Master Program Urban Design Revitalization of Historic City Districts Cairo University, Egypt ▪ Alexandria University, Egypt ▪ Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Germany
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Master Program “Urban Design - Revitalization of Historic City Districts”, June 20 , 2013
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Master Program “Urban Design - Revitalization of Historic City Districts“ Cairo University, Egypt ▪ Alexandria University, Egypt ▪ Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Germany
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Cairo University, Faculty of Engineering Alexandria University, Faculty of Fine Arts Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Urban Planning Funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
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Master Program “Urban Design - Revitalization of Historic City Districts”, June 20 , 2013
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Content 1.
Initiative and Aim
2.
Program Guidelines
3.
To Whom the Program is Addressed
4.
General Regulations
5.
Curriculum
6.
Modules overview
Appendix A)
Definition of items and perceptions
B)
Advisory Board
C)
Module Descriptions
D)
Application Process
F)
Contact
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1.
Initiative and Aim
Based on the successful cooperation between the partner universities since 2005 with the focus on “urban design for the renewal, revitalization and rehabilitation of historic city districts” the Master Program “Urban Design – Revitalization of Historic City Districts” (short form: Master Urban Design) will start in the fall term 2013. The master program is the intended result of a long-term cooperation of a university network consisting of above mentioned partner universities and, further on, the Universities of Aleppo, Damascus, Syria and Baghdad, Iraq and the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. The master program will be implemented at the Universities of Cairo, Alexandria and Cottbus.
The development of historic cities in Europe and in the MENA region is until today one of the most important challenges for a sustainable urban development. A vivid inner city with a historic core is shaping the image and the identity of the city and initializing developments in the whole town. Since the renewal of historic city districts is always an interdisciplinary task, it is a very good experience for other urban development challenges. The benefit of renewal and revitalization of inner cities areas is never reduced just to inhabitants and stakeholders of the certain quarter, but spreads to the society of the whole town. Accordingly, the initiators of the Master Program at all partner universities are convinced, that in urban development nothing is more sustainable than a vital inner city. This thesis is correct both for shrinking cities in Germany and metropolitan areas in the MENA region, where the segregation of the society increased during the last decades and, more or less, only historical districts serve as platform for public identity throughout all classes of the urban society. The faculties of the partner universities, each by them self and all together in their cooperation network for urban design, share elaborate experience with the renewal and revitalization of historic city districts. Outstanding examples, such as the rehabilitation of the old town of Aleppo during the last twenty years, were enforced as joint venture between Syrian and German institutions, respectively further integration of European and German experts on the scientific and the practical level. In Cairo, the example of the rehabilitation of the medieval quarter Darb Al Ahmar next to the important area of the Al Azhar Mosque, initiated and mainly executed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, represents practise experience also accompanied by European and German institutions. Medieval town quarters of Cairo show phenomena’s of informal settlements, like occupation of abandoned buildings and construction of new buildings without any permission. Aiming to solve the problems of informal settlements, concepts and strategies with a sustainable and cauth
Master Program “Urban Design - Revitalization of Historic City Districts”, June 20 , 2013
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tious approach will be an integrative part of the study program, considering the positive development of informal settlements inner city or in suburban parts as one further important challenge of urban design and planning in developing countries. The Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus (BTU Cottbus) accompanied intensively the process of the rehabilitation of the old town of Cottbus and many other formerly East German cities. Furthermore, the German partner gained a wide range experience at the renewal of Berlin, where a critical reconstruction of the old building structure and a casual rehabilitation of old city quarters was conducted the first time in Germany with the international building exhibition 1987. Like already stressed, rehabilitation and revitalization of historic city districts is an interdisciplinary task, in which economical and social affairs, archaeology, building rehabilitation and restoration, mobility, public space and landscape planning, urban management, urban development and urban design are involved. Rehabilitation processes need an integrated approach, finally fixed in an urban form and guidelines that guarantee stability and continuity for all further developments. Accordingly, the new Master Program emphasises on urban design, with three major components: urban design and rehabilitation, urban development, architecture in historic context. Different to other master programs that deepen one certain discipline, the Master Program “Urban Design – Revitalization of Historic City Districts” will link the rehabilitation of historic areas to the challenges of urban design. The aim of the Master Program is to communicate urban rehabilitation and revitalization strategies and concepts for the different, specific situations and challenges of historic city districts, especially of the cities and regions of the involved universities. Here it must be stressed that each historic quarter has different structural features referring to its historic development, existing and previous building structure, economical and social situation and state of preservation or decline. Further the perception and appreciation of the historic quarters concerning its relevancy, social status inside the urban area and community as well as its development targets is very different. We are aware of the differently used meanings of terms, such as urban renewal, urban rehabilitation, urban revitalization, urban development etc. and the change of their meaning during the last decades. Accordingly, a definition of terminology based on the current scientific debate can be found in the appendix of this program. The historic districts, we like to deal with in this master program are ‘areas with an originality and urban vitality which stands for decades’ and not only areas which include listed historic monuments.
