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A. Psenner:
"Reading Cities";
Keynote Lecture: European Forum Alpbach - Urban Fundamentals: Re´inventing the City, Alpbach; 2021-08-19 - 2021-08-24.

There are different professional approaches to urban planning-the art and science of designing cities-which, depending on the situation, task and objective all have their justification. The discipline deals with the spatial, structural and formative development of cities and territories under the aspects of historical, cultural, social, political and economic dimensions. Obviously and due to the highly complex subject matter, in scientific treatises, just as in real, urban planning-design interventions a comprehensive position that treats all topics equally cannot be taken. Rather, it is a matter of focussing on certain relevant aspects in accordance with our respective training and intentions without, however, losing sight of the fact that these only represent segments and facets of the holistic theme.
First and foremost, it is important to read the highly complex system of the city, to recognise its potentials, values and problems and not to overlook relevant correlations. It is therefore primarily a matter of an adequate way of reading urban space and of dealing with the fundamental question of the forces that (co-)shape the city and the influences that create a certain urban space.

urban planning / urban structure / urban studies / urban persistencies / urban history

https://publik.tuwien.ac.at/files/publik_297924.pdf