During the first meeting of the course the parameters are set. Professor Willem Salet will provide the framework of the course and outline the main questions addressed during the lecture series. Professor Cor Wagenaar will then give an overview of the different international types of modernism in course of time. This historical and international overview is then confronted with the changed requirements of the current situation. The different historical roots create their own barriers and opportunities in these processes of adaptation. What is the legacy modernism has left us with and what are the issues we are confronted with in the current urban context?

The most severe outbreaks of social disturbance in modernist housing estates have been recorded in the French Grands Ensembles. The first riots in 2005 have sparked the discussion about everyday life in these areas and the influence of the build environment on social wellbeing. Most of these areas were constructed along functional principles. Although the general consensus was that such ‘French affairs’ could not happen in the Dutch modernist housing estates it also sparked a wider discussion here. Where does this discussion stand six years after the first French riots?

The legacy of modernist ensembles goes back to the 1920s, the time in which the mass residential development of cities required completely new solutions for urbanization. The experiments of early modernism in Brno created a completely new image of urban development, characterized by high quality of collective urban design, well organized living conditions for the working class and pro-active design of landscapes. Hundred years later, the monumental quality is recognized but the social conditions also have radically changed under recent tendencies of liberalism and privatization. Willem Kwekkeboom will reflect on similar issues in the Amsterdam modernist area Bijlmermeer. Although more recent, this city district is also undergoing drastic renewal. What parallels with Eastern Europe can be drawn?

Almost all cities in middle and Eastern Europe have their specific modernist housing areas, all are struggling with changing requirements over time. The way in which urban planners interfere, however, is strikingly different. Professor Jens Dangschat will draw on personal experiences to compare policies in Frankfurt and Vienna. Although such policies often involve demolitions and drastic renovations, one must realize that such measures are deeply impacting the life of the people residing in these ensembles, people that have often lived in these areas for decades. The efforts in Vienna and Frankfurt will be mirrored by comparable initiatives in Dutch large scaled refurbishments.

As time proceeds, the appreciation of buildings changes as well. Drawing on the social and spatial values people attach to Berlins "Großsiedlungen", Professor Bonekämper discusses this change in perception. Can modernist city quarters that were first considered predominately functional and later despised and contested, be considered as the heritage of the future? Moreover, what influence does a renewed conception of place have on social cohesion in these districts?

Transformation of modernist city quarters is at the moment a hot topic in Italy. Matteo Robiclio will reflect on current practices from both the physical and political perspective. What are measures taken and how are they decided upon. Marc Arem, working in the Western Garden cities of Amsterdam will contradict the policy of renewal to the policy of maintenance. What non-physical measurements can be taken to improve neighborhoods?

Brasilia is probably the largest endeavor in the modernist tradition and one of the few instances where not merely districts, but a whole city was constructed in the spirit of Le Corbusier. Functional separation has been promoted here into a form of art. As one of the experts on Brasilia and having practiced within the city, Federico de Holanda will share his insights on how this archetype of the functional city functions. Is it indeed working or is everyday life enfolding itself in ways, other than expected?

Participants to the Course are invited to give a reflection on the topics of the course with a short presentation (15 minutes). For students this reflection is compulsory.