AESOP Eprints
Institutional Repository of the Association of European Schools of Planning
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- Promoting Excellence in Planning Education and Research
- Congresses: proceedings, books of abstracts, books of papers, books of abstracts
- International, peer-reviewed, open-access journals, produced and owned by AESOP
- Young professionals and experienced academics and practitioners brought together to discuss planning issues
- Encouraging the active participation and exchange of academic work from PhD students and Early-Stage Researchers
Recent Submissions
Strategies For the Post-Speculative City : Proceedings of the 4th AESOP European Urban Summer School, Madrid, Spain, September 2013
(AESOP, 2013) Arana, Juan; Franchini, Teresa
At this 3rd EUSS, an initiative from the Netherlands government, which challenged young planners to find solutions to contemporary spatial planning problems, was integrated into the School: the Young Planning Professionals Award (YPPA). This is an annual, 3-year international competition (2012-2014) funded by the Directorate responsible for planning at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment (mI&M). Its aim is to stimulate thinking and promote innovative ideas on how spatial planning in Europe can adapt its form and methodologies to take on the present-day challenges and transformations facing our human settlements. The underlying thinking is that it is largely the younger generation (< 35) of planning professionals who will have to come up with the answers, as it is they who will have the responsibility to plan and develop those settlements in the near future. The winners get free participation at the EUSS and present their papers at a special YPPA session. The papers of winners and runners-up of YPPA form part of the EUSS publication which is also generously supported by the mI&M grant. The theme of the Award is related to the theme of the EUSS, so for 2012 it was ‘Adapting cities to scarcity: new ideas for action. Trends, perspectives and challenges of spatial development in a phase of de-growth and decline in Europe’. This is the publication of the fourth EUSS held in September 2013 at the Universidad CEU San Pablo Polytechnic School, in Boadilla, Madrid, Spain on the theme ’Strategies for Post-Speculative Cities”. It includes the papers of the two winners of the 2013 YPPA – Clenn Kustermans and Veronika Kovacsova - on the topic ‘Ensuring climate resilient cities: innovative ideas for effective measures in a low-level investment environment’.
The European Urban Summer School (EUSS) and the Young Planning Professionals Award (YPPA)
(AESOP, 2013) Mironowicz, Izabela; Martin, Derek
In 2010, the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) launched a new annual event: the European Urban Summer School (EUSS) for young planning professionals. AESOP wanted to bring together young professionals and experienced academics and practitioners across Europe to discuss spatial issues. AESOP’s aim was to facilitate a better trans-European understanding of planning issues, promote an exchange of ideas and foster a debate on the most important planning topics. These aims corresponded with AESOP objectives set out in the AESOP Charter. AESOP offers its teaching resources at EUSSs. Members of AESOP – European universities teaching planning – host the event. The EUSS is not a commercial venture. It is meant as a platform of debate to be run on as low as possible fee for participants. Tutors do not get any fee for their work.
Introduction. Concept and issues of the EUSS 2013
(AESOP, 2013) Franchini, Teresa; Arana, Juan
At a time of abrupt changes, when the old urban models are quickly becoming obsolete and inefficient, there is an opportunity to look into the future to envisage new strategies. We intend to work on the wounds inflicted on the city by speculative urbanism: there is a need to bring into question the existing model of urban growth, working from the present situation towards new visions to recycle our cities. This is the opportunity to put forward proposals to challenge uncontrolled urban growth; to review the situation of the new suburban territories, and to regenerate the consolidated fabric of the inner city. Conversely to speculative planning, new strategies may consider how to enhance citizen participation in the making of the city. Would a bottom-up urbanism be possible that deals in a more responsible manner with people’s needs? Instead of simplistic speculative solutions we need a multiple and diverse urbanism, capable of adapting to complex situations. New strategies may include reusing the city, rethinking the territory, generating activity, diversity, complexity and density. The 4th European Urban Summer School (EUSS), hosted by the Polytechnic School at the CEU San Pablo University in September 2013, has been an invitation to develop new ways of thinking of, and tools to respond to emerging issues about the future of post speculative cities. It aims to bring together postgraduate students, emerging and experienced academics and young and established design and planning professionals from all over Europe (and further away) to develop a better understanding of some of the most pressing contemporary issues related to the built environment and to amplify and strengthen the links between planning, design-relevant research and professional practice.
Strategies for the post-speculative city. Redressing the balance in favour of sustainable development
(AESOP, 2013) Ryser, Judith
Every cloud has a silver lining. The ghost quarters1 on the fringes of Spanish cities - ruins before their time due to frenetic property speculation - are shied by people. They want to live in urban environments where they have access to jobs and urban life, which is more crucial than ever during the economic crisis. Alternative ‘shelter’ is unsavoury though, as evidenced in the slums of the southern outskirts of Madrid, or in overcrowded garages and sheds around Heathrow airport and in the East End of London. This raises the question of whether it is possible to revitalise the speculative quarters in the middle of nowhere into liveable environments and to harness unused spaces within the city by turning them into liveable places. They offer designers a great opportunity to rethink urban regeneration according to ‘nested’ sustainable principles encompassing the environment, the economy and social wellbeing.
Housing in The Netherlands
(AESOP, 2013) Martin, Derek
Housing policy in the Netherlands is an interesting example of how a traditionally (especially post World War Two) well-organised national structure of providing affordable and adequate housing has dealt with the transformations brought about by the neo-liberal wind of the past two decades. It has to be said at the outset that, because of this strong structure, speculation has almost totally been eliminated in the Dutch system. So this paper is not about housing in a post-speculative society but about how the Netherlands has continued to avoid speculation in housing even after the quite radical withdrawal of the public sector from this structure since the 90’s. The totality of the housing system has withstood these quite profound changes and the recent financial crisis reasonably well, the social housing sector more than the owner-occupancy sector, which has felt the impact not only of the gross irresponsibility of the financial sector but also of the shortsightedness of the major political parties who put short-term electoral gain before sensible policies.