NSL – Netzwerk Stadt und Landschaft ETH Zürich
  • Projects
      • Projects of the Chairs
        • Prof. Dr. Bryan T. Adey | Infrastructure Management
        • Prof. Dr. Tom Avermaete | History and Theory of Urban Design
        • Prof. Dr. Kay W. Axhausen | Traffic and Transport Planning
        • Prof. Dr. Francesco Corman | Transport Systems
        • Prof. Dr. Adrienne Grêt-Regamey | Planning of Landscape and Urban Systems (PLUS)
        • Prof. Dr. David Kaufmann | Spatial Development and Urban Policy
        • Prof. Hubert Klumpner | Architecture and Urban Design
        • Dr. Anastasios Kouvelas | Traffic Engineering and Control
        • Prof. Dr. Christian Schmid | Sociology
        • Prof. Milica Topalovic | Architecture and Territorial Planning
        • EiR PD Dr. Joris Van Wezemael | Spatial Transformation Laboratories (STL)
        • Prof. em Dr. h. c. Günther Vogt | Landscape Architecture
        • ETH Wohnforum – ETH CASE
        • NSL Archive
      • NSL Colloquia – The NSL Colloquia are a bi-annual presentation of exceptional work under a rotating theme determined by the inviting professor.
      • NSL Projects
        • Future Cities Lab Global
        • Urban Potential and Strategies in Metropolitan Territories
 – The Zurich Metropolitan Region as an Example (NFP65)
        • Landscape Visualization and Modeling Lab (LVML)
      • NSL Forum: Pandemie? Mitten im Klimawandel. Was bedeutet das für die räumliche Entwicklung der Schweiz? Ein Dialog.
      • Former Chairs
    Close
  • Teaching
    • Teaching
      • Bachelor and Master Degree Programmes, Department ARCH
      • Bachelor and Master Degree Programmes, Department BAUG
      • MSc in Spatial Development and Infrastructure Systems
      • MAS/CAS Spatial Development
      • MAS Urban and Territorial Design
      • MAS in Housing
      • Doctoral Programme in Landscape and Urban Studies
      • The teaching component of the NSL seeks to impart the knowledge and skills needed to develop the standard strengths of spatial planning and their interaction as well as the ability to develop strategies for the solution of spatial problems. These are central prerequisites for a responsible and successful exercise of planning functions in the service of the public commonwealth and of private companies. Especially important in fufilling these prerequisites is the quality of university-level education: graduate and post-graduate work as well as professional development in spatial, urban and landscape planning. The ETH Zurich has offered programmes such as continuing education courses and post-graduate programmes (NDS, now MAS) since 1965. The NSL (Network City and Landscape) is responsible for these courses and programmes.
    Close
  • Publications
    • NSL Newsletter – The NSL brings the experts at ETH Zurich together and also maintains a dialogue with other groups that deal with or are interested in issues relating to cities and landscapes.
    • Cover der Publikation: Erkenntnisse zum aktuellen WohnungsnotstandPublications of NSL Chairs – A complete list of publications can be reached via the following link, which also includes advanced search capabilities:
      • ETH Zürich Research Collection
    • DISP_58/3_CoverdisP – The Planning Review – The interdisciplinary scientific journal covers the topics of spatial development, urban planning, landscape and environmental planning, landscape architecture, traffic planning, and regional and environmental economics, as well as special issues on specific themes.
      • Publishing in disP – The Planning Review
      • Publisher
      • Book Review Guidelines
      • Editorial Staff
      • Latest Issue
      • facebook
    Close
  • Current
  • Contact
      • en
        • de
        • fr
        • it
      • Search

    • Close

Informality

Informality is the new normality. Designers need a new set of process-based tools to effectively address the complexity of the informal context. 

Identify the context. The research and design process begins with a robust critical analysis using the following tools: socio-geographical mapping, drawing, modeling, interviews and writing. The goal of this rigorous exercise is to clearly identify the critical issues and challenges to be addressed and that serve as the foundation for design.

