URBINARY

In exploring research, education, and publication ‘in the periphery of’ academia, Aubrey Toldi, Isabella Traeger & Mohamed Elgohary chatted with three different #editorial platforms they admire for their extremely thoughtful, generative, and thought-provoking perspectives: Léopold Lambert, the chief editor of The Funambulist, a platform centered on the #politics of #space and #bodies; Federica Sofia Zambeletti and Shumi Bose, respectively founder and chief editor of #KoozArch, a platform that explores alternative practices and imaginaries in and beyond the #unbuilt; Giancarlo Fiorella, Director of Research & Training at Bellingcat, an open-source #investigativeplatform. 

The third episode of the new Urbinary podcast is out! In this first cycle, we explore and aim to discover our positionality as an editorial team within the field of urban studies. This journey is a series of steps, and the third one focuses on the ontology of the urban, analyzing what happens when critical #epistemological lenses are applied to develop a political-ecological interpretation of #urbanization. The devastating floods in #EmiliaRomagna serve as a framework to explore the systemic impacts of #planning and #policydecisions. By bringing together diverse perspectives and critically engaging with concepts like Territorial Political Ecology and urban political dynamics, this episode seeks to challenge traditional approaches and inspire innovative, process-driven strategies for addressing urban and territorial challenges. https://lnkd.in/dzeerd8r Join Anna Giulia Castaldo, Dr. and Stella De Luca!

Episode Three: "Finding Our Place: Navigating Urban Lenses and the Hybrid Story of Floods" is almost here! In this episode of Urbinary, Anna Giulia Castaldo, Dr. and Stella De Luca dive deep into how critical epistemological lenses shape our understanding of urbanization and its consequences. Together, they explore the connection between urban processes, territorial vulnerabilities, and the climate crisis, focusing on the devastating #floods that struck #EmiliaRomagna. To unpack these complex dynamics, they spoke with some leading voices: Camilla Perrone is an Associate Professor of Urban Planning at the Università degli Studi di Firenze and Scientific Director of the Critical Planning & Design Lab. Paolo Pileri is a Full Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies at Politecnico di Milano and co-founder the National Observatory on Land Consumption. Dr. Davide Castaldo is a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich in the Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences and activist within the Italian nonviolent civil association "Ultima Generazione". Pascal Bernhardt is the director of the 2024 documentary film "Romagna Tropicale," created in collaboration with Wu Ming 1. Join us as we uncover how #urbanization is reshaping territories and rethink the tools needed to address #environmental and #social #injustices. Don't miss it –follow us to listen to the full episode!

The second episode of the new Urbinary podcast is out! In this first cycle, we explore and aim to discover our positionality as an editorial team within the field of urban studies. This journey is a series of steps, and the second one focuses the ambiguous boundaries and contested limits of urban studies and planning, delving into their complex relationship as interconnected yet distinct field By fostering a dialogue among diverse voices and shading light on what the fields of urban studies and planning are, this episode seeks to inspire a more integrated, reflective, and impactful approach to understanding and shaping urban environments. Join Alessandro Maisano and Ruggero Signoroni! Here is the episode: https://lnkd.in/eUaTuBjW

Episode two: "Finding our place: Urban studies and planning – ambiguous boundaries, contested limits" is almost here! In this episode, Alessandro Maisano and Ruggero Signoroni kick off the discussion about urban studies and planning trying to define them as disciplinary fields by exploring their boundaries and limits To explore this topic, they spoke with: Carolina Pacchi - Vice Rector for Institutional and Community Relations, Professor of Urban Planning, DAStU, Politecnico di Milano. With her they have discussed the role of education and training, after trying to define what urban studies and planning are. Bertrando Bonfantini – Professor of Urban Planning, DAStU, Politecnico di Milano. He’s helped them separating urban studies from urban planning, urban policy and urban design. He’s also shed light on the role of universities as scientific educational institutions and their deontological responsibilities in shaping future professionals. Gabriele Pasqui - Professor of Urban Policies and Planning, DAStU, Politecnico di Milano. He’s stressed the transdisciplinarity of urban studies, rather than its multi- or inter-disciplinarity. Alessandro Coppola – Associate Professor of Urban Planning, DAStU, Politecnico di Milano. His contribution has emphasized how urban studies are fundamentally rooted in academia, while planning stemmed as a body of practices grounded in administrative practice. With him they've also touched on the role of activism. Peter Lacoere – Visiting Professor at UULP, KU Leuven and Lecturer and Researcher at HOGENT. He’s pointed out how there are substantial geographical differences in the way urban studies and planning have evolved, and how these traditions heavily influence current approaches. His contribution has been essential in highlighting the role (and rationales) of different actors and stakeholders, and how all urban-related decisions are intrinsically political. Andrea Benedini – PhD candidate, DAStU, Politecnico di Milano. While stressing the need for specialization, often pursued through the hybridization of different domains, his contribution led them to reflect on the dynamic nature of our fields. Rossella Asja Lucrezia Ferro – PhD student in Urban Planning at GSAPP, Columbia University. Her contribution has shed light on the different subdomains existing in both planning and urban studies emphasizing the importance of self-reflection and ethics in our actions. Michelangelo Fusi – PhD candidate, DICATAM, University of Brescia. He’s shed light on the importance of specialization in training and education. Nevertheless, while “finding one’s niche” is crucial in today’s society, he advocates for a better collaboration between different figures. Dino Barra – activist in Milan and high school professor of philosophy and history. During their interview, he’s emphasized the political nature of urban issues and the role of activism in framing and resolving such problems.

