THE THEME OF THE PRIZE IN 2019
Planners as Leaders of Urban Transition
The AESOP Excellence in Teaching Award Committee consists of the following members:
- Olivier Sykes, CHAIR, Department of Geography and Planning, University of Liverpool, UK
- Lukas Gilliard, Young Academics Network, School of Spatial Planning, TUM Department of Architecture, University of Technology Munich, Germany
- Konstantinos Lalenis, Department of Planning and Regional Development, Faculty of Engineering, University of Thessaly, Greece
- Maria Håkansson, Urban Planning and Environment, KTH – Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
- Maros Finka, Department of Spatial Planning, Institute of Management, Slovak University of Technology, Slovakia
- Valeria Fedeli, Department of Architecture and Urban Studies, Polytechnic of Milan, Italy
- Xavier Desjardins, Université de Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, France
The Committee received 9 applications this year:
- Cardiff University School of Geography and Planning, Wales, Places and Plans
- The University of Queensland, Australia, Planning Theory
- Bartlett School of Planning, UCL, England, Plan-Making Studio in City Planning I and II
- University of Liverpool – London Campus (UK), England, Urban Development and Place Making Project
- Oxford Brookes University, England & University of Waterloo, Ontario, Planning Exchange
- École d'Urbanisme de Paris, France, Applied Planning Project "Urban integration of Chekepatty" (French Guyana)
- Institut d’Urbanisme & Géographie Alpine // Planning & Alpine Geography Institute, France, Ateliers de coopération internationale en urbanisme (Master 1 & 2) / International Cooperation in Urbanism studios
- Department of Urban Planning and Design, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China, Neighbourhood Planning
- University College Cork, Centre for Planning Education and Research, Ireland, Becoming Reflective Practitioners - Glounthaune Town Centre: Community Engagement and Masterplan project
the Institut d’Urbanisme & Géographie Alpine
International Cooperation in Urbanism studios
With the respect to the winner, the Excellence in Teaching Award Committee considered that, the module followed a strong pedagogic approach which fostered reflection and leadership skills and an understanding of complexity amongst cohorts of students from two cities, Grenoble (France) and Sfax (Tunisia). It brought together students from institutions in both cities working as teams on planning commissions in each city in collaboration with, professors elected representatives, NGOs and citizens. Students taking the module were able to develop leadership skills through the experience of practice in local territories facing the challenges of urban transition. The urbanism studio allowed students from a variety of backgrounds to gain an appreciation ‘by doing’ of how urban planners might position themselves at the forefront of the urban, social and democratic transitions occurring in developed and emerging countries.The committee were impressed by the commitment to international cooperation and the opportunity the course gave to students to participate in co-produced urbanism as a means of fostering urban transition towards solidarity and sustainability. We were particularly struck by the powerful and self-reflective testimonies of students who have taken the module who - for example have said it has made them ‘more open, more serene and more combative as planners’; discover ‘the world of professional practice turned toward the future’; develop ‘capacity for project management and the coordination of a pluridisciplinary team’; and, learn ‘how to include the stakeholders in a project’. The employment destination of learners from the module also seemed to confirm the value of the experience in developing skills of entrepreneurial urban leadership (e.g. foundation of NGOs).
In addition, the following course, was also considered Highly Commended:
- The University of Queensland, Australia, Planning Theory
- University College Cork, Centre for Planning Education and Research, Ireland, Becoming Reflective Practitioners - Glounthaune Town Centre: Community Engagement and Masterplan project
- University of Liverpool – London Campus (UK), England, Urban Development and Place Making Project
On behalf of the AESOP Community, we would like to congratulate the Winner and the Highly Commended Courses and express a word of gratitude to Olivier Sykes (Chair) and the Award Committee members for all their dedicated and generous work put into the selection process.
