARTICUAL URBANISM RELEVANCE:
Why Compare Differnet Cities?
Growing Post Colonial Critique
Globalizing Processes
International Urban Policy Circuit
Relevance of 20 Century Urbanism
Urban Growth are expected outside the West Domain

PROCESS
City is Stereotypical: Generic: Present State of Urbanism
Archetypical: Present State Through its Extremity
Prototypical: Future of Urbanism due to trend setting character

Practice is Theorizing
Locating Urban
Theorizing Urban society Global Totality
Multiplicity of Co Existing Temporalities and Spatialities
"The Urban Now"

"EMBEDEDNESS IN MULTIPLE ELSEWHERE"










22/03/2013
DAY 2
SESSION I: Cluster Meeting General Discussion.

The last day first session revolved around the individual cluster meeting and working out the nature of cluster meeting and its relatin to the studio of host insitute and guest insitutes.

The KRVIA cluster is expected to happen between 20th November to 7th December depending on the suitability of partner insitute semseter schedule. The cluster meeting shall have case studies/ site visits/ workshop and susequent carryforward into a studio assignment.

-        KRVIA. MUMBAI INDIA
-        EPFL: Ecole Ploytechnique Federale De Lausanne, Switzerland.
-        UCAL: Universita Della Calabria, Italy

SESSION II ISSUES RELATED TO URBAN INCLUSION IN GENERAL WERE DISCUSSED AS FOLLOWS:  CHAIR PERSON: PROF. UWE-JENS WALTHER

FROM INCLUSION TO GLOBAL.

LABORATORY APPROACH
Need for Wider Approach
Reflections on cultural specificity.  North-south dialogue
Method of Communication
Dissectiono of Disciplinary Boundaries


PRACTICE CRITERIA
Knowledge Community
Mapping Development + Group work
Dissemination
Inclusion- Cluster Workshop- Answer for Higher Education-Symposium










CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF THREE CLUSTER MEETINGS
(PROF. UWE-JENS WALTHER)

CLUSTER I                                         CLUSTER II                                        CLUSTER III
 





SESSION III

The group site visits to various Housing schemes was carried out with post graduate students of TU Berlin. The various issues of inclusio and exclusion were enumerated through live example of housing gentrification & transformation that Berlin has witnessed during post-war & post – unification period.


NOTE: This report is prepared by KRVIA Faculty & HOD (UD): Prof: Manoj Parmar:             email: hod.ud@ krvia.ac.in

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