The Spatial Dimension of Energies: Urban Patterns and Eco-Strategies

Abstract

The outcomes of an experimental urban design studio named “Energy and Urban Planning” offered to graduate students enrolled in the Urban Planning and Policy Design master programme are presented in this paper. The goal was to recognize the importance of the role that the urban planner can play in assessing both the suitable energy scenarios and the spatial dimension of energies on the territory by introducing a set of disciplinary references and a toolkit for action. A number of tools for the analysis and the design of energy-conscious urban master-plans were offered to students with limited competences on environmental and energy topics. The case-study area chosen for the design was the metropolitan region of Milan, Italy, characterized by a temperate climate and a variety of morphological configurations, for simplicity grouped in three main categories, namely what we call the Compact City, the Edge-City and the Diffused City. In particular, seven samples of that territory were selected, investigated by seven teams of students, and proposed solutions were given. Outcomes of the studio show that the contribution of the urban planning discipline can be relevant in assessing alternative energy scenarios, both in terms of quantification and evaluation of design solutions. For instance, taking into account energy and environmental aspects from the beginning of the design process, highly impacts on the concept solutions and the final physical layout of the built environment (in terms of land use and morphology). Hence, energy-conscious urban planning might lead to significant energy savings. Moreover, the scale of action, i.e. the small town or the district level, reveals to be a proper dimension in order to apply urban ecology principles.