The Urban planning studio didactic activity allows to test the student's ability to apply to concrete issues the knowledge gained within the teachings.

The studio is an introduction to urban planning and design through the fundamentals of the discipline as critical analysis of both city and country at different scales, as knowledge of theories and best practices of urban design and spatial planning in the twentieth century, as well as an understanding of current regulation and design tools. Further attention is devoted to understanding the dynamics of territorial transformation in recent decades along with emerging issues of the contemporary city (environmental sustainability, material welfare, urban mobility, public space, regeneration and reuse, digital networks). Through technical preparatory activity, the objective of the studio is to develop skills related to framing and designing urban space, also experimenting with communication and representation techniques.

The achievement of the studio is a basic knowledge of urban planning and design, through its main concepts, principles, and operational methods. Students are able to apply such knowledge to define urban problems and to identify viable design solutions, taking into account the social and material context of relevant areas. Exercise sessions and lectures will provide students with technical and representation tools.

The second semester Urban Planning Studio introduces students to the fundamental knowledge and technical skills used by urban planners to create, research, analyze, and implement plans and projects for the built environment. 
The studio aims at exploring the complex field of urban planning, providing students with a basic introduction to its core ideas and practices regarding three main issues, each representing a fundamental stage of the urban planning process: urban forms, planning tools, and development processes. 
These basics will be strengthened through an in-depth work regarding one area in a metropolitan region (e.g.  Milan) and through a set of lectures, seminars and activities referred both to other European and international cities.

In particular, the issue of the urban form will deal with the physical structure and environment of the city at multiple scales (open spaces, public spaces, urban morphology, regional urbanization, …). 
The planning tools and technical devices that are commonly used in modern and contemporary cities for organizing and driving urban transformation will be introduced thanks to historic and current examples (for example, zoning and land-use planning, direct government intervention, public-private partnerships, development right transfer, and other tools).

The processes of urban development and transformation will be understood as the outcome of multiple actors and stakeholders and as the interaction of diverse economic and political forces. This issue will be approached thanks to the study of strategic spatial visions, as well as the management and implementation of specific urban development projects.

The program will give the opportunity to introduce the core vocabulary and the main principles of planning theory and practice since the 20th century in Europe and explain most innovative Italian approaches, among which the ones linking urban forms, planning tools and policy-making. Similarly, a set of examples and case studies will explore Italian and European/international cities.

• SDG11 - SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

The students will be required to work both in a team and individually. They will be evaluated individually on the basis of their active participation in lectures, seminars, and teamwork, of their analysis, fieldwork, and representation with different media of the analyzed urban areas, as well as of their planning and design proposals. The overall evaluation will jointly consider:

1. Classworks and active participation in class activities
2. Memos
3. Team participation (peer evaluations)
4. Short essay
5. Mid-term exercise of urban analysis, fieldwork, etc
6. Final Work and Proposals
7. Final Presentation

In this sense the evaluation will include: knowledge and understanding, applying knowledge and understanding, making judgements, communication skills, and learning skills.