Design the Syncretic City. Seek to foster effective interaction between the formal and informal, between the conflicting forces of the city, to create flexible spaces and inclusive environments. It is not a desire for homogeneity; it seeks productive coexistence.

Redefine sustainability. It is essential to expand the definition of sustainability to encompass social and economic imperatives as formative potentials.

Engage the existing city. The existing city is a catalytic realm of potentially new trajectories. The new city will be built on and with the old.

Expand. The architect is an animator of change – an interface between top-down planning and bottom-up initiatives. Designers provide the necessary platform for an interdisciplinary practice with purpose-oriented social design strategies.

Unfold. Find and occupy the latent territory of the city by shifting the understanding of urban challenges from inevitable symptoms of outmoded models to new opportunities.

Combine. Combine social infrastructure with physical infrastructure; combine mobility and sustainability; combine environmental concerns with social and economic imperatives.

Challenge the status quo. Conventional practices must be questioned. Alternative urban models must be explored in order to address the asymmetrical urbanization processes.

Contact: Michael Contento, Brillembourg Klumpner Chair of Architecture and Urban Design, ETH Zürich

 

Share this...
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Email
This article has been published in the following newsletter edition:

21 | März 2014: Informelle Siedlungen

  • Designing the Ciliwung River: An urban landscape study of an Indonesian Kampung

  • Informality
  • Popular Urbanization – A comparative concept in urban studies
  • Innovating Mass Housing in Brazil
Kurzmeldungen
  • Projektstart «Urbanes Profil», ein Praxishandbuch
  • Strategien und Planungsinstrumente für polyzentrische Stadtregionen: Fallstudien Amsterdam und Zürich
  • Signbus – Minimising Bus Delays
  • Vision Mobilität Schweiz 2050
Publikationen
  • Modeling impacts of weather conditions in agent-based transport microsimulations
  • Prognose der Dauer von Störungen des Bahnbetriebs
  • Anthologie zum Städtebau, Bd. 2 (in 2 Teilbd.): Das Phänomen Großstadt und die Entstehung der Stadt der Moderne
  • SLUM Lab: Empower Shack.

Chairs

Prof. Dr. Bryan T. Adey
Prof. Dr. Kay W. Axhausen
Prof. Dr. Tom Avermaete
Prof. Maria Conen
Prof. Dr. Francesco Corman
Dr. Jennifer Duyne Barenstein
Prof. Teresa Galí-Izard
Prof. Dr. Adrienne Grêt-Regamey
Prof. Dr. Guillaume Habert
Prof. Dr. David Kaufmann
Prof. Hubert Klumpner
Dr. Anastasios Kouvelas
Prof. Freek Persyn
Prof. Dr. Christian Schmid
Prof. Milica Topalovic
EiR PD Dr. Joris Van Wezemael
Prof. em Dr. h. c. Günther Vogt
ETH Wohnforum – ETH CASE

Contact

Address
ETH Zürich
NSL – Netzwerk Stadt und Landschaft
Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5
HIL H 44.2
8093 Zürich

NSL Director
Director: Prof. Hubert Klumpner
Deputy Director: Prof. Dr. David Kaufmann

NSL Coordination
Claudia Gebert
Telephone: +41 (0)44 633 36 33

Register for the NSL Newsletter

disP Publication Office

Editor-in-Chief
Dr. sc. techn. Martina Koll-Schretzenmayr, Spatial planner ETH/NDS,
Telephone +41 (0)44 633 29 47

Editorial Assistant
Telephone +41 (0)44 633 29 69

Mailing address
ETH Zürich
Redaktion disP
NSL – Netzwerk Stadt und Landschaft
Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5
HIL H 33.2
8093 Zürich
Fax +41 (0)44 633 12 15
E-Mail

 

NSL Archive (gta)

Research and Bequest Archive for
Swiss Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning

Consultation Requests

Mailing address
ETH Zürich
NSL Archive (gta)
Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5
HIL C 65.2
CH-8093 Zurich