Lunch Lecture series Digital Urbanism

On the 20th and 27th of April the Polis Lectures comity organized two lunch lectures in the series ‘Digital Urbanism’.

As Urbanism students we see an emerging use of digital, experimental instruments for research, design and planning of cities. Although people have been developing urban simulation and computer aided design instruments for decades, these methods and tools are still hardly applied in our education. That is why we invited Frank Werner (KCAP) and Ekim Tan (TU Delft/INTI) to present their experience in this field.

Frank Werner presented his project ‘Kaisersrot’. First he introduced us to the concept of parametric design i.e. the process of choosing appropriate parameters for a design problem and setting up the model definition that then can be used to explore the solution space (Gane 2004).

He showed us how, by definition of several parameters in simulation software a basic urban ground plan was constructed. Lastly he presented how this method was brought into practice in the newly build neighbourhood Schuytgraaf (Arnhem, the Netherlands). Frank Werner: “This parametric design, geometric elements (of CAD Models) are connected with parameters (usually out of a database). By changing the parameters, design changes can be performed much faster than by redrawing by hand. Furthermore, interaction between multiple complex parameters can be objectified and tested in the design.” Central in Ekim Tan’s presentation was the concept of the ‘self-organizing city’. She presented simulation games as a means to facilitate self-organization. She showed research on how the interaction between stakeholders can be simulated in these games. Furthermore she illustrated the application of simulation games in several urban development projects. Lastly she emphasized the importance of interaction between all stakeholders, including inhabitants and the role that social media play in the current revival of bottom-up planning.

One of the main conclusions from both presentations was that the traditional role of the urban designer will change. This role will increasingly be setting the relevant design parameters and describing the rules for interaction rather than delivering detailed designs. So we should stop modelling buildings and start modelling relations.

After the summer holiday, Polis will organize more inspiring lectures by people from both the academic world and the urban planning and design practice. We are looking for new members of the Lecture Comity. If you are interested in organizing lectures, have ideas for lectures or topics that you think are relevant, please contact us at lectures [at] polistudelft.nl.

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Further readings:

Alexander, C., Neis, H. & Anninou, A., 1987. A New theory of urban design, Oxford University Press.

  • Landa, M.D., 1997. A thousand years of nonlinear history, Zone Books.
  • Portugali, J., 2000. Self-organization and the city, Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer.
  • Stolk, E. & te Brömmelstroet, M., 2009. Model town : using urban simulation in new town planning, Amsterdam: SUN.

http://www.kaisersrot.com/

http://www.kcap.eu/en/projects/v/kaisersrot/

http://www.theresponsivecity.org/

http://www.facebook.com/theresponsivecity.org?ref=ts&sk=wall<

http://www.giveaminute.info/

http://www.verbeterdebuurt.nl/