Field Trip 2024 to Thessaloniki (Greece)
From 22nd May to 27th May the Summer School covering the topic of „Resilience to Environmental Challenges in European Cities“, took place in Athens. The summer school part of the framework of the project „Challenges of resilience in European cities: development of plannng strategies und creatives measures“ funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), took place in Athens.
The Summer School 2017 is a pillar of the joint educational and research activities of the Leibniz University Hanover – LUH (Faculty of Architecture and Landscape) and the National Technical University Athens – NTUA (School of Architecture), which is supported by the DAAD university partnership. The overall aim of the summer school was to develop planning strategies and concepts dealing with so-called heat island in the city centre of Athens. This topic is a major challenge for sustainable, resilient and healthy urban development in Athens, especially regarding the dense building structure, small amount of public and green spaces as well as the architecture of the buildings. 10 Master degree students from LUH (study programmes Environmental Planning and EUMiTD) and 12 students of the NTUA (Architecture study programme) worked together in 5 interdisciplinary and international groups developing analyses, concepts and detailed plans encountering the above mentioned challenges.
The programme was accompanied by field visits, excursions and by keynotes and impulse giving presentations of international researchers and institutes. Prof. Dr. Dominic Stead from TU Delft held a presentation covering the topic of “Urban resilience, planning and climate change”, Vasileios P. Latinos (ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability) on “Cities are getting ready for climate change”
Further lectures were given among others by Katerina Sfakianki from the Centre for Renewable Enegry Sources and Saving on “The role of microclimate in the upgrading of urban spaces”, Prof. Dr. Kalliopi Sapountzaki (Harokopio University of Athens) on “Institutional and Social Resilience in Greek Cities in the Crisis: Implications for Environmental Managemnt & Planning”. Moreover, 100 Resilient Cities Athens, an initiative of the Athenian city council, present itself and its work in the city.
During the summer school 2017, excellent ideas were discussed and thus outstanding results were the outcome. The DAAD partnership will continue its work with a student excursion of Greek student to Hannover in July and another student excursion to Athens in September. Furthermore, there will be further excursions to Athens and Hanover in the following two years. The next summer school will take place in spring 2018 on the topic of “Adaptation of social and economic changes” in Athens.
Applications will be due beginning of 2018. Announcements and notices will be published in given time.