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The understanding of revitalization is: Keeping and making historic areas attractive and vital for the needs of today and tomorrow by respecting the characteristic structures, like: lot sizes, street-, path- and square successions and systems, building typologies, relations of distinguished buildings to public or common spaces, forms of ownership, material, and architectural proportions just as social structures. This includes the reinterpretation and reproduction of historical structures, analogue to its nature, by using contemporary architectural facilities and integrating nowadays using requirements. This concludes in conviction, that only a lively historic city centre can be preserved on long-term and that the structures of the historic quarters are qualifying for its development, not the image.
2.
Program Guidelines
•
The focus of the study program is revitalization of historic city districts with an integrated and applied approach on urban design.
•
The interdisciplinary goal of sustainability is a basic aspect of all modules. Social and economic structures and networks and environmental aspects are integrated in the scientific and design orientated program.
•
Intensive practical experience and applied approaches will be a crucial part in the study program. Internationally working development institutions will be integrated as permanent partners, to complement academic investigation with further practical experience.
•
The structure of the curriculum builds on the strength of each university.
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The Master Program encourages studies abroad, with the goal of double degrees.
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Linked to the Master Program an exchange of faculty members will be strengthened.
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An Advisory Board is founded to advise the partner universities for the program, to control monitoring and evaluation of the program and to support the partner universities to strengthen the cooperation with further scientific and professionally practising institutions.
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3.
To Whom the Program is Addressed
The Master in “Urban Design – Revitalization of Historic City Districts” is a postgraduate program for graduates from Architecture, Urban Design, Urban Planning, Regional Planning and Landscape Planning who are interested to respond the urgent needs in Urban Design for the Revitalization of Historic City Districts. The alumni of the program are qualified for a professional career in all institutions, which are involved in design and management processes for historic cities. These are private architecture and urban planning offices, administrations and international agencies and institutions that conduct concerned programs.
4.
General Regulations
Participants in the Joint Master Program are enrolled at their home university and at the university they would like to receive the second degree for the double degree from. The general regulations of each university the students are enrolled at are obliging. Participants in the Master Program pass two semesters at their home university and another two semesters at two of the other partner universities. They have to complete 60 C (two terms) outside their home university. The calculation of credit points (C) is based on ECTS. The fourth semester is reserved for the master thesis, which has to be done at the home university. The master thesis will be supervised at the home university and co-supervised from a Professor representing one of the other program partner universities. The master thesis is based on the content of at least one program relevant component. The registration is at the end of the third semester, including the submission of a draft thesis structure to the supervising professors. Applications are open to Bachelor degree holders in Architecture, Urban Design, Urban Planning, Regional Planning, Landscape Planning and -Architecture, mainly addressing graduates from the partner universities (50% priority). Applicants need to prove experience in identifying relevant urban development problems, defining tasks, methods and strategies to solve these problems and the ability to design qualified concepts in a traceable way and qualified experiences in defining problems. Furthermore excellent language skills in English must be proved.
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Regular registration fees at each university (varying from 50,-- to 200,-- € per term) have to be paid by participating students. Tuition fees of 1.500,-- € per term have to be charged. The tuition fees must be charged to keep the study program independent from the financial households of the partner universities. The applicants can apply for scholarships at the different institutions offering scholarships for master students. To search for adequate scholarships the following DAAD service internet page is helpful: https://www.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/12359-finding-scholarships/
An internship of minimal 6 weeks is mandatory during the study time, but not accredited in the course of the curriculum. All by the different partner universities offered modules concerning the joint curriculum are accepted at the other partner universities.
5.
Curriculum
The curriculum is project based. The curriculum has ‘three’ main scientific components: 1. Urban Design and Rehabilitation 2. Urban Development 3. Architecture in Historic Context All components focus on historic city districts. The BTU Cottbus will offer the Urban Design and Rehabilitation component regularly during the winter term / fall semester. The Cairo University will offer the Urban Development component regularly during the summer term / spring semester. The Alexandria University will offer the Architecture in Historic Context component regularly during the winter term / fall semester. Program enrolment is only once a year (referring to the winter term / fall semester) scheduled. An introduction to scientific methods and standards of scientific research will be integrated in the mandatory research module in the first term. All modules will be taught in English.
