URBAN TREASURES - Theorising Social Design

Social Design Theory Course Winter Term 2023

together with Christina Schraml

What really makes a city? What is urbanity? What remains hidden? What is not (yet) perceived? What has been forgotten? What undiscovered resources need to be tapped? What does the unvarnished city look like? 

In the Social Design Theory Course we will embark on a collective treasure hunt into the past and present of the ordinary everyday life in the city in search of valuable (im-)material evidence for future urban alternatives. By exploring multiple dimensions of the urban, we focus on the art of social practices of everyday life that manifest the potential for social change. By recognising, naming and interpreting these precious instances in the space among and around us – their value and their internal logic – we build up a basis for conceptualizing possible futures. 

The course offers the opportunity for critical reading and group discussion on relevant urban issues from a Social Design perspective. Key figures and positions in the field of Social Design will be introduced and complemented by collective urban explorations. As our collective output we will work towards assembling a Glossary of Urban Treasures – a valuable resource to be used throughout the study period and beyond.

Requirements are regular attendance (at least 80%), preparatory readings and presentation of texts, active participation, as well as artistic contribution to the final output - a Glossary of Urban Treasures  (further details in the first session).

A copy of texts will be provided in the first session.