Markus Nollert: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2018

Name Dr. Markus Nollert
Address
Inst. f. Raum- u. Landschaftsentw.
ETH Zürich, HIL H 41.3
Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5
8093 Zürich
SWITZERLAND
E-mailnollertm@ethz.ch
DepartmentCivil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering
RelationshipLecturer

NumberTitleECTSHoursLecturers
103-0428-02LDesigning and Presenting Arguments in Spacial Planning Information
Only for MSc Students or special approval by the lecturer.
3 credits2GM. Nollert, M. Heller
AbstractDesigning and presenting arguments are two essential components of acting in spatial planning. Spatial design as instrument for investigating and testing of possible solutions and options of action or, in addition, for finding central questions. Arguing, in order to be able to communicate suggested decisions or actions inside the planning process and to win relevant actors over those.
ObjectiveGoal of the lecture is to obtain the basic knowledge of designing and presenting argumentations in spatial planning. With reference on a practical case study the basic knowledge of both disciplines is imparted. In particular, the typical characteristics of both and the connections between arguing and designing in spatial planning are worked out.
In terms of arguing the students should be enabled to substantiate their decisions with different techniques, in order to compile clearly understandable and convincing argumentations and successfully communicate them. This includes beside an adequate handling of different kinds of information coding (like texts, pictures and numbers), also dealing with uncertainties, which is a typical asset of the argumentation in spatial planning.
In terms of spatial design, the understanding of this specific and unconventional instrument is to be provided and to be trained on the basis of different cases. Beside the development of an „intuition/sensibility“ for designing in spatial planning and the ability to handle different scales (from national contexts down to the proofing of the principal possibilities for development on the scale of architectural design), the discernment of decisive criteria for the possible employment and the application of spatial design is also to be trained.
Lecture notesThe documents for the lecture can be found on the homepage of the chair for Spatial Planning and Development
Prerequisites / NoticeSpatial Planning Design

Spatial Planning Design is used as a tool for exploration and testing. Overall goal is the obtainment of basic knowledge for general recommendations and specific strategies in the case of difficult and unclear tasks. However, it is not intended to create drafts for direct implementation in reality.

Even if current problems and questions occuring in the dimension of spatial planning might show some correlation, the spaces themselves, the diversity of urban patterns and interests widely differ. This is particularly the case in highly developed Europe. As soon as conventional solutions and standards fail in the case of difficult and vast questions, modern spatial planning operates by using the method of designing.

In contrast to the method of designing on the basis of a given programme, which is common in the fields of urban design and architecture, spatial planning is generally operating with comprehensive and open terms of reference. Thus, in order to achieve safe results, spatial planning uses all imaginable scopes and freedoms of research.

Not every case and every problem in spatial planning cause an examination by using the method of designing. In frequent cases difficulties not only arise in identifying the right scale of design but rather in selecting the appropriate informal procedures. Furthermore, scales are not necessarily the same as they are typically used in regional- and urban planning. The verification of the general ability to develop an area in the scale of architecture is possible as well.