FUNDAMENTALS OF URBAN PLANNING

Course objectives

The course provides a framework for urban planning in its theoretical foundations and as an articulated corpus of approaches, tools, and practices, providing essential legislative references within a general framework. The roots of modern urban planning are presented in historical perspective, along with its principal modes of action over time. The history of urban planning is connected to the history of the city, showing reciprocal influences and impacts. The course introduces the main urban theories to help understand how the primary object of urban planning changes according to different interpretations; at the same time, urban themes are framed and linked to environmental, ecological, and landscape issues, which are essential for understanding the complex and systemic nature of the urban planning approach. The course touches upon the many different subjects involved in urban and territorial transformation: institutions, technicians and professionals, civil society, and individuals; it explores how growing social pluralism represents a challenge for urban planning, which must be able to direct and manage multiple instances and actions of even opposing nature, and how, for its legitimation, it must always be able to account for choices, justified in the name of public or collective interest. By the end of the course, students will have acquired operational and critical skills to address complex urban planning issues, aware of the system of rules and procedures to follow and reference, the current tools available, capable of identifying the most appropriate scale for specific problems, and also of reasoning at different scales. Some transversal competencies will also be enhanced, related to critical abilities and judgment on the effects of transformation choices, to the abilities to communicate what has been learned, and to the capacity to continue studying autonomously.

Channel 1
BARBARA PIZZO Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
URBAN DESIGN I The course provides the first knowledge of the discipline and ability to recognize and represent both the structure and changes of the city and territory in relation to the economic, social and technological dynamics, highlighting relations with the disciplinary evolution. The training objective is realized in the development of a process of research, evaluation and definition of strategic planning guidelines of an urban or territorial reality.
Prerequisites
No prior specific knowledge is required.
Books
There is not one specific compulsory reading, but students can choose a book from the bibliography according to their own interests (see below).
Frequency
Attending the lectures is suggested, but it is not compulsory.
Exam mode
The final exam consists in the discussion of the subject matter, exercise included. For the workshop, students are expected to work in group (usually 3-4 people), while they will be examined individually for the evaluation of acquired knowledge, on the content of the lectures and of readings. During the semester, students attending the course can do a mid-term written proof on the main theoretical part of the programme (moduls a, b, c), which – if positively passed - will allow reducing the subjects of oral examination. For the final evaluation, the whole activity is taken into consideration. Students not attending the course are required to prepare themselves autonomously, elaborating the exercise, and by choosing at least one book from those indicated in the bibliography (to be agreed on in advance), studying the teaching materials (available online at: Sapienza e-learning platform: Urbanistica_Barbara Pizzo), and deepening the topics included in the presentations through following the bibliographic references they contain.
Bibliography
Bibliographical references are intended to testify the richness and plurality of Planning approaches. Books are subdivided into 3 main groups. Each student is expected to choose a book (to be agreed on in advance) for the final evaluation. A specific lecture is dedicated at introducing each book in terms of approach, structure and content. During some lectures or seminars, further bibliographical references may be suggested as an in-depth study (and they will be reported in the slides or hand-outs of the lecture). (For the list of books, see the Italian version, above) English books and essays are available on request and can be used both by Italian and by foreign students - The final proof in Italian is compulsory. English books on Rome: Fried R. C. (1973). Planning the eternal city. Roman politics and planning since world war II. New Haven – London: Yale University Press Thomassen, B., & Marinaro, I. C. (Eds.). (2014). Global Rome: Changing Faces of the Eternal City. Indiana University Press Insolera I. (2018). Modern Rome: From Napoleon to the Twenty-First Century. Newcastle, Cambridge Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Lesson mode
The course provides lectures, seminars and an exercise. The workshop (exercise) aims at experimenting the 'translation' of theories into practices (and viceversa), and/or as the implementation of a chosen methodology among the presented ones. It foresees the following steps: 1. Reading and interpreting a spatial context through its current socio-spatial phenomena, interpreted diachronically and at different scales. 2a. Critical interpretation of historical transformations (distinguishing among causes and their effects). 2b. Critical interpretation of the planning history (visions, approaches, methods, tools introduced by Planning through time). 3a. Definition of possible scenarios and the related planning tool / or tools useful to drive the change in the chosen direction - and / or to solve a problem (also in ‘strategic’ perspective). 3b. Definition of the ‘knowledge’ to be used to deepen and to solve the questions (sectoral analyses as a result of a particular interpretation of the context and its problems).
Channel 2
ANTONIO RACITI Lecturers' profile
  • Lesson code1010655
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseArchitectural Sciences
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year1st year
  • Semester2nd semester
  • SSDICAR/21
  • CFU6