ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF URBAN AND REGIONAL SYSTEMS

Course objectives

The main goal of this course is to deepen the knowledge of urban and regional systems conceived as a complex superimposition/intersection of relationships, places, actors and processes. The course focuses on some analytical methodologies and techniques that are able to investigate the diverse environmental dimensions and their connections: natural, morphological, social, economical and political dimensions. 1. Knowledge and understanding: the knowledge and the deep comprehension of the territory (intended as the long-term historical outcome of the relationship between man and environment) represent the necessary occasion that would allow students to consciously and reflectively apply methods and analytical tools in the field of urban and regional planning. 2. Applying knowledge and understanding: students will learn how to apply the the acquired knowledge and skills in a competent and reflective way in order to address the complexity of urban and regional analysis. This capability will be performed in an experimental application of specific analytical methodologies in a series of case studies connected with the phenomenon of urban agriculture. These case study represent important occasion to develop research practices and territorial production (qualitative and quantitative). 3. Making judgements: the experimental application (territorial immersive research practices) will allow students to work in groups, putting theory and practice together, to stimulate autonomous judgment skill and to formulate final evaluations on the themes of their applicative work. 4. Communication skills: The learning collaborative practices are also aimed at stimulating communicative skills, both in relation with the territorial subjects (specialists and non specialists) involved in their field work and in the presentation of results of their researches. 5. Learning skills: students will develop transversal (theory and practice) and interdisciplinary learning skills that will help them to consciously use tools of urban and regional analysis

Channel 1
GIOVANNI ATTILI Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
The aim of the course is to deepen the knowledge of urban and territorial systems, understood as a complex overlap-intersection of relationships, places, actors and processes. To pursue this objective, we will try to focus on some methods and techniques of analysis capable of restoring the different dimensions of the environment and their interconnections: natural components, morphological, social, economic and political dimensions. Specifically, students will be able to: read the urban planning instruments (Plan - General in its cartographic and regulatory components); produce territorial context analyzes (urban functions, infrastructures, accessibility, public spaces); develop soil suitability analyzes (McHargh technique); build in-depth knowledge of socio-environmental practices (through the selection of case studies related to the phenomenon of urban agriculture). The main analytical and representational techniques that are involved in these analyzes try to overcome the dualism between quantitative-cartographic investigative approaches (mappings and statistical analyses) and qualitative readings of the city and the territory (qualitative and semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, structured discussion techniques, microplanning, planning for real, direct observation techniques and participant observation) with the aim of overcoming specialisms and the hyper-fragmentation of knowledge. The theoretical contents of the course will be the subject of an application experimentation within the Roman territorial context. Seminars are also planned, possibly open to external teaching contributions.
Prerequisites
no prerequisite requested
Books
for the student who attend the course: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3grcwsxy60v98ou/AABZ7DFuxtkjTRZW7XwJLPhba?dl=0 (section a) for the student who don't attend the course: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3grcwsxy60v98ou/AABZ7DFuxtkjTRZW7XwJLPhba?dl=0 (section a + section b)
Frequency
The class attendance is not mandatory in order to welcome the exigencies of working students and, in general, of those students who cannot directly participate. Nevertheless the class attendance is highly recommended in order to gain formative advantages due to the strict interaction with the professor and due to the possibility of accessing the applicative research part of the class rooted on the analysis of urban agricolture: fundamental dimensions aimed at favoring a proper comprehension of the course contents. The program is therefore different for those who attend the class and for those who don’t. For those students who attend the class, please refer to the explanation of the structure of the course, as previously outlined: frontal lessons and applied research on the urban agricolture phenomenon. The students who decide not to attend the class will not be able to be part of the applied research . Therefore, in order to rebalance to didactic load, they will have a more extend theoretical part to study (as outlined in the “adopted text” section)
Exam mode
Students who attend the class will be evaluated through intermediate tests in itinere as far as the verification of knowledge and capability of comprehension of the theoretical contents of the course is concerned. The final evaluation will also consider the conceptual maps built by the students and the result of the groups research works that students have to develop in the territory. The last evaluation is aimed at verifying the capability of applying knowledge; the autonomous judgment skill and the capability of a critical attitude; the acquired communicative skills. Students who don’t attend the class will be evaluated through oral exams in order to evaluate: knowledge and capability of comprehension of the theoretical contents of the course; capability of applying knowledge; the autonomous judgment skill and the capability of a critical attitude; the acquired communicative skills.
Bibliography
Attili G. (2008), Rappresentare la città dei migranti. Storie di vita e pianificazione urbana, Jaca Book, Milano Steiner F. (1994), Costruire il paesaggio, McGraw-Hill Libri Italia, Milano Ferraro G. (1991), La città nell’incertezza e la retorica del piano, Franco Angeli, Milano Choay F. (1973), La città, utopia e realtà, Einaudi paperbacks, Torino Farinelli F., (1992), I segni del mondo. La Nuova Italia Editrice, Firenze Lynch K. (1985), L'immagine della città, Marsilio, Venezia Magnaghi A. (2001), Rappresentare i luoghi, metodi e tecniche, Alinea, Firenze
Lesson mode
The class will be developed through frontal lessons, moments of inclusive conversation and collective in-class work on the case-study.
  • Lesson code1020900
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseEnvironmental Engineering
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year3rd year
  • Semester2nd semester
  • SSDICAR/20
  • CFU6