LABORATORIO DI PIANIFICAZIONE DEL TERRITORIO E DEL PAESAGGIO M - Z

Class activities aim at making students aware of the complexity of land and landscape, of the evolution of critical thinking related to them, and of the modes of intervention through the practical and conceptual tools of land use planning in connection with those of strategic planning. Within this general objective, students are expected in particular to develop the ability to envision regional and landscape transformations starting from existing spatial relationships.

The studio specifically aims at strengthening not only theoretical knowledge but also design skills and competencies, encouraging students to use both the conceptual and technical–practical tools of physical–spatial planning—stemming from the reformist period and the so-called “environmental turn” in planning—and those of integrated strategic process-based planning. To pursue these objectives, students will be guided to combine learning the use of GIS (Geographic Information Systems), an essential tool for acquiring, analyzing, evaluating, and cross-referencing georeferenced data, with regional and landscape design and co-design skills.

The goal is to enable students to acquire not only technical skills but also the cognitive-creative and reflective sensitivities needed by professionals involved in the complex processes of managing and designing contemporary territories and landscapes—through critical reflection on a practical experience.

The studio includes practical professional training activities supported by seminars and individual study. A significant part of the learning process in this course is based on the opportunity for each student to critically reflect on the effectiveness and quality of the work he/she has done—based on the studied materials (theoretical essays, manuals, case studies) and feedback gathered in class. Specifically, the course includes:

• Theoretical lessons and seminars, examining the evolution of the issues that territorial and landscape planning has tried to address from the post-war period until today. This includes understanding the reformist foundations of the discipline as well as the various value-based, regulatory, technical, and technological innovations that have profoundly changed its practical-professional aspects overtime. The objective is to familiarize with the variety of conceptual and technical tools in the planning field by understanding the specific objectives and possibilities tied to each tool, depending on the historical period and the issues they were originally designed to address. In this type of activity, lectures may be supplemented by self-learning seminars where students are asked to critically share the content of the assigned readings.
• Lab activities for carrying out a practical exercise, during which students will have the opportunity to once again apply the spatial investigation tools learned in previous years, combining them with fieldwork and study visits for both data collection and interaction with various stakeholders. The exercise aims to identify, within a specific study area, the main problematic aspects and the primary action strategies to address those issues. The class project will be carried out collaboratively by all the students in the class, but with a division of labor that will allow the instructor to identify and evaluate each student's individual contribution to the collective work. This contribution will be made through the completion of weekly assignments, each building on the previous one. During the practical activities, each student will be asked to work either individually or in groups, in class or in the field, and/or to share the results of their work with the rest of the class.

Class attendance is compulsory, according to university rules.

The Studio is structured into a theoretical module and a practical one. The combination of the two modules aims, through a practical approach grounded in critical–theoretical reflection, to provide knowledge of the main issues and the primary tools (conceptual and normative) through which regional planning and the paradigms of control, protection, and co-production of transformations of regions and landscapes are defined.

The program is organized, combining theory and practice, into six thematic blocks, each corresponding to a different phase in the evolution of the theory and practice of regional and landscape planning. Each phase is characterized by specific problems, conceptual tools, and analytical as well as planning techniques. Within this framework, the relationship between paradigms and tools for spatial development and those for the integrated protection of landscape and environmental assets will be examined in depth, particularly in relation to emerging issues of spatial risks and ecological transition. Special attention will be dedicated to the relationship between land use and strategic planning, with particular reference to disadvantaged areas and the most recent policies aimed at reducing territorial disparities, such as the National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI).

Block 1 – Genesis of the profession, for the control and construction of spatial identity
(Planning and the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century; planning during the Fascist regime; Laws 1089/1939, 1497/1939, 1150/1942; anti-urbanization law and the history of rural villages)

Block 2 – Reformist Planning and the problem of development
(The city–countryside relationship in post-war Italy; agrarian reform and the repeal of the Fascist anti-urbanization law; the Cassa per il Mezzogiorno, real estate speculation, and urbanization)

Block 3 – Environmental Planning and the problem of the limits of gowth
(The debate on the sustainability of territorial development in the 1970s–80s; the Galasso Law and the Cultural Heritage and Landscape Code; the urban ecological footprint; territories and landscapes shaped by illegal building; approaches to ecological planning of land and landscape; the European Landscape Convention; the European Virtual Landscape Observatory; landscape strategies and projects; ecosystem services)

Block 4 – The ‘process’ turn in planning
(The impacts on planning of institutional changes in the 1980s–90s; deregulation and the crisis of reformist planning; the shift from government to governance of territory and strategic planning; new roles for the private sector and new instruments of negotiated planning; Regional Law 19/2020)

