In this concise module, students prima­rily specia­li­zing in Urban Plan­ning, Archi­tec­ture, and Urban Economy are extended a warm invi­ta­tion to parti­ci­pate in a round­table discussion.

The aim is to explore the pivotal role played by Muni­cipal States in today’s globally inter­con­nected and decen­tra­lized land­scape. Across Western count­ries in the Global North and Western-influenced regions of the Global South, parti­cu­larly in Latin America, diverse plan­ning tradi­tions have evolved. These tradi­tions trace their roots to the prin­ci­ples and legacy of the French civil code, intert­wined with the emer­gence of demo­cratic systems.

The stages of capi­ta­lism that have consciously shaped the prevai­ling hege­monic discourse have, in turn, molded the rela­ti­onships between indi­vi­duals and their respec­tive states. Curr­ently, these diverse plan­ning tradi­tions find them­selves in conflict with regional and poli­tical power struc­tures, as regional deve­lo­p­ment incre­asingly concen­trates within urban centers due to globa­liza­tion. An ongoing debate surrounds the role of clus­ters in plan­ning theory. The primary objec­tive in this brief seminar is to compre­hend the cons­traints muni­ci­pa­li­ties encounter in an incre­asingly globa­lized world. The focus is on shed­ding light on the poli­tical elements they retain and how they can crea­tively leverage their legal and mana­ge­rial frame­works to navi­gate contem­po­rary challenges.

This seminar serves to high­light the contras­ting plan­ning tradi­tions between the Global North and Global South, with a parti­cular focus on Latin America. It will explore the various place-based stra­te­gies and tools that muni­ci­pa­li­ties can employ inde­pendently of central govern­ment over­sight. These tools encom­pass concepts like Land Value Capture, Upzo­ning, and Rights of Pre-Emption. These tools are essen­tial for mid-sized and upper-middle-sized cities seeking resi­li­ence in the face of regional deve­lo­p­ment pres­sures, redu­cing their depen­dence on nation-states.

Enthu­si­a­stic parti­ci­pa­tion from students in this enga­ging explo­ra­tion of muni­cipal roles and the dynamic world of urban plan­ning tradi­tions is anti­ci­pated. Toge­ther, the comple­xi­ties and possi­bi­li­ties that lie within our evol­ving urban land­scapes will be unraveled.

– You will receive details and further infor­ma­tion about the shedule from the lecturer a few days before the start date –