Table of contents

The course is connected to the following study programs

Teaching language

Norwegian

Learning outcomes

On completion of this course, the students should be able to:
  • Be able to discuss theories, concepts and understandings of urbanism as planning for socio-spatiality
  • Knowledge on crucial aspect of ur urban planning and urban design
  • Having a critical perspective on planning discourses, in particular the planning for city life
  • Be able to use theories for intervention in urban planning and urban politics
  • Understand and evaluate visible and emergent forces of change and suggest intervention

Contents

The key-theme is urbanism as the socio-spatial forming of cities, and what forces are included here. Architects say "life first, then houses", but what do they mean by `life'? The course departs from earlier introductions to cultural clusters, entrepreneurial cities, experience economy, event cities, digi-cities, and knowledge cities. Themes are (a) traditional forms of cultural planning - art, music - as part of strategic urban development within the interurban competition. (b) Cities prefer 'network-strategies' as governing strategy, and today this includes (c) a greater focus on everyday life and its aesthetic forces. Further it includes the recognition of the city as a space of experience and experience with change.

The course will introduce and discuss urban theory and urban planning theory from the following themes:

 

Urban planning and urban theory

  • What is urbanism and urbanity?
  • How is the relation everyday life, public space, visual space, urban design understood?
  • How is diversity, community, urbanity and experience understood?

 

Key areas of urbanisms

  • The socio-spatiality of cities
  • Urban design and and socio-material fields of interaction
  • City life as values, normativity, everyday life

 

Interventions

  • Urban competiton: the event city
  • The city as public space
  • The lived city: Life-forms and experiences
  • Urban life as perceptions, experience, sesning and aesthetic

Teaching and learning methods

Combination of lectures, seminars and group work. The course's teaching is organized through a structured study guide that requires a high degree of student participation.

Examination requirements

Compulsory participation in group-work and seminars.

Examinations

Essay 3000 words for individual, 5000 words for group (max 3 students). The essay is assessed on the basis of graded grade A-F.

Student evaluation

The person responsible for the course decides, in cooperation with student representative, the form of student evaluation and whether the course is to have a midway or end of course evaluation in accordance with the quality system for education, chapter 4.1.
Last updated from FS (Felles studentsystem) Oct. 15, 2026 9:12:03 AM