Seminar meetings will be based on student group presentations, in-class discussions and the lectures part of the forum. Two assignments are part of the class load.
Assignment 1: Lecture Report
A. Group pre-presentation: In groups, students will select and present on one of the below CDD Forum lectures. This report should cover material representing the urban designer’s work or literature related to that lecturer’s approach to urban design. Posted readings are required for all students on the days that material will be reviewed. Group presentations will cover posted material and additional materials added by the group of students.
Presentations should be between 45 and 60 minutes long. Each presentation should contain around 40 to 60 slides. The primary goal is to create a theoretical context to complement the professional lecture. Group presentations should also serve as preparation or as a follow-up of the lecture to aid in the completion of the Urban Design Idea / Project.
CDD Forum Lecture Schedule
| LEC # | SPEAKERS | TOPICS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nina Rappaport | Vertical Urban Factory |
| 2 | Byran Bell | SEED Network |
| 3 | Alejandro Echeverri | Social Urbanism |
| 4 | Chelina Odbert | Kounkuey Design Initiative |
| 5 | Teddy Cruz and Fonna Forman | Informal Market Worlds |
B. Individual Report: After the lecture, each member of the group that presented on the practitioner should revise the presentation in the form of a report, which should be roughly 2,000-words (approximately 5 pages). Reports must be individual write-ups (one per student). This report will focus on the reflections of the student alongside the lecture material.
Assignment 2: Urban Design Idea / Project and Final Presentations
Based on the central theme of the CDD Forum lectures, students will develop an urban design idea or project. This idea / project will explore one of the topics presented during the class.
The following are some ideas for possible themes. Students are also free to develop their own idea with previous consultation with the instructor. Identity and obtain approval for your idea / project by Seminar 5.
- Actors of social urban design
- Frameworks of intervention
- Collective urban design
- Infrastructure
- New technological approaches
- Housing development
- Mapping and designing growth
- Historical development
- Public vs. private practice
- Public space
- Resilience
- Sustainability
Ideas Workshops
The Ideas Workshops taking place on Seminars 5 and 8 will serve as a space for students to present their ideas and obtain feedback for the in-class Urban Design Project final presentations. Final presentations should be approximately 10 minutes long.