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Structure of the Master Program Urban Design
theory, research and reflection
st
rd
1 –3 term: each term 3 modules, each with 6 cp
fall / winter, term 1
spring / summer, term 2
fall / winter, term 3
4. term
BTU
CU
AU
BTU/CU/AU
Urban Design and Rehabilitation
Urban Development
Architecture in Historic Context
Town and House
Urban Regeneration
New Architecture in Historic Context
1
6C
Landscape Planning and Public Space Design 6C
Urban Heritage Management
Experimental Urban Design
History of Urban Morphology
6C Conservation / Building in Existing Fabric 6C Urban Planning (Live, Work and Recreate) 6C
project
6C
Urban Design and Rehabilitation Project
ECTSCredits: 120 in four terms
6C
6C Participation in Urban Development 6C
6C Adaptive Re-Use of Old Buildings
MasterThesis
6C
30 C
History and Theories of Historic Buildings Conservation 6C New Technologies for sustainable Building Rehabilitation 6C
Mobility Planning and Management for Historic Cities 6C
Evaluation, Interpretation and Documentation of Historic Buildings 6C
Urban Development Project
Architecture in Historic Context Project
12 C
12 C
12 C
30 C
30 C
30 C
30 C
mandatory modules optional modules BTU – Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus CU – Cairo University AU – Alexandria University
1
C: European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) - Credits th
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6.
Modules overview
Component
Theoretical modules
Project modules
Main content
Urban Design and Rehabilitation (BTU)
town and house
urban design and rehabilitation project
- relationship of mass and space, - elements of the city; building typologies (all day typologies and specific buildings; identity creating structures), - reflection of the history; - different approaches to historic references in urban design, - design of public space, - relationship of rules and options / settings and options, - atmosphere and character, - accessibility, traffic integration, - barrier free standards, - functional urban requirements (in relation to the whole town), - social needs, - visual and perceptual aspects
landscape planning and public space design experimental urban design Conservation / Building in Existing Fabric Urban Planning (Live, Work and Recreate)
Urban Urban Regeneration Development (CU) Urban Management History of Urban Morphology Participation in Urban Development Mobility Planning and Management for Historic Cities Architecture in Historic Context (AU)
New Architecture in Historic Context Adaptive Re-Use of Old Buildings History and Theories of Historic Buildings Conservation New Technologies for sustainable Building Rehabilitation
urban development urban development as an interdisciplinary proproject cess, including: - history of urban development, morphological structures, - strategies / urban management, - assessment tools for urban structures, - participation tools, - integration of traffic and mobility planning - sustainability, - environmental aspects, - social-economical aspects
Architecture in Historic Context Project
- design and composition of new architecture in historic context, - research on historic buildings, including construction methods, original functions, conditions and circumstances of original design and construction, - assessment tools for historic buildings, - re-use of historic building materials, - integration of new functions in historic buildings, - design of additions and new implementations to / in historic buildings, - energy efficiency for historic buildings, - restoration aspects
Evaluation, Interpretation and Documentation of Historic Buildings all components
Mater Thesis
- scientific approach - concept and strategy for the task
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Appendix A)
Definition of items and perceptions
Urban Design = collaborative, multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional process of shaping the physical setting for life in cities, towns and villages; the art of making places; design in an urban context. Urban design involves the design of buildings, groups of buildings, spaces and landscapes, and the establishment of frameworks and processes that facilitate successful development. Traditionally, urban design is seen as the interface between the two major disciplines involved in the urban realm: urban planning and architecture, focusing on the urban space created through the effects of planning and realized through the physicality of architectural buildings. Beyond that and in a current understanding, urban design plays a mediative role between all relevant specialties that deal with the human and the human environment. Exemplarily, landscape architecture, communication and transport engineering, but also ‘soft’ disciplines, like sociology, socio-economy, group and individual psychology and behavioural studies, even art and the humanities are some of the poles that shape together the urban environment and play an equally crucial role in the study and creation of cities. Urban Development = planned change and upgrading of deteriorating urban areas as a process of synergetic integration and co-evolution among the great subsystems making up a city: economic, social, physical and environmental. Urban development strategies aim to guarantee the local population a non-decreasing level of wellbeing in the long term, without compromising the possibilities of development of surrounding areas and contributing by this towards reducing the harmful effects of development on the biosphere. Urban Renewal = deliberate change of the urban environment and injection of new vitality through planned adjustment of existing areas to respond to present and future requirements for urban living and working. The fundamental objective of urban renewal is the application of several principles resulting in the revitalization of any or all portions of the urban structure, which are not fulfilling the functions for which they were designed. Urban renewal generally applies to inner-city areas, centrally located in historical districts including non-residential as well as residential land uses. Urban renewal is a multi-faceted process that affects the urban environment at many levels. Thus, the preservation of the city's identity, community, local culture and natural and built environments, must be given special attention. Urban Revitalization = based on reactivating potentials and rebuilding thriving economically, environmentally and socially sustainable urban areas and populations, in areas that have been in decline. Urban revitalization equates with the modernization of inner-city areas focusing on neighbourhood improvement initiatives, adaptive re-use of buildings and quarters. The demolition of existing structures, as it is part of redevelopment strategies, is commonly avoided.
