Project Management in Building Construction

FRANCESCA PERRONE

The Urban Analysis of the Project course, offered in the first year (second semester) of the GPE program, aims to develop fundamental skills in urban planning and design through a multi-scalar and contextual approach.
Main Educational Objectives
The teaching path progressively builds a knowledge framework that enables students to develop preliminary masterplans for urban areas, integrating the analysis of historical, social, and environmental contexts with a critical evaluation of current planning regulations and of the territorial challenges and resources.
Skills to Be Acquired
Students will develop the ability to analyze, understand, and critically interpret urban transformation processes in complex contexts, acquiring tools for the study and representation of urban and territorial structures. The course emphasizes an understanding of the relationships between economic, social, and technological dynamics and their influence on urban change, connecting these phenomena to the evolution of urban planning as a discipline — with the goal of training professionals capable of guiding urban and environmental transformations through design.

Educational objectives
The course pursues an articulated set of educational objectives aimed at building a complex and integrated vision of contemporary urban planning practice.
A first fundamental objective concerns the acquisition of the concept of territorial and urban space through the reading and analysis of material space and the immaterial agents that characterize the city. This competency is not limited to a descriptive dimension, but is oriented toward the goal of enhancing the quality of the urban environment in terms of habitability, liveability, and sustainability, with the ambition of triggering processes of social innovation through the urban project.
On an operational level, the course aims at the acquisition of technical and design skills specific to the urban scale, exploring the structural features and materials of the urban project in their full complexity. Students will learn to understand how these elements are composed and relate to one another in the contemporary city, developing a compositional sensibility that takes into account the specificities of the context and the urban dynamics at play.
A central objective of the educational path is the development of a critical-interpretive attitude capable of holding together the plural dimensions of the contemporary city. This means learning to read and design while simultaneously considering infrastructural, settlement, energy, environmental, landscape, social, and economic aspects — recognizing their interconnections and mutual influences. Such an integrated approach is essential for operating effectively within the complexity of current urban contexts.
Among the transversal skills the course intends to develop, particular importance is given to the ability to work and coordinate within a group composed of multiple people. This collaborative dimension reflects the intrinsically collective nature of urban planning practice and prepares students for the operational modes of the profession. Alongside this is the ability to engage with the teaching team and other qualified interlocutors, arguing the design choices made in a technical and logical manner and demonstrating mastery of both the tools and the disciplinary language.
Through these objectives, a systemic approach to the nature of the city and territory is outlined overall — one that allows the rules and instruments of their governance to emerge, as well as the possible forms of spatial and design organization. This overarching perspective enables students to understand urban planning not as a set of separate techniques, but as an integrated discipline capable of consciously orienting territorial transformations.

To successfully engage with the Urban Analysis of the Project course, students must possess a set of cultural and curricular prerequisites that form the foundation of the proposed educational path.
First and foremost, a critical ability to read and study the teaching materials provided by the instructors is required — including lectures and reference texts. This is not simply a matter of absorbing content, but of developing an interpretive capacity that allows students to grasp the fundamental conceptual nodes of urban planning as a discipline and to relate them to the design issues addressed.
Students must also demonstrate the ability to study independently and to gather information autonomously, skills that are essential for producing the final outputs required for the exam, such as analysis and design drawings. This autonomy extends to the ability to organize and interpret the information collected, selecting what is relevant and building coherent knowledge frameworks aligned with the objectives of the work.
In terms of communication, a strong expressive ability — both oral and written — is required for presenting and arguing the technical content addressed during the course. Students must be able to use disciplinary language appropriately and to clearly and logically articulate their analyses and design proposals, demonstrating conceptual mastery of the topics covered.
Finally, basic graphic skills are required for the development and representation of the main contents of the territorial investigation and of the design proposals relating to the area of study. The ability to communicate through graphic outputs is indeed a fundamental tool of urban planning practice, enabling the effective and comprehensible visualization of spatial relationships, territorial structures, and transformation scenarios.