Block 5 – New roles for civil society
(Spatial justice and equity in the 21st century; contemporary relevance of reformism, foundational economy, and policies to reduce territorial disparities; deliberative planning; co-productive planning; territory and landscape as common goods—pros and cons; ecomuseums; the National Strategy for Inner Areas)

Block 6 – Planning for resilience
(The debate on the Anthropocene and the emergence of planning for climate change adaptation; planning for degrowth; notes on civil/alternative/transformative territorial economy)

Course reader, provided by the instructors, made of excerpts from the following texts:

1.     AA. VV. (2019) Economia fondamentale. L’infrastruttura della vita quotidiana. Einaudi

2.     Arnstein, S. R.(1969) A Ladder Of Citizen Participation. In Journal of the American Planning Association, 35: 4, 216-224

3.     Chiodelli F. (2012) Gerusalemme contesa. Dimensioni urbane del conflitto. Carocci

4.     D’Angelo P. (2010), Filosofia del paesaggio, Quodlibet, Roma (cap. 1).

5.     Davoudi S. et al. (2013) Evolutionary Resilience and Strategies for Climate Adaptation, Planning Practice & Research, 28:3, 307-322

6.     Harvey D (2005) A Brief History of Neoliberalism. Oxford University Pres

7.     Innes J E (1996) Planning Through Consensus Building: A New View of the Comprehensive Planning Ideal, Journal of the American Planning Association, 62:4, 460-472

8.     Jakob M., Il paesaggio, il Mulino, Bologna, 2009

9.     LN 1089/39, LN 1497/39

10.  LN 1150/43

11.  LN 431/85

12.  LRS 19/20

13.  Lupatelli G. (2021), Fragili e antifragili. Territori, economie e istituzioni al tempo del coronavirus, Rubbettino.

14.  Magnaghi A., Il progetto locale, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino, 2000

15.  McHarg I (1971) Design with Nature. New York: Doubleday & Co Inc

16.  Nigrelli F. C., Martinico F. (2022) Mezzogiorno e Aree interne. Una valutazione degli effetti delle politiche del 1950 ad oggi. Rivista economica del Mezzogiorno / a. XXXVI, 2022, n. 1-2

17.  Salzano E (2003) Fondamenti di urbanistica, cap 2, 3 e 4

18.  Savini, F. (2024). Strategic planning for degrowth: What, who, how. In Planning Theory

19.  Sorace D. (2007). Paesaggio e paesaggi della Convenzione europea, in G.F. Cartei (a cura di), Convenzione europea del paesaggio e governo del territorio, Il Mulino, Bologna.

20.  Spirn, A. (1985) The Granite Garden. Urban Nature and Human Design. Basic Book

21.  Teti V. (2022). La Restanza. Torino: Einaudi, Torino

22.  Watson, V. (2014) Co-production and collaboration in planning – The difference. In Planning Theory & Practice, 15:1, 62-76

Planning, like all technical disciplines, requires a "know-how" that cannot be learned in isolation by studying from books and notes. For this reason, not only attendance at lectures but also active participation in laboratory activities is mandatory (especially adherence to deadlines). The assessment and consequent evaluation of each student's performance are based on the following criteria:

Attendance: Attendance will be monitored, along with participation in joint activities (in class or in the field). This accounts for 10% (3/30) of the overall performance evaluation.

Assignments: The class project is a synthesis of seven different assignments. For each step, students are expected to follow the instructor's guidelines during class hours, collect and analyze data based on the given instructions, utilizing both studio hours and time dedicated to individual study. Students must be prepared to share the results of their work with the rest of the class and any external guests (e.g., stakeholders with specific interests in the class's work) during desk reviews scheduled with the instructor. The punctuality and rigor with which this work is carried out and shared, and its integration into the final course project, which will be presented in an oral exam, account for 45% (13.5/30) of the overall performance evaluation.

Midterm and final exams: The theoretical content of the course will be assessed through two written exams (midterm and final) with open-ended questions, which takes place during both exam sessions (winter and summer) before the oral exam. The midterm covers the content from the first half of the course, and a final written exam covers content from the second half of the course. The outcome of the two written exams accounts for 45% (13.5/30) of the final performance evaluation.

How has the role of private interests evolved in the history of territorial planning?

Indicate at least two planning tools introduced in the 1990s, different from those of reformist planning, aimed at addressing contemporary problems of cities and regions.

How has the meaning of the word "territory" changed within the planning discipline from the post-war period to today?

How has the meaning of the word "landscape" changed within the planning discipline from the post-war period to today?

What are the planning implications of the land use analysis conducted within the class project?

What are the planning implications of the identification of landscape units performed within the class project?

What are the planning implications of the stakeholder interviews conducted within the class project?