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Urban Rehabilitation = based on preserving, repairing and restoring the natural and man-made environments of existing neighbourhoods. Rehabilitation, often termed conservation or preservation and herein subsuming them, is applicable to areas where buildings are generally in structurally sound condition but have deteriorated because of neglected maintenance. Urban rehabilitation takes advantage of the existing housing stock as a valuable resource and adapts old houses to present-day life and acceptable standards by providing modern facilities. Historic City Districts = coherently related parts of a city including old buildings, monuments, neighbourhoods together with their natural and man-made environments and urban communities, whether they have developed gradually over time or have been created deliberately, as an expression of the diversity of societies throughout history. Beyond their role as historical documents, these areas embody the values of traditional urban cultures. The historic character of a city district, and thus its authenticity, relates to a unique interaction of material and spiritual elements, especially: - the urban patterns as defined by lots and streets; - the relationships between buildings and green and open spaces; - the formal appearance, interior and exterior, of buildings as defined by scale, size, style, construction, materials, colour and decoration; - the relationship between the urban area and its surrounding setting, both natural and man-made; and - the various functions that the urban area has acquired over time.
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B)
Advisory Board
Main tasks of the advisory board are to advise the partner universities for the program, to control monitoring and evaluation of the program and to support the partner universities to strengthen the cooperation with further scientific and professionally practising institutions. Members of the Advisory Board Cairo University: Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Vice Dean for Post Graduate Studies and Research, Faculty of Engineering Chairman of the Architecture Department Alexandria University: Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts Vice Dean for Post Graduate Studies and Research, Faculty of Fine Arts Chairman of the Architecture Department, Faculty of Fine Arts BTU Cottbus: Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Urban Planning Vice Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Urban Planning The Chairman of the National Organization for Urban Harmoney, NOUH, the Egyptian Ministry of Culture The Chairman of the General Organization for Physical Planning, the Egyptian Ministry of Housing, Infra Structure and New Communities The Chairman of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities The Director of the German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD), Office Cairo The Director of Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas, the Deutche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Cairo (enquired) Members from further universities of our Middle East cooperation network for urban design: Prof. Dr. Saba Jabbar, Baghdad University Prof. Dr. Howayda Al Harithy, AUB Prof. Dr. Fatina Kurdi, Aleppo University Prof. Dr. Oqba Fakouch, Damascus University
C)
Module Descriptions
- Attachment –
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D)
Application Process
see: http://www.tu-cottbus.de/projekte/de/middle-east-cooperation/master-urban-design (will be uploaded soon) Application should be submitted for best consideration until July 15th 2013 Application email:
[email protected]
Finding Scholarships: Please use following DAAD service internet page: https://www.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/12359-finding-scholarships/
F)
Contact
Cairo University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Architecture Administration Coordinator, Prof. Dr. Ahmed Ouf Academic Coordinator, Prof. Dr. Dalila El-Kerdany contact:
[email protected]
Alexandria University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Architecture Administration Coordinator, Prof. Dr. Mohsen Bayad Academic Coordinator, Prof. Dr. Hebatalla Abouelfadl contact:
[email protected]
Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Urban Planning Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 1 03046 Cottbus ▪ Germany Administration and Academic Coordinator, Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Heinz Nagler
Coordinator of the Cooperation Dipl.-Ing. Christoph Wessling contact:
[email protected] [email protected]
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