LAA290 CityStudio Oslo

Studiepoeng:30

Ansvarlig fakultet:Fakultet for landskap og samfunn

Emneansvarlig:Erling Dokk Holm

Campus / nettbasert:Undervises campus Ås

Undervisningens språk:Engelsk

Antall plasser:

Admission: limited up to 8 students from NMBU.

(24 total student enrollment accross participating universities including UIO, Oslo Met)

Only students admitted to the course can follow teaching activities.

Students who have passed the course will not have access to the course at a later time.

Frekvens:Årlig

Forventet arbeidsmengde:Fulltime - 30 ECTS. 750 hours working load.

Undervisnings- og vurderingsperiode:

Autumn parallel

The course will not be offered in 2023-24

Om dette emnet

.

Urban challenges today are complex and multi-faceted. They need to be addressed by combining knowledge from different disciplines to ensure responses are valuable, operational and inclusive.

In this course, students aim to construct and execute a project relating to municipal strategies and urban challenges in Oslo. The projects must engage with people or a place outside of the studio and may be an experimental, critical or creative response to a local problem. Students work on this project in interdisciplinary groups (of three or four). Groups have a key contact at the City of Oslo and in-studio supervision to support project development.

The course progresses through context and skill building, project formation, project implementation and reporting. At the end of the semester, project groups present and submit a written project report to the City of Oslo. Students also submit an individual report.

The main components of the course are:

  • Urban Knowledge - including knowledge about the City of Oslo's structure, strategies and challenges by engaging with Oslo city staff, accompanied with learning and applying related theories in urban studies and planning.
  • Project Work - students experience creating a project from start to finish in a group. This is done by identifying and framing problems, creating and concretizing a response through design processes, project planning and managing various activities to implement and test the project concept.
  • Communications - including group facilitation, professional relationship development, presentations, visual communications, and non-academic writing.

This is an immersive full-time course. The course is open to students from multiple institutions.

For project examples from previous years, and information about instructors, see the CityStudio Oslo webpages.

Dette lærer du

Knowledge goals

Students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

  • Recent frameworks and theories in urban planning, governance, and sustainable cities.
  • How the City of Oslo is organized in terms of leadership, departments, political goals, strategies, partnerships and key actors.
  • How to identify with, and incorporate their current field of study to an interdisciplinary context.
  • The design thinking approach.
  • The problem area that their project focuses on. The students will obtain knowledge relating to their projects which may include empirical evidence on the issue of interest, experiences of the challenge in the community, and how the City operates in the area.
  • How a student's teamwork is influenced by their own and team member’s behavior and attitudes.

Skill attainment goals

Students will acquire skills such as how to -

  • Facilitate group discussions and decision-making processes.
  • Frame projects in a relevant context, such as urban planning, for a target audience.
  • Use design approaches and interdisciplinary perspectives to solve problems.
  • Create a detailed project plan.
  • Manage and implement a group project.
  • Identify and involve stakeholders and external actors in projects.
  • Host a productive meeting.
  • Report and present project ideas and outcomes in various formats (written, visual, oral) .

General competences

After the course, students will be able to:

  • Collaborate with people from other fields, developing a combined interdisciplinary expertise.
  • Conduct oneself in a professional manner as a liaison between various sectors, and engage with stakeholders.
  • Communicate ideas and concepts clearly to audiences outside of academia.
  • Contribute to creative, critical and collaborative thinking about urban development and sustainability issues.
  • Plan and implement a project.
  • Only students admitted to the course can follow teaching activities. Students who have passed the course will not have access to the course at a later time.

    The format of teaching will be:

    • Organized as seminars and workshops.
    • Discussion based and applied
    • Iterative with feedback in the process of refining project ideas, presentations and writing components
    • Supported by group meetings, supervision by teaching staff, and a key contact from the City of Oslo for each project group
    • Self and group directed in project research and implementation

    The course uses multiple tools for learning, including dialogue, applied theory, reflections, design processes, workshops and learning by doing. As students combine and apply knowledge to an authentic context through project work, in-depth understanding and practical applicability develops.

    A detailed course schedule will be available for registered students.

    This program is full-time and will run Monday - Friday from 9:00 to 16:00. Students may work outside of these hours when implementing projects or for hosting or attending special events. Course time is not limited to occurring at the studio location. There will be time for students to implement their projects and learn in the community. Students are expected to base their 'in-office' work at the studio.

  • The course uses multiple tools for learning, including dialogue, applied theory, reflections, design processes, workshops and learning by doing. As students combine and apply knowledge to an authentic context through project work, in-depth understanding and practical applicability develops.
  • Course coordination will be hosted on Canvas. Relevant literature will be discussed in class, according to addressed problem project framing.
  • Students from all disciplines of LANDSAM faculty are welcome to apply. The course is suitable for students with a record of 120 ECTS.
  • A portfolio consisting of two final examination grades that will be allocated, one group grade and one individual grade. Both are pass/fail and relate to the project. The student must pass both final exam components to pass the course.

    Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale.

    Group grade on project deliverables

    The project deliverable components are a group project presentation, a project poster, and a final project report. A feedback process will occur 1-2 weeks prior to the deliverable deadlines. All components are delivered and assessed as a group (three-four students). Project criteria will be discussed at the beginning of the project period.

    If project report and presentations fail to meet standards by a defined deadline, the group will be given 10 working days to rectify the report and re-submit.

    The students must present and deliver their project reports and findings to the City of Oslo. The group must be available to make a formal presentation of their project at a pre-defined location and date, which will be known at the start of the course.

    Evaluation

    The course is subject to continuous evaluation at regular intervals. We also ask students to participate in a mid-term and end of term comprehensive evaluation.

    Language of examination

    The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.

    Grading scale

    Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale.

  • The course wil have two sensors. One internal and one external.

    The participating institutions will name both sensor.

  • There will be mandatory individual assignments in the course. The mandatory assignments will focus on the key competency areas and support project development. They will include:

    • Hosting a dialogue with a city staff member (dates and guests will be pre-scheduled)
    • A written communications piece such as an opinion editorial (‘kronikk’) that students are encouraged to publish
    • Written reflections regarding self-learning and weekly studio topics and processes
    • An oral presentation related to project relevant readings
    • Individual written report (circa 8 pages)

    Mandatory assignments must be completed and approved by course instructors to qualify for the final exam (group project). Revisions may be requested until standards are met. Students will receive feedback on mandatory assignments.

    There is a mandatory attendance requirement for this course. Absence is permissible under reasonable circumstances up to 10 per cent. A strong commitment, professionalism, and active participation are expected in this course.

  • This is an immersive full-time course. The course is open to students from multiple institutions.

    The course will not be offered in 2023-24.

  • This is an immersive full-time course.
  • The course is suitable for all students with 120 ECTS at the Faculty of LANDSAM.
  • Bestått/ Ikke bestått
  • Students are not able to register for the course directly on StudentWeb because capacity in this course is limited.

    An application process is used to allocate seats. To apply, students submit a CV and letter of motivation. A committee will review applications and will invite top candidates to take part in a short interview before admission is offered. Students may also be offered a waitlist spot. Students must be registered as an active student for the corresponding semester at UiO, OsloMet or NMBU to apply.

    Please contact student advisor Monica Vestvik (LANDSAM) for detailed information on how to apply

    We seek a high level of engagement in the course. Only those who can commit to the course structure should apply.