Urban Regulations and Political Memory: Towards Understanding Spatio-Temporal Aspects of Urban Development
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Course description:
„Urban Regulations and Political Memory: Towards Understanding Spatio-Temporal Aspects of Urban Development” is an international, interdisciplinary course organised by five 4EU+ member universities: University of Warsaw, University of Milan, Charles University, Sorbonne University, Heidelberg University as part of the 4EU+ joint educational offer during the academic year 2025/2026.
Key topics of the course are the driving forces of urban changes, development of smart cities and interdisciplinary methodologies of urban studies. The course is developed as part of an educational project which addresses changes in the conditions of the urban development of smart cities in Poland, Italy, Czechia and Germany, according to three dimensions: past (history), present (law) and future (geography). Emphasis is put on integrated and interdisciplinary approach in order to help students understand the complexity of new urban centres in which real estate development must coexist with the protection of the environment and with the history and heritage of the local community.
The course will be conducted by an interdisciplinary team of historians, lawyers, geographers and educational sciences specialists.
Course dates: virtual part – Wednesdays afternoons, starting from 8 October 2025 (13:15-14:45 / 13:15-15:45 / 13:15-16:30); on-site part 23-27 February 2026
Language of instruction: English.
Number of online didactic hours: 47 (lectures and workshops): 27 virtual hours (October – December 2025), 20 on-site hours (23-27 February 2026)
The previous edition of the project can be found here and here.
How to apply?
- The students will be selected based on their CV and motivation letter.
- The deadline for sending the documents is 23 September 2025.
- The CV and the motivation letter should be sent as a single PDF document to unread@wpia.uw.edu.pl
- The file’s name should contain the applicant’s name (surname_name.pdf), and the subject of the email should be “UNREAD recruitment”.
- The motivation letter should indicate the students’ objectives and motivations for taking the course.
- The motivation letter should not exceed 1,000 characters.
Date Lecturer Subject Zoom recurring meeting 8 October 2025
13:15-14:45 (2 l)
All of Team European cities and urban development: methodologies and case studies in a multidisciplinary perspective. Opening lecture: presentation of the course, presentation of the team, presentation of the students.
Topic: UNREAD meeting 2025/2026 Join Zoom Meeting:
https://uw-edu-pl.zoom.us/j/98970950526?pwd=s2T59tcWrgCgf9g6pbq5v4balY5haK.1
Meeting ID: 989 7095 0526
Passcode: 559017
15:00-16:30 (2 w)
Karolina Wojciechowska, Ph.D., University of Warsaw, Faculty of Law and Administration Workshop: course expectations. Task 1: hierarchical expectations.
Task 2: Defining terms: memory, space, regulation.
15 October 2025
13:15-14:45 (2 l)
Piotr Okniński, Ph.D., University of Warsaw, Faculty of History Space, architecture and memory in a pre-industrial city. 22 October 2025 13:15-14:45 (2 l)
Fabio Guidali, Professor, University of Milan, Faculty of Humanities The memorial and exhibition space: the case of 20th century Milan in a comparative perspective. 29 October 2025 13:15-14:45 (2 l)
Karolina Wojciechowska, Ph.D., University of Warsaw, Faculty of Law and Administration The normative process of erecting a building. 5 November 2025 13:15-14:45 (2 l)
Tereza Fabšíková, Ph.D., Charles University, Faculty of Law Urban planning – environmental protection, public participation and other aspects. 12 November 2025 13:15-14:45 (2 l)
Francesco Goisis, Professor, University of Milan, Faculty of Law Pasquale Pantalone, Professor, University of Milan, Faculty of Law
Smart city and environmental law. 19 November 2025 13:15-14:45 15:00-15:45
(3 l)
Martin Ouředníček, Professor, Charles University, Faculty of Science Adél Petrović, Ph.D. candidate, Charles University, Faculty of Science
Dorota Mantey, Ph.D., university professor, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies
Urban transformation processes. Gentrification. Suburbanisation. 26 November 2025 13:15-14:45 (2 l)
Ulrike Gerhard, Professor, Heidelberg University Editha Marquardt, Ph.D., Heidelberg University
Conflicting sustainabilities. Challenges of sustainable urban development. 3 December 2025 13:15-14:45 (2 l)
Florent Pasquier, Professor, Sorbonne University Transdisciplinary methodology in order to approach complex issues. 10 December 2025 13:15-14:45 15:00-16:30
(4 w)
Dorota Mantey, Ph.D., university professor, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies Ulrike Gerhard, Professor, Heidelberg University
Editha Marquardt, Ph.D., Heidelberg University
Social justice in the context of urban transformation Karolina Wojciechowska, Ph.D., University of Warsaw, Faculty of Law and Administration Guidelines for writing essays. 17 December 2025 13:15-14:45 (2 w)
Piotr Okniński, Ph.D., University of Warsaw, Faculty of History Writing workshop January 2026 February 2026
All of students Preparation period for students for essays, consultation. 23 February 2026 15:00-16:30 16:45-18:15
(4 w)
Martin Ouředníček, Professor, Charles University, Faculty of Science Adél Petrovic, Ph.D. candidate, Charles University, Faculty of Science
Karolina Wojciechowska, Ph.D., University of Warsaw, Faculty of Law and Administration
Stationary workshop: Transformations of urban environment: analysis of visual documents. 24 February 2026 15:00-16:30 16:45-18:15
(4 w)
Karolina Wojciechowska, Ph.D., University of Warsaw, Faculty of Law and Administration Piotr Okniński, Ph.D., University of Warsaw, Faculty of History
Martin Ouředníček, Professor, Charles University, Faculty of Science
Adél Petrovic, Ph.D. candidate, Charles University, Faculty of Science
Stationary workshop: Spatial planning. 25 February 2026 13:15-14:45 15:00-16:30
(4 w)
Dorota Mantey, Ph.D., university professor, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies Stationary urban field trip (will allow them to explore and identify manifestations of political memory in the urban context, using concrete examples from the city) 26 February 2026 15:00-18:15 (4 w)
All of Team All of students
Stationary conference at University of Warsaw 27 February 2026 9:45-13:15 (4 w)
All of Team All of students
Stationary conference at University of Warsaw -
Assessment methods and conditions for obtaining credit:
Group work: producing an essay and delivering a presentation (each student group has to comprise participants from different universities). Essays will be presented at a face-to-face conference (2 days) held at the University of Warsaw in February 2026 during 5 days on-site period of the course.
ECTS: 6.