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The future professional
Third World Urban Challenges Exploding the Future
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Instructor: Reinhard Goethert
Telephone: 617-253-2402
Office:
9-369
Send e-mail: rkg@mit.edu
Units: 3-0-6
Level: U/G
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor
Class size limited; undergraduates priority
Summary
The course is developed around the coming reality of “Double population, triple area - all in 20 years”. It is a challenge-based, hands-on opportunity drawing on experts to excite and stimulate through progressive levels of exploration. A culminating workshop in Vietnam brings in the test of reality.
The course provides a frame for exploration of the exploding growth in urban areas of the Third World, by bringing in experts as resources in the search, and in guiding students in the exploration of creative and innovation approaches.
The course seeks students who are creative, energetic, and confident to commit to this challenge for the Spring term.
Description
The now accepted doubling of the Third World urban population – with a tripling of the urban footprint by 2030 – has offered a frightening urban future. In 23 years the same amount of urban land will be demanded as has been generated throughout history in the previous 6,000 years. Moreover, this growth is projected to be predominately low-rise with a largely poor population. The specter of massive squatter fringe settlements by the informal squatter sector as in the past would devastate cities as we know them. Speed and scale are the new challenges.
Lacking are viable proactive approaches for housing the low income, and predictions for the future are grim if no innovative approaches are found and adopted. Environmental concerns now enter and make the urban future even more problematic.
We must develop powerful proactive strategies, which demands considerable creativity if we are to avoid an unthinkable future.
The course seeks undergraduates who bring energy, commitment, and confidence to challenge the issues of Third World urban explosion. We want to brainstorm innovative strategies offering an alternative choice for the future. Fresh, creative idea would be well-positioned to have considerable international impact.
Structure of Course
• The core of the course is structured around linked themes relating to the Third World focused on housing and urban growth.
• The initial two weeks provides a general orientation and background as a frame to understanding Third World issues. Extensive background material will be available on the web and presented in the class.
• For each theme, a recognized expert would be brought in as guide and resource. Students would organize into self-selected teams to address each theme. Themes would be explored in the following sequence:
1 - A formal theme-based presentation, offered on a school-wide basis to broaden the exchange of expertise to others not enrolled in course.
2 - In-depth sessions with the student teams, discussing the theme topic.
3 - Setting a challenge: outlining a key issue related to the theme, which student teams tackle over a two-week period.
4 - Review of student team proposals, either in person or via video link.
• The remaining weeks in the term would be spend on reflection and summation. The challenge proposals would be combined into a final report, for review by the experts that had been invited during the term.
• To solidify the course experience and to confront and compare the realities on the ground with the challenges in the class, a 2-week field-based workshop in Vietnam would be offered to the class. The field research would provide a ‘real-world’ reference to the approaches developed during the term. The workshop includes surveys of squatter communities, and preparation of development scenarios based on the presentations and exercises during the term, but now tempered by the realities of the field.
Themes and Schedule
GETTING UP TO SPEED (2-14 February)
Challenge 1: DEALING WITH SCALE AND SPEED (19-29 February)
The Charge: How to build awareness of the issues and to understand the consequential impacts.
How to mobilize effective support and action.
Challenge 2: FUTURING THE CITY (3-21 March)
The Charge: What will the cities be like? What could be the response in shape and form?
Challenge 3: HOUSING US ALL (31 March -18 April)
The Charge: How will all of us live? How to build enough to accommodate growth? What will be the form of housing?
Challenge 4: LIVING TOGETHER (28 April - 9 May)
The Charge: How will we get along with each other? How to maintain a civil society in the face of increased density and congestion?
Challenge 5: TESTING WITH REALITY (12-15 May)
The Charge: So what can we make out of this? What is being done now?
Now go and see: EXPLORE THE REAL THING (2 weeks, early June, dates tentative)
Explore and understand the peripheral boom in Ho Chi Ming City, Vietnam. Compare the reality with your explorations.
(The field survey is additional to the Spring Course, and offered as a special activity.)
What is required of the class
• Active participation in the class is assumed in hosting and challenging the invited ‘guide’.
• A conceptual sketch scenario for each of the themes would be prepared. Any innovative form is encouraged: 2-D, 3-D, and 4-D if you can do it! As well as painting, song, movie, installation: any form that explains the proposed concept.
• A summary presentation bringing together the responses to the challenges completes the term.
http://web.mit.edu/sigus/www/NEW/challengecourse/challengeindex.html
The course is offered as an activity of SIGUS, and was developed with support from the MIT Alumni Fund.