The course proposes an approach that moves from an understanding of historical roots and contemporary processes of a social, political, economic, and administrative nature, toward the construction of the urban project — understood as a tool for implementing and realizing complex, integrated actions of territorial transformation, expressed through initiatives, plans, programs, and projects. This path makes it possible to critically analyze and understand the physical, environmental, and social context within which such transformations take place, as well as to design and evaluate new configurations with particular attention to the physical forms of spatial organization and to the ways in which urban space is used — especially public and collectively shared spaces. The aim is to provide the fundamental technical and theoretical tools of urban planning in order to recognize and represent the structure and changes of the city and territory in relation to the complex dynamics at play.
The central theme of the course is the project, understood as a procedure aimed at defining and aligning complex transformation actions — taking into account the interpretation of social and territorial demand, the establishment of a rigorous knowledge strategy, the anticipation of an articulated design response, and the necessary engagement with the current regulatory and instrumental framework at both national and regional levels.
To address the theme of urban design across different scales, students will be engaged in defining appropriate analyses of the settlement, environmental, and infrastructural context of a territorial area previously identified by the instructors, in studying and critically interpreting current planning instruments, and in developing strategies for adaptation, regeneration, and enhancement of urban fabrics through the proposal of ecological connections and choices oriented toward sustainable mobility.
A central role in the course will be assigned to the design of public space, understood as a space of connection, use, inclusion, and socialization — a fundamental element for the quality of urban life. Particular attention will be devoted to the theme of compact development through functional mix, diversification of housing typologies, integration of green areas, and the provision of adequate services and facilities. The question of comfort and well-being for users and residents will also be explored in depth, pursuing the goal of a "space for everyone" through the promotion of active mobility and the enhancement of outdoor spaces, supported by an efficient mass transit system.
Finally, the course will address in an integrated manner the themes of environmental sustainability and energy self-sufficiency through the production of energy from renewable sources, resilience to climate change and natural hazards, and the improvement of ecosystem services — recognizing these aspects as an essential dimension of contemporary urban design.

General bibliography
- Campos Venuti, Giuseppe e Oliva, Federico (a cura di), Cinquant’anni di urbanistica in Italia, Laterza, 1993.
- Di Biagi, Paola e Gabellini, Patrizia, Urbanisti italiani, Laterza, 1993.
- Gabellini, Patrizia, Tecniche urbanistiche, Carocci Editore, 2012.
- Oliva, Federico (a cura di), Città senza cultura. Intervista sull’urbanistica a Giuseppe Campos Venuti, Laterza, 2012.
- Urbanistica 116/2001, “Il nuovo piano regolatore di Roma”, Inu Edizioni, 2001.
Monographic studies on urban planners
Students will be required to study the life and work of one of the urban planners listed below through the reading of one of the indicated texts:
- Astengo, Giovanni, Urbanistica, la scienza del futuro, a cura di A. Franceschini, La Finestra editrice, 2011 (contiene la voce “Urbanistica” scritta per l’Enciclopedia universale dell’arte, 1966).
- Benevolo, Leonardo, Le origini dell’urbanistica moderna, Laterza, 1991.
- Calzolari, Vittoria (con Ghio, M.), Verde per la città, De Luca Editore, 1961.
- Campos Venuti, Giuseppe, Amministrare l’urbanistica, Einaudi, 1967.
- Choay, Françoise, La città. Utopie e realtà, Einaudi, 1973.
- De Carlo, Giancarlo, L’architettura della partecipazione, a cura di S. Marin, Quodlibet, 2011 (edizione originale 1972).
- Gabrielli, Bruno, Il recupero della città esistente: saggi 1968-1992, Etaslibri, 1993.
- Jacobs, Jane, Vita e morte delle grandi città. Saggio sulle metropoli americane, Einaudi, 1961.
- Le Corbusier, Maniera di pensare l’urbanistica, Laterza, 1963.
- Piccinato, Luigi, La progettazione urbanistica. La città come organismo, Marsilio, 1988.
- Quaroni, Ludovico, La torre di Babele, Marsilio, 1967.
- Salzano, Edoardo, Fondamenti di urbanistica, Laterza, 1998.
- Secchi, Bernardo, La città del ventesimo secolo, Laterza, 1995.

