SEMINAR | CURBSIDE STORIES – EXPLORATION OF URBAN SIDEWALKS

CURBSIDE STORIES – EXPLORATION OF URBAN SIDEWALKS

Master | 5CP (Englisch)

Changing social dynamics have made designing and managing public spaces challenging for cities, balancing the demands of security and democracy. Sidewalks, although often overlooked, are key public spaces where tension plays out. As transitional spaces that blur the boundaries between public and private realms, sidewalks serve as the stage where the theater of urban life unfolds, and where people from diverse backgrounds interact and negotiate their differences. This seminar investigates how these seemingly mundane spaces may influence the social, political, and economic dynamics of cities.

Seminar participants explore how the spatial configuration, material properties, design, and use of nearby buildings and open spaces, as well as urban control systems, interact with sidewalks. We will analyze how these factors influence sidewalk use through a literature review, remote research, and field observations. Together, we will create and apply research methods to study the five distinct sidewalks in Berlin. 

The seminar outcome will be a visual and analytical compendium, including the development of a short theoretical framework; analytical mapping; diagrams of spatial, political, and economic conditions; and schematic plans. The aim is to advance critical thinking skills and equip students with analytical tools that can be applied to gain insight into urban spaces.
 

Lehrpersonen

Ines Dobosic
Prof. Tim Rieniets