Course content

This BIP focuses on translating the New European Bauhaus (NEB) values and its working principles into design and urban planning strategies for sustainable and inclusive neighbourhood regeneration in the context of global technological (TECH) competitiveness.

Rooted in the NEB values of Beauty, Sustainability, and Inclusion, and in the working principles of Participatory Processes, Multi-Level Engagement, and a Transdisciplinary Approach, this programme will foster interdisciplinary collaboration among master's and PhD students from diverse fields. It seeks to strengthen skills for collaborative projects to support clearer communication of the solutions towards academia, industry, citizens, and urban decision-makers in participatory planning processes.

Learning outcome

The BIP programme will equip master's and PhD students with state-of-the-art design thinking, participatory approaches, co-creation knowledge and skills, and other innovative methods to challenge and rethink the urban design process for the sustainable regeneration of neighbourhoods. Students will engage in active group work, workshops and other innovative interactive methods.

Participants will gain in-depth knowledge of the NEB framework and its implications for policy, design, and urban innovation.

Students will work with real case studies, focusing on how New European Bauhaus values and principles can support and enhance stakeholder participation and informed decision-making processes (policy) for designing regenerative neighbourhoods and sustainable urban transformation focused on people and places. They will be equipped with learning methods to assess the aesthetics, inclusion, and sustainability of the neighbourhoods.

By the end of the programme, students will enrich their competencies and be able to:

• Collaborate effectively in transdisciplinary teams for designing regenerative neighbourhoods in the context of technological competitiveness.
• Analyse the spatial, social, environmental, and governance dimensions of neighbourhood regeneration in cities undergoing technological and societal transitions.
• Apply participatory and co-design methods to investigate urban regeneration challenges and opportunities in real-world case study contexts.
• Communicate urban design concepts and strategies through visual storytelling, gaming, collaborative workshops, and group presentations.
• Co-vision collaborative design proposals for regenerative neighbourhoods that integrate NEB values, implement its working principles, and respond to local urban challenges.
• Explain the principles and values of the New European Bauhaus and their relevance for contemporary urban regeneration.

Learning methods and activities

BIPs integrate in-person sessions hosted by partner institutions with mandatory online components, adopting a two-phase blended learning structure that combines online (virtual) and on-site (physical mobility) collaborative work, with an optional small project co-developed and co-taught by an international, multidisciplinary academic team. Students will work in transdisciplinary teams, supervised by a group of international mentors during both the online and on-site phases.

Consortia of Cooperating Universities: NTNU, WUT and TUB, with the support of ETH and Aachen University.

• Online phase: During online sessions, ENHANCE Alliance teachers and invited experts and guest lecturers will provide insights into the school's topics, equip students with knowledge of specific assessment tools, methods, and approaches for use in the online and on-site workshop formats, and prepare them for intensive fieldwork and study visits.
• On-site phase: Site visit to a selected pilot; multi-layer spatial analyses; applying learnt methods and approaches to co-vision alternative solutions for regenerative neighbourhoods; and collaborating effectively with experts to communicate and visualise design solutions through NEB workshops. Students will work in transdisciplinary international student groups under the mentorship of professors and experienced researchers.
• Additional project (online): Students work on an additional project, the ENHANCE Summer School Innovative Design Approaches Booklet, edition 1, or on drafting the joint publication for a peer-reviewed journal, mentored by professors and graphic designers to support them with design tasks.

Recommended previous knowledge

Strong interest in Urban Planning, Urban Design, Architecture, Urban Ecosystem Science and broader.

Interest in Art, Heritage, Social Science, Geography, Landscape Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Facility Management, Urban Management, Participatory Planning, IT, Gaming, Smart City Technologies, and Data Science and related fields.

Credit reductions