The course is structured through lectures integrated with workshop and seminar activities. The activities that characterize the entire educational path are primarily three: frontal lectures, group work, and reviews with seminar presentations.
The lectures are aimed both at defining the structural features of urban planning as a discipline and at introducing the materials of the urban project and their modes of composition, while simultaneously accompanying the development of the design exercise through its successive phases.
Students will be organized into small groups of a maximum of three people each, with the aim of fostering the integration of different competencies and backgrounds. The groups will carry out the entire analytical and design process of the course through site visits, the production of drawings and mappings of the territorial phenomena under study, and discussions with the instructors. Interaction and group work, oriented toward the proposal of argued and shared solutions, constitute fundamental skills to be developed and acquired throughout the course.
Reviews and seminar presentations will take place at specific moments during the semester. They are intended to offer a presentation of the results of the analyses and the project to the entire class, and to open a collective discussion for the advancement of group work, highlighting students' argumentative skills. The aim is to share information, ideas, and reflections that the case study prompts, and which can influence and reorganize the analyses and projects of the various groups.

In carrying out the design exercise — as a concrete application of the approach and techniques presented during the lectures — the course proposes the application of the urban analysis process and the principles of urban and local design to a real case study. The exercise will focus on the development of an urban layout project, configured as a masterplan, for an area to be selected within the metropolitan urban area of Rome. This project will be conceived as an innovative and flexible tool for elaborating urban and environmental regeneration strategies.
The design exercise will be structured in three successive phases.
The first will consist of a subjective approach to the theme of the city through a free account of the site visit to the study area, aimed at developing an initial direct perception of the context.
The second phase will be dedicated to building a knowledge system through objective and evaluative mappings of selected phenomena relating to the structural and formal condition of the places, the organization of activities, and the risks and opportunities of ongoing processes.
The third phase will concern the system of strategies and spatial choices of the project, articulated in successive steps from general strategies to specific locational choices, through to the definition of the formal assumptions of the masterplan.

Attendance at the course is not compulsory but is strongly recommended, as the educational outcome of the teaching path consists in the preparation of analytical and design outputs that require constant engagement with the instructors and the working group, as well as participation in workshop activities and seminar reviews.
For students who are unable to attend the course, a specific examination format is provided, structured as follows.

