On Simulation A Cultural Technique for Uncertain Urban Futures. Simposio pubblico

Public symposium

On Simulation 
A Cultural Technique for Uncertain Urban Futures 

Zurich, 13 December 2024
ZAZ BELLERIVE Zentrum Architektur Zürich

Organised by Prof. Sascha Roesler and Dr. Noa Levin 
Professorship for Theory of Urbanization and Urban Environments
Accademia di Architettura, Mendrisio (USI) 

While tools of prediction and simulation used by climatologists and planners are becoming more and more sophisticated, urban futures are increasingly uncertain. In this context, this conference examines the relations between urban and cultural production and the transforming tools and methods for forecasting and simulating climatic futures. It asks, how can cultural production respond to and use climate simulations, and what is the role of architecture, culture and art in envisioning multiple climatic futures? Although architecture and urban design have turned towards the future as never before, there is a dearth of reflection on this turn, and on the significance of simulation technologies and climate speculation for cultural production that reflects on the climate crisis.

Speakers: 

- Dr. Anne Dippel, University of Jena
- Prof. Andri Gerber, ZHAW  
- Prof. Orit Halpern, TU Dresden
- Prof. Peter Krapp, University of California
- Dr. Manjana Milkoreit, University of Oslo (tbc)
- Dr. Darío Negueruela del Castillo, University of Zurich
- Prof. Angela Rout, TU Delft
- Joshua Silver, The University of Manchester

Organizers:

Sascha Roesler is an urban scholar and architectural theorist, working at the intersection of architecture, ethnography, and science and technology studies. He is the Associate Professor for Theory of Urbanization and Urban Environments at the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio, Switzerland. 

Noa Levin is a philosopher and cultural theorist working at the intersection between political philosophy and theory, philosophy of history and philosophy of space and environment. Her postdoctoral project at the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio, Switzerland, focuses on the politics of climate change.