The team is very pleased to announce that our former colleague Julia Siedle has been appointed as professor at Biberach University of Applied Sciences for the winter semester 2022/2023 in the course of study architecture, department / chair urban design.

Congratulations and all the best!

Urban planning strategies and designs are developed for the sustainable further development of the structural and infrastructural qualities of Ehrenfeld. Emphasis is placed on an innovative, experimental design approach that sets new impulses for the development of the entire neighborhood. With the help of the urban planning methodical procedures, the master students will generate visionary solutions as well as new urban models of thinking, in order to appear with the design concept as impulse givers for the future urban development within Cologne Ehrenfeld. The final submission of the individual urban development strategies and the architectural concepts will take place in mid-September.

The fundamentals of urban development for the summer semester 2021 were dealt with in partial assignments this semester and compiled into a collection folder. The examination of urban structures was carried out through the creation and interpretation of black plans of the respective neighborhoods. The consideration of building law aspects in the context of the determinations from development plans, as well as socio-cultural aspects in the context of a user and program analysis have shown the range of potential urban topics, which finally found their conclusion in a group work in the form of an urban micro concept.

The background of the fundamentals of urban design is to show the students a broad view of the variety of urban fields of action. Scale jumps from continental impacts to the smallest urban detail, as well as legal, technical regulations from legislation to soft socio-cultural, social structures and their influence on the city.

With these and other fundamentals, students are prepared for subsequent design assignments and can gain initial experience in the application of urban design methods.

Until his retirement, Professor Dr. Johannes Meyer was a professor of urban planning in the Department of Architecture at the University of Wuppertal. Beyond the specialist audience, his publications on urban and transport planning appeal to all those who are concerned about limiting global warming and preserving natural biodiversity.

Julia Siedle and Prof. Dr. Tanja Siems published an article in issue 5/2018 of 'PLANERIN', in which they present in detail the teaching method of the urban planning matrix, which has been tested many times at the Department of Urban Planning, and explain it using the example of urban planning models and utopias.

Abstracts. Understanding and evaluating complex systems is a prerequisite for the work of urban planners and architects. It forms the basis for the derivation of any differentiated and integrated design strategy. The process of analysis necessary for this must be considered an elementary part of design, and even beyond that, the professional handling of complex information is an important key qualification for coping with the multi-layered spectrum of tasks of a planner and for one's own positioning in the field of work and research. We therefore see the process of systematizing and structuring information as an important part of university teaching in urban planning. For this purpose, we work with a didactic-analytical tool that is constantly being further developed in the process: the urban planning matrix. What distinguishes an urban planning analysis from a natural science problem is the ambiguous, often contradictory character of urban systems. There are many unknowns. A matrix is a tool to juxtapose information that is difficult to compare at first glance, to filter it, and to generate new knowledge by combining it. It is a graphical form of representation that, by systematizing, linking, and overlaying information from different topics, is able to explain confusing terrain and reveal unforeseen possibilities. The article describes the approach and procedure of this method and explains it by means of an example from teaching at the Department of Urban Design at the University of Wuppertal.

More information: Order SRL booklet

On September 8, 2018, the Chair of Urban Design represented our faculty at the Research Day in Wuppertal. There we presented our latest research project to the public.

The interest was overwhelming, we got to talk to numerous citizens from all over the city and were able to gather valuable knowledge about the real use of buildings in the Arrenberg neighborhood and beyond.

Lecturers and students are working together with the association Aufbruch am Arrenberg on innovative and creative solutions for sustainable building use in the Land Sufficiency Lab. Because instead of building more and more new, we should make effective use of the buildings we have. For this purpose, we are looking for potential spaces that are completely or temporarily vacant. This could be, for example, empty children's rooms, abandoned stores or offices that no one uses after work or on weekends. This is where we will test densification of use in existing buildings in a real laboratory. Because the most ecological and also the cheapest building is the one that does not have to be built and operated in the first place.

Authors: Tanja Siems & Katharina Simon Publisher: IEA SHC Task 51

This booklet describes an interdisciplinary summer school on solar energy in urban planning. Teaching mehodologies and results are shown as an applied example of successful collaboration between teaching, research and practice, to serve as inspiration and encouragement for educators.

"City in Transition"

Authors: Tanja Siems & Katharina Simon Publisher: BUW Wuppertal, Chair of Urban Design, IUG Institute

The publication describes the interdisciplinary summer academy "City in Change" in Berlin Adlershof, which dealt with the use of solar potentials in the context of urban development. Teaching methods and results are described, which are based on a successful cooperation of teaching, research and practice and should serve as inspiration and support for teachers.