Part 1 – Essay on the Rome General Regulatory Plan
Non-attending students will be required to prepare an essay accompanied by an annotated index on the Rome General Regulatory Plan (Piano Regolatore Generale di Roma). The paper must demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the planning instrument, its methodological innovations, and its design contents.
Mandatory bibliographic sources:
- Morassut, R. e Ricci, L., “Sistemi e regole per un progetto collettivo di città. Il planning by doing del piano di Roma”, in Urbanistica n. 161, 2018.
- Ricci, L., “Roma. Il Nuovo Piano per una nuova Città”, in L. Ricci (a cura di), Piano locale e… Nuove regole, nuovi strumenti, nuovi meccanismi attuativi, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2009.
- Ricci, L. (a cura di), “Il nuovo Piano di Roma”, Urbanistica 116 (numero monografico), gennaio-giugno 2001.
Additional reference materials:
- Teaching materials uploaded to the Moodle platform of the course “Analisi Urbanistica del Progetto - A.A. 2025-2026” (chiave di iscrizione: AUP_25-26_FP).
- Any other documentation deemed relevant, to be agreed upon in advance with the instructors.
Part 2 – Reading and critical analysis of an urban planning classic
Students must choose one text from the following urban planning classics and produce a critical analysis highlighting the theoretical and design contribution of the author, contextualizing it within the disciplinary debate and bringing out its relevance for contemporary urban planning practice.
Available texts:
- Astengo, Giovanni, Urbanistica, la scienza del futuro, a cura di A. Franceschini, La Finestra editrice, 2011.
- Benevolo, Leonardo, Le origini dell’urbanistica moderna, Laterza, 1991.
- Calzolari, Vittoria (con Ghio, M.), Verde per la città, De Luca Editore, 1961.
- Campos Venuti, Giuseppe, Amministrare l’urbanistica, Einaudi, 1967.
- Choay, Françoise, La città. Utopie e realtà, Einaudi, 1973.
- De Carlo, Giancarlo, L’architettura della partecipazione, Quodlibet, 2011.
- Gabrielli, Bruno, Il recupero della città esistente: saggi 1968-1992, Etaslibri, 1993.
- Jacobs, Jane, Vita e morte delle grandi città, Einaudi, 1961.
- Le Corbusier, Maniera di pensare l’urbanistica, Laterza, 1963.
- Lynch, Kevin, L’immagine della città, Marsilio, 2001.
- Quaroni, Ludovico, La torre di Babele, Marsilio, 1967.
- Salzano, Edoardo, Fondamenti di urbanistica, Laterza, 1998.
- Secchi, Bernardo, La città del ventesimo secolo, Laterza, 1995.
Should a student wish to propose an alternative text, prior approval from the instructors must be obtained.

The final assessment of students is structured through written tests, oral examinations, and workshop activities, following a composite framework that takes into account both individual competencies and group work.
The final exam consists of an overall assessment articulated across multiple components.
The first component concerns the individual verification of learning with regard to the content of the lectures delivered during the semester, which will take place through a written test in December. This test makes it possible to ascertain the acquisition of the fundamental theoretical and methodological knowledge presented throughout the course.
The second component of the assessment concerns the work carried out by the group during the various phases of the teaching path — in particular during the analysis and design phases of the assigned territorial area. This is complemented by an individual assessment relating to the content of the assigned bibliographic texts and any thematic in-depth studies that each student may independently develop, which will take place during the oral examination.
The final grade will take into account both the collective and the individual dimensions of the work carried out. With regard to group work, the assessment will generally be uniform for all members, though differentiation may be applied on the basis of specific criteria. These include regularity of attendance at teaching activities, the level of active participation in collective work, the effective contribution to the development of the required activities, and — in particular — the knowledge acquired in terms of critical-interpretive and design capacity in relation to the context studied.
This articulated assessment system makes it possible to appreciate both individual theoretical and methodological competencies and the collaborative and operational skills demonstrated in group work, yielding an overall judgment that reflects the complexity of the course's educational objectives.

The final exam focuses primarily on the cartographic and design outputs produced during the course and presented in the concluding session. Students are required to demonstrate a capacity for concise yet articulate presentation, capable of highlighting the knowledge acquired about the territorial context investigated — identifying both its strengths and its critical issues — and then connecting this interpretive reading to the design choices developed for the regeneration of the area studied.
Each member of the group must be able to describe with precision the elaboration process and the content of the maps, diagrams, drawings, and report produced during the workshop. Questions will be aimed at verifying the understanding of the motivations underlying the analytical and design choices contained in the outputs, requiring students to argue in a logical and technically grounded manner for the solutions adopted. It is essential to demonstrate not only knowledge of the tools used, but also a critical awareness of the methodological path followed and of the coherence between analysis and project.
Additional questions will focus on an in-depth study of an emblematic figure in Italian or international urban planning and one of their major works. In this case, students are required to demonstrate the ability to contextualize the theoretical and design contribution of the author studied, connecting it to the issues addressed during the course and showing an understanding of its relevance and currency for contemporary urban planning practice.
Overall, the exam aims to assess not only the knowledge acquired, but also students' ability to establish connections between theory and practice, between analysis and project, and to communicate their work effectively using appropriate disciplinary language.