Territorial History and Spatial Planning
Module Urban and Territorial History

Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: TERESA GRAZIANO

Expected Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and understanding: students will gain theoretical-methodological knowledge in the field of urban history, by identifying different past layers with reference to current territorial layouts.

Applying knowledge: students will be able to apply critical methods and instrument to "read" and interpret transformation processes in urban contexts.

Making judgments: students will identify, select and process data retrieved from the historical analysis of a urban centre.

Communication skills: students will use a specific linguistic register related to urban history and they will be able to communicate the results of historical investigations through projects and final reports.

Learning skills: students will be able to retrace the historical evolution of the city.

Course Structure

Lectures
Working groups: document analysis
Flipped classroom
Information for students with disabilities and/or Learning Disorders.
As a guarantee of equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, students can ask for a personal interview i to plan any measure based on their specific needs. The department reference person of CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and/or Learning Disorders) is prof. Anna De Angelis.

Required Prerequisites

None.

Attendance of Lessons

Due to the interactive and partecipative methods used during the course, especially during workshop and fieldworks, attendance is strongly recommended.

Detailed Course Content

The course is aimed at providing students with the theoretical-methodological instruments to explore the evolution of territorial and urban processes from the historical perspective with the aim of "reading" and interpreting the different layers of history in the urban context, by linking them with contemporary processes.

In particular, students will focus on the main theoretical approaches related to the historical evolution of cities and gain the methodological instruments to carry out archive/bibliographic research, identify the main iconographic sources (maps, photographs), secondary textual sources (newspapers, travel diaries, planning documents) and use them in fieldwork analysis.

Textbook Information

Textbook 1. Benevolo L., La città nella storia di Europa, Latera, Bari-Roma, 1993 (selection of chapters).

Other learning materials include scientific papers, policy making documents and report/dossier. Materials will be available on Studium during the course.

Course Planning

 SubjectsText References
1Cities in history: morphology, categories and urban functions from classical Age to Middle ageLearning material provided by the teacher 
2City and the Industrial RevolutionText 1. Cap. 6
3The European city and the plans: Paris, Barcelona, Wien, AmsterdamText 1. Cap. 6 + Learning material provided by the teacher
4Cities in XX centuryText 1. Cap. 7
5The historical centre, between protection and regeneration: definition, legal frames and operational measures. Focus on the Catania historical centreLearning material provided by the teacher
6Maps, pictures, drawing: the iconographic sources for analysing urban historyLearning material provided by the teacher
7Fieldworks: urban walking as a tool for the analysis of urban transformation in the historic centre

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

Thee evaluation will include the presentation of an individual project focused on the evolution of a city selected as a case study and the evaluation of the knowledge of the theoretical frame through an oral test. 

Learning evaluation will be made through an oral test, during which the students will present his/her own project and his/her theoretical knowledge will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

1. Learning skills and degree of in-depth knowledge

2. Synthesis & analysis skills, appropriate linguistic register

3. Capacity of critical thought  


 

Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises

The city and the Industrial Revolution; Haussmann's plan; the middle-age city