The recognition of the fragile body in the city

• Organisers : Sandro Cattacin, Fiorenza Gamba, Nikolena Nocheva (University of Geneva) and the

• 4EU+ project partners : Henriette Steiner (University of Copenhagen), Mark Vacher (University of Copenhagen) Tomàš Karásek (Charles University - Prague)

• Invited Speakers: Cristina Bianchetti (Polytechnic of Turin), Paolo Fusi (Hafen City University – Hamburg)

• Discussants: Panos Mantzarias (Fondation Braillard Architects) Francesco Della Casa (Cantonal Architect Geneva)

How could architects design the city for the fragile body? This question is at the centre of the first dialogue of the 4EU+ European University Alliance project "The recognition of the fragile body in the city: An interdisciplinary perspective on European fundamental values”. Two invited speakers will launch the discussion on “the fragile body in architecture”.

On the one side, Cristina Bianchetti, professor of urban planning at the Polytechnic of Turin, deals with contemporary urban design criticism. Her work on the relation between space and bodies permits to focus on the agency of bodies. Her view on the body as an intermediary between space and person leads to read the sharing of experiences in housing, in the use of the public space, in the everyday encounters at the forefront of an architectural intervention.

On the other side, Paolo Fusi, Professor of Urban Design at the HafenCity University in Hamburg, tries to introduce the topic of multiplicity in the (historically established) design and in use of the same spaces. Cities characterised by this double multiplicity deserve care, Fusi argues, even more care than we are used to applying to our own private living environments.

Panos Mantzarias, architect, director of the Braillard Fondation Architectes (Geneva) and partner of the project and Francesco Della Casa (Cantonal Architect Geneva) will comment on how cities of differences can be designed.

• It is possible to attend :

  1) in-person at the Fondation Braillard Architectes, Rue Saint-Léger 16, 1205 Genève

  2) online via Zoom, mandatory registration at the following link.

• Organiser : Tomàš Karásek, Nikolena Nocheva (Charles University, Prague)

• 4EU+ project partners : Henriette Steiner (University of Copenhagen), Mark Vacher (University of Copenhagen), Sandro Cattacin (University of Geneva), Fiorenza Gamba, (University of Geneva).

• Intoruduction: Tomáš Karásek (Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University)

• Invited Speakers: Eva Němečková (Prague Institute of Planning and Development) and an intervention by specialists of the PRAHO! Project

Can beauty provoke conflict? How do local communities react to initiatives aimed at restoring public spaces with the use of artistic means? Are controversies emanating from such efforts avoidable through the process of public participation? How do images of human bodies connect with the theme of a fragile body in the city?

The workshop “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: conflicts over artistic restoration of public spaces” will discuss the aforementioned and related questions. Using the controversy over the artistic renovation of the underpass near the Faculty of Social Sciences Jinonice campus as a starting point, it will connect it to the issues tackled by the project “The recognition of the fragile body in the city: an interdisciplinary perspective on European fundamental values (REBO)”, run in cooperation between Charles University, University of Geneva and University of Copenhagen with the support of the 4EU+ European University Alliance.

• It is possible to attend online via Zoom, mandatory registration at the following link

• Organiser : Henriette Steiner, Mark Vacher, Kristin Veel (University of Copenhagen)

• 4EU+ project partners : Sandro Cattacin (University of Geneva), Fiorenza Gamba (University of Geneva), Tomàš Karásek (Charles University - Prague), Nikolena Nocheva (Charles University - Prague)

• Introduction by Henriette Steiner, Mark Vacher, Kristin Veel

• Think-pair-share exercise in break-out-rooms for participants to discuss and prepare their presentation of the material they have collated

• Collective discussion of participatory findings

It is possible to attend online via Zoom, mandatory registration at the following link

• Organiser : Tomàš Karásek, Nikolena Nocheva (Charles University - Prague)

• 4EU+ project partners : Henriette Steiner (University of Copenhagen), Mark Vacher (University of Copenhagen), Sandro Cattacin (University of Geneva), Fiorenza Gamba, (University of Geneva)

• Invited speakers: Adela Petrovic (Charles University), Ross Beveridge (University of Glasgow)

• Discussants: Talide Cividino (Concertation Project Manager at the Office de l'Urbanisme, Geneva) and Joy Bruni (Trainer, Facilitator, Actor and Assistant Coordinator at La Maison du Récit, Lausanne)

One of the guiding questions of the 4EU+ European University Alliance project "The recognition of the fragile body in the city: An interdisciplinary perspective on European fundamental values” is how can urban actors ensure the participation of fragile and marginalised voices in urban decision-making processes?

Adela Petrovic, scientific collaborator in social geography and regional development at the Charles University will discuss how racism, social exclusion, and displacement affect usage of public space by minority groups, hence also pertaining to their participation in urban decision-making processes. To do so, Adela Petrovic will refer to racially-motivated prejudices and attitudes of residents towards the Roma community in gentrifying neighbourhoods in Prague, and to examples from Brussels and Budapest’s governmental efforts to displace street prostitution.

Ross Beveridge, senior lecturer in urban studies and social policy at the University of Glasgow will discuss the necessity for an epistemological shift – to de-centre the state in a movement from institutions to practices, from jurisdictional scales to spaces of collective urban life. Ross Beveridge will argue that seeing democracy in the things urbanites already often do provides a way to reimagine and re-locate democracy in everyday life, also at the margins. Thus, rather than ignoring such projects at the margins, or dismiss them as isolated and lacking impact, what would happen if we tried to build upon them as forms of actually-existing urban democracy?

Talide Cividino, concertation project manager at the Office de l'Urbanisme (Geneva) and Joy Bruni, trainer, facilitator, actor and assistant coordinator at La Maison du Récit (Lausanne) will comment on practices, which can foster urban participation of marginalised individuals.

• It is possible to attend: online via Zoom, mandatory registration at the following link

• Organiser : Sandro Cattacin, Fiorenza Gamba, Nikolena Nocheva (University of Geneva)

• 4EU+ project partners: Henriette Steiner (University of Copenhagen), Mark Vacher (University of Copenhagen) Tomàš Karásek (Charles University - Prague)

• Interventions by: Sandro Cattacin, Fiorenza Gamba and Olivier Waeber (University of Geneva)

• Discussants: TBD

It is possible to attend :

1) in-person at the Fondation Braillard Architectes, Rue Saint-Léger 16, 1205 Genève

2) online via Zoom, mandatory registration at the following link

This writing workshop is internal and it is closed to the public.

Requests to join could be considered. If you need more information, please contact nikolena.nocheva@unige.ch