Understanding, modelling and transforming nature-positive systems


Syllabus

     Credits: LAND Architecture

Intro Description & Structure

Urban landscapes are particularly vulnerable as well as relevant spaces where we can observe, assess, mitigate and adapt to major challenges that our cities are facing, such as climate change effects, biodiversity loss, urban sprawl and rapid socio-economic shifts. The digital transition is providing promising technologies to support planners, professionals, academics and decision makers in understanding the context, simulating scenarios, proposing and testing solutions.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are powerful tools to achieve the aim of assessing, designing and monitoring open spaces that are ecologically sound, socially attractive and functionally efficient. The urbanism of the past decades often underestimated the role open spaces can play in the regulation and adaptation of urban landscapes, thus putting them at stake of merely speculative investments or neglect. Nowadays several researches and international policies and frameworks (like the EU Green Deal and the Nature-positive Cities initiative by the World Economic Forum) are reorienting urban planning towards more environmentally sensitive and people-centred patterns.

With the help of data-driven and AI-aided approaches we will identify effective workflows to better understand urban landscape amid the uncertainties of climate emergency, vulnerable and marginalised communities, changing cultural and economic conditions. Moreover we will develop tools and methodologies to outline predictive scenarios, design guidelines and adaptive strategies.

Modular construction, circular economy, urban ecology and digital fabrication are among the leading topics that will inspire the thesis path of the students leveraging from the expertise of the professionals involved and their knowledge fed in innovative collaborations within EU-funded research projects.


Faculty


Projects from this course

Reconnecting Urban Fragments

“Reimagining Urban Corridors: From Rigid Infrastructure to Inclusive Green Networks” “Urban environments today face critical challenges—population growth, rapid urbanization, and the fragmentation of ecological systems. As cities evolve, their rigid infrastructure often alienates natural systems and creates barriers to inclusivity and sustainability. This thesis focuses on reconceptualizing rigid urban environments by integrating transportation and ecological … Read more

FLOOD RESILIENCE TOOLBOX

FLOOD RESILIENCE TOOLBOX FOR ADAPTIVE URBAN DESIGN IN COASTAL CITIES Flooding is the most frequent natural disaster worldwide. By the report from The OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), floods cause more than 38 billion euro in damages worldwide per year. Due to climate change, floods are becoming more extreme and frequent. Coastal areas … Read more