The first episode of the new Urbinary podcast is out! In this first cycle, we explore and aim to discover our positionality as an editorial team within the field of urban studies. This journey is a series of steps, and the first one focuses on understanding our positionality when observing urban spaces. Observation is a key step, a fundamental one, both in research and in planning/designing urban environments. Join Dafni Riga and Giulia O. Oldani as they rethink the role of observation in urban studies. https://lnkd.in/d5M_ga5e

Episode One: "Finding our place: rethinking observation in Urban Studies" is almost here! In this episode, Giulia O. and Dafni Riga kick off the discussion on observation in urban studies. Together, they dive into the importance of rethinking how we observe and interpret urban spaces. To explore this topic, they spoke with four incredible experts: Gabriele Pasqui is a full Professor of Urban Policies and Planning at Politecnico di Milano. With degrees in socio-economic disciplines and theoretical philosophy, as well as a PhD in Urban Policies from Università Iuav di Venezia, Gabriele brings a multidisciplinary perspective to understanding urban environments. Barbara E. A. Piga who is an Associate Professor at Politecnico di Milano and the Coordinator of the Laboratorio di Simulazione Urbana Fausto Curti. In this role, she leads research projects focused on experiential simulation and sensory urban design. Gloria Calderone an architect by training with a PhD from the Università degli Studi di Firenze. Gloria’s research delves into the fascinating intersection of performing arts, public spaces, and urban life, exploring how bodily interactions with spaces influence people’s experiences — in terms of perceptions, meanings and values they attribute to places —  encouraging urbanism to engage with this information. Elisa Privitera a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto. Lizzy holds a degree in architecture from the Università di Catania, where she also earned her PhD in Community Environmental Planning. Lizzy is actively involved in the Listening Project—a community-based initiative that collaborates with local partners to envision and work toward equitable transitions. Her research focuses on how the co-production of knowledge can drive environmental and social urban justice. Don't miss it – follow us to listen to the full episode!

Next Wednesday, the first episode of our new cycle will be out! Today, we want to introduce the early-career researchers behind this cycle, which serves as an introduction to both our vision and the field of urban studies. Once again, we are a diverse team of PhDs, research fellows, and students with varied academic backgrounds and research interests. Together, we aim to showcase the richness and breadth of urban studies by putting our expertise and passions into practice. Some of us are familiar faces, as part of the project’s coordinating team, while others are new additions. Curious to know more? Check out the editorial team behind this exciting first cycle! Politecnico di Milano

Cycle one trailer is out: https://lnkd.in/dyDXkSmP Cycle one emerges from the pressing need of a group of early-career researchers to carve out a space within the academic world. It stems from our desire to find our voice and share our unique perspective on urban studies. This cycle reflects our journey to position ourselves within the vast and complex field of urban studies, while bringing fresh perspectives and opening up new discussions. Each episode of this cycle explores one of four distinct themes, all aimed at questioning and challenging the rigidity of the discipline. Through these conversations, we seek to redefine boundaries, broaden the dialogue, and ultimately find our place in the evolving landscape of urban studies.

Wrapping up our Urbinary team introductions, it’s time to meet the duo behind the magic of our podcast! Say hello to Alessandro and Luciano, the talented post-producers who handle the editing and polishing of our interviews and episode recordings. If Urbinary sounds sharp, clear, and engaging, it’s all thanks to their hard work and expertise! Both are Telecommunications Engineering students at Politecnico di Milano and members of POLI.RADIO, one of our amazing supporters. Want to know more about Alessandro and Luciano? Swipe through the photos to meet them and learn about their unique skills and interests! #Urbinary #PodcastProduction #PostProductionTeam #PoliRadio #Collaboration