The Master in City & Technology’s academic structure is based on IAAC’s innovative, learn-by-doing and design-through-research methodology which focuses on the development of interdisciplinary skills. During the Master in City & Technology students will have the opportunity to be part of a highly international group, including faculty members, researchers, and lecturers, in which they are encouraged to develop collective decision-making processes and materialize their project ideas.
“The field of urban studies has been animated by an extraordinary outpouring of new ideas regarding the role of cities, urbanism, and urbanisation processes in ongoing global transformations.” (Brenner & Schmid, ‘Planetary Urbanisation’) 01. Hyperreading the Urban Over the course of four intensive classes and making use of a digital HYPERREADING methodology, we were introduced … Read more
This project focuses on establishing a community-centered public space in Santa Coloma. Situated at Block Illa de Raval, a designated “green finger” of the Pinta Verde initiative, the project seeks to improve accessibility, enhance social engagement, and address infrastructural needs based on local context and community input. At the project start, several assumptions guided the … Read more
Santa Coloma de Gramenet, informally simply known as Santa Coloma, and formerly as Gramenet de Besòs between 1936 and 1939, is a municipality in Barcelonès county, in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the south-east side of the coastal range, with the Puig Castellar as its highest point, on the left bank of the Besòs … Read more
Our research on the El Raval neighborhood explored the tensions and opportunities between residents and tourists, two populations who travel from all over the world to be in El Raval. While tourists and residents can have conflicting priorities and demands of their environment, the two are also dependent on each other and we came upon … Read more
As part of the Master in City & Technology Introductory Workshop, our team was tasked with studying La Barceloneta, a district characterized by its complex layers of social, economic, architectural, and administrative systems. This project aims to explore these dimensions, highlighting the interactions between tourism and the local community in one of Barcelona’s most iconic … Read more
The urban transformation of the Poblenou neighborhood has reached a critical juncture, where the local and global spheres coexist in a contested struggle over territory. The revitalization of old industrial buildings into a technological and creative hub has spurred significant economic growth, attracting a wave of companies, start-ups, investors, and, more recently, digital nomads, displacing … Read more
Exploring the vibrant neighborhood of Sant Antoni, a lively corner of Barcelona’s Eixample district, we set out to uncover its rich history, pinpoint its challenges, and evaluate relevant data. Our journey began with online research, laying the groundwork for our field observations. Once we arrived on-site, we captured the essence of the area through photographs, … Read more
The synthesized CRITICAL THEORY principles talk about today’s urban question in the context of the rural-urban matrix
Introduction In the past centuries, Milan used to be perceived as a water-city, with an economy propelled by canals that extended throughout it. However, as the city evolved, those waterways were gradually buried beneath roads, and the aquatic arteries that once defined Milan are now relegated to the periphery of the urban fabric. This covering … Read more
Introduction Milan, Northern Italy’s epicenter, confronts economic and environmental challenges rooted in a shift from agriculture to manufacturing. To secure its future, Milan invests in knowledge, tourism, and place-based innovation, relying on revenue from high-income foreigners, students, and the European Union. Strategic efforts to transition to a green economy focus on renewable energy, waste reduction, … Read more
1. Introduction Urban air quality is a pressing concern, being the result of both natural elements and human-induced pollutants. The city of Barcelona grapples with local pollutants like NOx and PM10, primarily caused by ground transport and industrial activities. While current policies focus on mobility solutions, the project questions the need for complementary approaches. The … Read more
Introduction The contemporary postcard city of Barcelona is supported by a world wide web of hidden urbanization. One of the closest and most prominent hidden pieces of urbanization of Barcelona is found in the Besós Valley. When going on site, we encountered a fragmented urban landscape of logistical infrastructure, urban wasteland, scattered agriculture and haphazard … Read more
Introduction Known for its fashion, history, and culture, Milan also faces a pressing environmental issue: it stands as one of the most polluted cities in the World. The challenge of mitigating air pollution in Milan is complex, as it is shaped by a mix of geographical, meteorological, socio-economic, and cultural factors. From the city’s dense … Read more
The Besòs River, an integral water source for Barcelona, encapsulates a narrative marked by both significance and environmental challenges. Since the 1970s, its crucial role has been overshadowed by persistent contamination, exacerbated by the rapid urban and industrial developments along its course. This study delves into the intricate correlation between Besòs River pollution, evolving land … Read more
Introduction Commencing with an aerial perspective of Athens, this imagery captures the coexistence of ancient Greek architecture and a futuristic city beneath a mountainous backdrop. This blog post delves into the amalgamation of historical continuity and futuristic aspirations, urging an exploration of the nuanced interplay between time, governance, and urban evolution. Within this composite visual … Read more
“The women argued it was not a bad thing to be able to know instantly by scanning who one is dealing with. Someone remembered a proposal that democracy might best be served by opening up the data banks to everyone rather than trying to do without them or, even worse, pretending they did not exist. … Read more
The image was created to depict an exaggeration of a Lagos market scene. In Lagos Nigeria, there is an obsession by the state to build “ultra-modern“ shopping facilities to house commercial activities. However, due to the high cost of rent of these facilities as well as the culture of traditional markets in Nigeria, traders and … Read more
Critical urbanists are empowered by theory, constrained by history, and valued by their ability and will to negotiate opportunities. The powers of theory are defined by Brenner and Roy as that of critical imagination and rejection of definition; contexualized as historically urban and increasingly planetary by Harvey, Brenner, and Schmid; and actualized by Kaika and … Read more
Embarking on the intersection of artificial intelligence and theoretical discussions, imagine a digital voyage where sophisticated tools act as investigative aides. Think of it as the analytical companion dissecting context, sentiments, and core concepts—a literary detective in the digital world. It takes a visual turn with topic modeling weaving a tapestry of themes, and network … Read more
Community is mostly depicted as a unifying tool that brings a sense of belonging, but does it also act as the root of urban conflict by defining who is an outsider? Through the use of AI, the text Cites or Urbanization? by David Harvey was reimagined as a part of a political discourse and represented … Read more
Introduction Embarking on the odyssey of urban studies, this blog post endeavors to unravel the intricate tapestry of urban theory. At its core, urban theory seeks to comprehend the dynamic relationship between cities, nature, and design, viewed through the lens of recent discussions within the realms of urban and environmental studies. The journey is marked … Read more
‘ The blurring and rearticulation of urban territories. Urbanisation processes are being regionalised and reterritorialised. Increasingly, former “central functions,” such as shopping facilities, company headquarters, research institutions, prestigious cultural venues, as well as spectacular architectural forms, dense settlement patterns, and infrastructural arrangements, are being dispersed outwards from historic central city cores, into erstwhile suburbanised spaces, … Read more
