Politics and communities of innovation in contemporary China (2016-2019)The research project is built around an ethnography of three makerspaces in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen as well as their respective annual maker faires. These hybrid and dynamic communities exhibit unique technical, commercial and social characteristics. The « bottom-up » study of these spaces (…)
Assessing tools for interdisciplinary research and teaching (2016-2018)The project aims to assess and experiment research tools for the study of the relationship between collective memory, urban space, and design in contemporary cities. It stems from previous empirical and collaborative experiences between PoliTo and EPFL in the study of urban collective memories. By scrutinizing the two (…)
A multidisciplinary study of Beijing, Mexico City and Rome (2015-2017)The research aims to produce a comparative, multidisciplinary study on the impact of UNESCO’s Recommendation on the historic urban landscape (RHUL – 2011), which seeks to integrate conservation and development in urban policies. The research addresses three questions in Beijing, Mexico City and Rome:Which memorial references (…)
Negotiating citizenship and physical form – CeNTO (2015-2017)The project looks at the construction of the “third-generation” of Chinese New Towns that will host another 300 million rural Chinese migrating to urban areas over the next 20 years. Conditioned by certain new key-words promoted by the Chinese government – such as “innovation”, “sustainability”, “inclusive growth” – (…)
A study of the technical, social and political controversies around the 2014-2034 Mumbai Development Plan (2015-2017)This project analyses the Mumbai Development Plan 2014-2034 (MDP 2034) revision and its temporary withdrawal due to an unprecedented public outcry and strong criticism by both, experts and civil society. This event is highly representative of the tensions and conflicts (…)
Containers for housing and re-urbanization of slums, camps & other human settlements in post-disasters contexts: India, Lebanon and Indonesia (2015-2016)Source of financing: ENAC, Seed Money – Incentive for innovative urban researchResearch team: Alain Nussbaumer (ICOM), Yves Pedrazzini (LASUR), Florence Graezer Bideau and Christine Lutringer (IAGS)Recent report: “Rapport de recherche sur la dimension socio-culturelle: l’étude de (…)
Une ethnographie de l’administration culturelle dans un contexte fédéraliste (2009-2012)Cette recherche entend étudier l’implémentation de la Convention pour la sauvegarde du patrimoine culturel immatériel (UNESCO 2003) en Suisse à laquelle la Confédération adhère en 2008.Ce projet identifie les mécanismes de la mise en œuvre du premier inventaire des traditions vivantes – oxymore choisie par les (…)
La politique culturelle dans la Chine du XXe siècle constitue le point de départ d’une série de réflexions et de projets menés dans le cadre de ce groupe de recherche sur les processus de patrimonialisation.Les liens entre la culture et la politique sont appréhendés dans un premier temps dans le cadre d’une thèse de doctorat (…)
Une perspective depuis le Détroit de Malacca (2006–2016)Ce projet de recherche, mené en collaboration avec Mondher Kilani de l’Université de Lausanne, s’inscrit dans une réflexion autour du multiculturalisme et du cosmopolitisme en Malaisie.Ces réflexions s’articulent autour de la perception et de la représentation du patrimoine culturel matériel et immatériel des trois principales communautés de la (…)