COST network Writing Urban Places

 

The European network grant (EU COST Action) has been awarded to our proposal Writing Urban Places. New Narratives of the European City. We are much looking forward to collaborate with our international colleagues on this four-year research project, of which you will find a summary below.

Writing Urban Places. New Narratives of the European City.
Europe is a continent predominantly populated on a relatively even spread of medium-sized cities. Together, these cities epitomize a rich variety of distinct urban cultures, which are in turn embedded in urban narratives: stories rich in information regarding citizens socio-spatial practices, preceptions and expectations. By recognizing the value of these narratives, the Action aims to articulate a set of concrete literary devices within a host of spatial disciplines; bringing together scientific research in the fields of literary studies, urban planning and architecture; and positioning this knowledge vis-à-vis progressive redevelopment policies carried out in medium-sized cities in Europe.

The Action aims to collect current initiatives of scholars addressing urban change from the crossing point of literary studies, urban studies and architecture, with the objective to offer a conceptual framework and operative tools to analyze urban narratives and to share knowledge with city makers.

The Action defines three thematic targets it wants to explore theoretically as well as in case studies. 1) meaningfulness: offering local communities and professionals the ability to improve their understanding of their built environment; 2). appropriation: empowering communities by improving their ability to project their feelings on their built environment. 3). integration: offering concrete tools and methods for the construction of common grounds among communities, based on relations of meaningfulness and appropriation of their built environment.

Writing Urban Places proposes an innovative investigation and implementation of a process for developing human understanding of communities; their society; and their place, by narrative methods.

more information here