The beauty of transition: aesthetics and innovation in strategic urban transition projects: experiences from classroom

Abstract

The challenge of transition to a new more resilient and sustainable urban age is huge. Collectively, in our modern lifestyle as ‘urbanites’ we consume environmental services to an extent which matches several planets in scale. In diverse institutional settings, these challenges are constantly debated and looked at, with a view to possible solutions. Most of this, still, stays on the level of paper. But how do we generate the urgently needed concrete actions and changes? Especially, how do we evoke on the level of the individual energy and commitment as the basis of a potential system change? As difficult as this may be, instead of devising new ‘big plans’ (Burnham) the paper suggests developing ‘beautiful’ plans, projects, ideas to stir the affects of citizens. Within the environment of a MA course in spatial planning at Radboud University (Nijmegen), the beauty of transition was further explored.

Keywords : aesthetics, transition, New European Bauhaus, education, theory and concepts