Athens - Rethinking Urban futures through the lens of climate change

Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world with a documented history that spans more than 3,400 years. At the same time it is a central arena of the intellectual history of a democratic Europe. Traces of its democratic self-image can be found both in written sources and in the cityscape. However, climate change poses a fundamental challenge to Athens’ physical and intellectual heritage to varying degrees and on different scales. Extreme heat, wildfires, floods, overtourism, and privatization are just some of the biggest challenges facing the city’s infrastructure and buildings today.

In this seminar we will read the cityscape of Athens and rethink its urban futures through the lens of climate change. With the intellectual support of science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson (“The Ministry for the Future”) we will discuss the possible future urban environment and create jointly a Guide to Future Athens, addressing architecture, infrastructure and governance. Following Donna Haraway’s idea that “scientific fact and speculative fabulation need each other”, our scenarios for future Athens will be informed by scientific knowledge and design speculation aimed at rethinking the complex historical legacy of this city. Only recently, Athens has emerged from the financial crisis yet with numerous socio-spatial inequalities.

• Gender equality
• Clean water and sanitation
• Affordable and clean energy
• Industry, innovation and infrastructure
• Reduced inequalities
• Sustainable cities and communities
• Climate action
• Life on land
• Peace, justice and strong institutions

In presence

The seminar promotes the notion of “climate change” as a conceptual framework to challenge our current understanding of an existing urban fabric. We will discuss concepts and methods for designing the adapted Athens of the future, foregrounding strategies of energy transition and climate adaption in architecture and urban design. During the seminar, future challenges of architectural design, infrastructure construction and urban development of Athens will be discussed and the potential for a deliberate intersectional climate justice perspective assessed. What strategies and scenarios can architectural design embrace to respond to the manifold threats and challenges?

The seminar consists of two parts: A field trip to Athens in the last week before the start of the semester will be followed by the second half of the seminar during the semester. In the course of the semester we will act as urban researchers and investigate what might be conceivable and desirable. Students will be introduced to the practice of architectural research and will work in small groups to develop their own research projects on a given case study which will culminate in a final paper and a small exhibition highlighting the Guide to Future Athens. In this way, the seminar emphasizes the interdisciplinary and collective character of contemporary architectural research.

• Athens, 08.09.25 - 12.09.25 (Compulsory)