Dr David Howard
GCHU Co-Director
Email: [email protected]
The Venice (1974) of Jan Morris’ magnificent travel writing may have waned under the rush of modern travel and market-driven momenta, but the challenges it faces today – demographic, economic, and environmental – are just as labyrinthine and demanding as the layered worlds conjured up by Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities (1972). Both texts, reflecting on the experience of living in Venice are key initial readings for students on the annual GCHU and King’s Foundation summer school, hosted in June by the European Cultural Academy. Now in its third year, the two-week programme on Sustainable, Healthy Cities looks at the basic tenets of delivering and promoting healthy urbanism, from economic, social, and environmental perspectives in the context of the contemporary Venice. Students explore the potential to learn from the past, together with present technologies and practices, in order to design healthier cities for the future; and to retro-fit today’s urban environments.
Based around a series of site visits and workshops with academics, practitioners and residents in Venice, those on the course will aim to redesign and rethink the present urban landscape to meet future climatic and economic challenges. The evidence-based findings of the Centre’s Commission on Creating Healthy Cities feed into class discussions, linking place inextricably with health, in all its aspects.
If you are interested in learning more about the Sustainable, Healthy Cities summer school, there is a live webinar on Thursday 7th December at 4pm London time via Zoom.
Find more and register at: https://events.eca.art/openday2023
