There are two terms that have come to define the 21st century: the ‘urban age’ and the ‘age of man’. The former reflects the fact that more than half of the world’s population live in cities. The latter indicates the cost of this urbanisation and the impact of human activities on the creation of a new geological epoch, now known as the Anthropocene. Many cities around the world are acknowledging this and are competing with one another to become not only the cleanest, greenest and healthiest city, but also the safest. In this context, resilience is a concept which is spreading fast.
We will discuss the assumptions inherent in the ideologies and rationalities of ‘resilience’, its inscribed meanings and values, social, political, moral and ethical implications. What pitfalls and opportunities can be found in different understandings of the resilience paradigm? Participants will be asked to select a city from the 100 Resilient Cities and use that as a case study throughout the seminar.
Simin DAVOUDI
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Director, GURU - Global Urban Research Unit, University of Newcastle | | | |
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Rudolf GIFFINGER
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Professor and Head of Center, Regional Science, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna | | | |
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Director, GURU - Global Urban Research Unit, University of Newcastle
1988-1989 | Planning Consultant, Tyne and Wear Development Corporation, Newcastle
1989-1993 | Full time Research Associate, Department of Town and Country Planning, Newcastle University
1993-1996 | Part time Research Associate, Department of Town and Country Planning, Newcastle University
1993-1996 | Planning Officer, Northumberland County Council, Morpeth
1996-2000 | Lecturer in Planning and Director of Undergraduate Planning Programme, Bartlett School of Planning, University College London
Professor and Head of Center, Regional Science, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna
1975-1981 | Geography studies, University of Vienna
1993-1988 | PhD, Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Planning, University of Technology, Vienna
1998 | Habilitation, Regional Science, University of Technology, Vienna
since 1999 | Professor, University of Technology, Vienna
2005-2009 | Head, Interdisciplinary Centre of European Spatial Development, University of Technology, Vienna