Compulsory Course | URBAN TRANSFORMATION II
MSc. Transforming City Regions – RWTH Aachen – SS 2026 –
UNESCO Chair of Urban Design/ European Urbanism/ Univ. Prof. Christa Reicher
Guidance:
Prof. em Dr. Ing. Andrea Haase
Student-Participants:
Panneschopp
Lizaveta Chepikava, Julia Gaida, Nicola Noll, Anastasiia Budina, Hakhyun Lee, Vera Keohof, Isebella Kanka, Ömer Faruk Kırkulak
Hanbruch
Atefeh Safakish, Kiana Jaberi, Zihan Wang, Siyu Liu, Xizi Zhang,Wenbo Li, Honglin Ye, Gega Goginashvili
Driescher Hof
Yibin Chen, Yingda Wu, Salma Altalli, Eda Ceyhan, Majed Aljalabi, Gijun Han, Timo Füg, Seyedehmahsa Gholizadeh
Steppenberg
Lissy Schneider, Başak Şengül, Derya Uğurlu, Pelin Bosnalıer, Serra Ataman, Melisa Çakmak, Öykü Emir Oğlu, Gina Reitz
Editorial Board:
Booklet Editing, Graphic Layout_Publication of Texts/ Ilustrations: Metehan Sert, Cemre Başaran
COURSE CONTENT
Evaluating ongoing processes of urban transformation in different locations/ their morphologies with relevance for the urban structure.
Understanding strategies/ measurements of guiding urban transformation in Europe/ Germany holistically. Finding regenerative answers to ongoing processes of urban transformation, case of Aachen (core-edges). Once in SS25 the inner urban areas from Roman/ Medieval origins up to industrial expansion of the 20th century (Garden City) have been considered, the focus of SS 26 is given to the Pre- and Post-War II-Expansion Settlements, introduced by the first expansion settlement with mainly common open spaces and no private plot division from 1920ies (Panneshop), followed by the 1950ies (Hanbruch), 1960ies (Driescher Hof), 1980ies (Steppenberg).
Applying criteria of qualifying the environment by setting goals for local culture, space, nature, people and the (circular) economy with reference to the European history of urban growth/ decline.
Considering ways of PLANNING as compulsory approaches to Visioning/Concept-finding/Land-use Management in Germany, relative to the autonomy of the Municipality in the Federal Planning System of Germany.
EXERCISE – STEPS OF TASK
1. Urbanity. Identify and localize types of “urbanity” in Aachen city (core and edges) relative to the ring-radial development of the compact urban structure and its periods of urban development (mapping/200 words)
2. Space/ Area/ Town. Select a location/ morphology in Aachen which represents one of the major historical periods; characterizing ongoing processes and phenomena of urban transformation in consequence of the land-market (elevation/ extension of built form on private ground … emptiness/ decay … maintenance/ preservation) and summarize your impressions of local spatial conditions (mapping/200 words).
3. Opportunities/ Restrictions – Innovation. Identify/ localize needs and criteria for guiding urban transformation relative to the original urban concepts/ area in town and region. State factual problems/ potentials for the “healthy city in a circular economy” per location/ morphology/ town (mapping/ 200 words).
4. Multi-scale Visions. Synthesize traditional and innovative values for urban space/ area/ town (mapping/ 200 words).
5. Intervention. Define goals for innovative urban changes by formal/ informal planning intervention/ area/ town (illustrations/ 500 words). The 5 steps build up on each other for a “position” with reasons in step 5!
The exercise concludes with an evaluation of the appropriateness of settlements/ their structural conditions from different times – for implementing spatially the philosophy of “circular economy”.