CITIES : MOBILITY / NATURE

1- becoming an architect of sustainable cities on the move

The city of the XXe century was that of the development of the urban development consuming natural territories, dependent on the fast motorized modes of displacement. The city of XXIe century will the sustainable city, opened to the plurality of mobilities and to the natural elements with a new philosophy of the relationship between nature and artificiality. It is a question of designing the contemporary cities around this new goal: to think urban space for lifestyles reconciling mobilities on a territorial scale and on a new proximity scale. The urban design must associate territorial vision (figures of the sustainable city reconciling fast flows, densification and nature) and architectural vision of the urban polarities (figures of urban space reconciling soft mobilities, intensity and landscape). This alternative approach of the production of the city requires professionnals who are able to give form to the new spaces induced by these strategies of urban change.

That is the goal of the post diplôma Cities : Mobility / Nature

2- contents

The objective for the students is to be able to link a reflexive attitude (to create a critical thought on the topics) and a specific design approach, in order to transform the reflexion into space questions and to develop spatial hypotheses in urban contexts. Seminar Workshop (1st semester) and Urban project (2nd semester): “To make the city with the networks and the nature”. A long project initiated by a seminar/workshop in the 1st semester gives the knowledge to develop in a specific situation (for the year 2009-2010 the town of Santiago in Chile) the urban new theories of sustainable (nature and mobility) and to prepare a research formalized on new spatial figures. The metropolisation in the majority of the cities of the world induced an urban sprawl and a domination of the car as transport. The need for a sustainable approach of the cities implies to propose alternatives to this model. And if they depend on the local specific conditions, economic, social and cultural (hyperdensity of the Asian cities, reasoned density of the Latin-American cities, sectoral density of the European cities), they develop common principles.

This new approach associates to the axes public transport (tram, BRT, subway) a process of densification and intensification of the city to create dynamic urban polarities and linear cities around flows. But to be appropriable by the citizens, these new dense places must have a spatial quality and a strong articulation with nature. Which types of combination of uses and morphologies can be imagined to answer qualitatively to these environmental considerations and ways of life? How landscaped projects can contribute to qualify these spaces on various scales? The students will make spatial proposals in the context of a specific city.

Topic 1 : how to make the city with the flows?

How to insert mobility in its diversity in urban space? How to articulate the different ways of displacement - and not separate them as in the fonctionalism – in order they cross and coexist, in public space without destroying it, and particularly in the streets, reinforcing their dynamics?

Topic 2 : how to interlace city and nature?

How to reconcile individualization of nature (domestic gardens) with collective landscape (open spaces, parks, fields) ? How urban and natural can interpenetrate themselves on various scales in the city? How to build artifical spaces compatible which let space to the developpement of nature with its own logic.

Topic 3 : how to think an ecological urban form?

How to design built morphologies in a context of sustainable development ? How to make cities denser to preserve nature, managing better energy to preserve the natural resources, and allowing integration of natural elements in the artificial spaces, using new soft and clean technologies ?

3-context and method

The post-diploma “Cities: Mobility/Nature” is a teaching of 3rd cycle of Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris la Villette (144, avenue de Flandres 75019 Paris France). The school is entitled at the end of the formation to deliver a diploma.

The formation is opened to the architects graduated in France or abroad, and to the non-architects, titular of a diploma of level Master which can justify of a formation or an activity in the field of architecture.

Teaching is done during 2 semesters and includes : 3 seminars with a seminar-workshop, a project and a report composing the diploma.

Teaching is on two days per week. With this device, students can have a professional activity in parallel part-time. Teaching is in French. An English assistance could be provided to those who don’t speak French completely but, in this case, a teaching of French will be in supplement of the formation. The diploma will be in French.

4- conditions for registration

The cost of teaching is that of the inscription at the School, 1000 euros per year - more 1100 euros for travelling expenses for in situ workshop The candidates must send a file containing usual elements: . Curriculum vitae . Copy of diplomas. Candidature application . A selection of personal works (projects, realisations, publications) . A note developing a personal point of view and intentions of the candidate related to the themes of teaching

The candidates have first to take contact by email with the responsible of the teaching: didier.rebois@free.fr .

5- planning

The programme is composed of two semesters. On first semester, 3 seminars initiate the students to the concepts of the new urban design's approach (architecture and mobility, philosophy / urban / architecture, new theories of sustainable cities). The 3rd seminar is associated to a workshop in situ in the city studied (Santiago for year 2009-2010). The second semester is divided in two parts, one is the urbandesign course to develop urban scenarios in Santiago, the second is the writing of a report on a topic crossing concept and design.