Fables of the Reconstruction

On 15, 22 and 29 November, the Independent School of the City organises a new Fables of the Reconstruction seminar of three afternoon sessions about the rebuilding of destroyed cities. This seminar will focus on the reconstruction of Ukraine and Gaza – two countries at war within the Western sphere of influence. We will try to understand the place of consultants, bankers, politicians, engineers, planners and architects and how they influence the development of visions and plans. Through lectures and conversations the seminar will provoke an exchange of ideas across borders.

In light of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and the severe destruction in Gaza by the Israeli government, the Independent School for the City is organising another edition of the Fables of the Reconstruction seminar in November 2024. Building on the insights from last year’s edition, we will this time focus on the mechanisms behind the reconstruction of cities, contrasting the involvement of global conglomerates and multinationals with the need for locally rooted solutions.

The seminar departs from the notion that rebuilding a destroyed city is not just about replacing or rebuilding its infrastructure and architecture. It is about making the choice which and whose city should be rebuilt. It is a choice as much about the Idea of the city as about its form. A reconstructed city is not just a brick and mortar replacement of everything that was damaged, but also a story of the history and the future of the city. A heavily idealised and edited story that tells of power structures and ideology. In the reconstruction of cities ruined by war or disaster, questions of identity, ethnicity, history and culture are paramount.

From the reconstructed heart of the city of Rotterdam, this seminar will focus on the reconstruction of Ukraine and Gaza – two countries at war within the Western sphere of influence. In both cases we see how the reconstruction is initiated by globally operating consultancy firms, finance companies and construction and design offices, which have a very close relationship with the American government and stand for an extreme neo-liberal attitude towards ‘nation building’ and the (re)construction of cities.

At the same time, there are coalitions of designers who try to work from the existing context and form of cities, building upon the properties of the place and the needs of the existing population. These coalitions often have good intentions and are supported by a large number of spatial professionals all over the world, but it is difficult for them to gain a real foothold in the bureaucratic processes.

Tickets for the seminar are available for 150 euro. Special fees pply for special situations. For more info please send an email to [email protected]

Independent School of the City

Keep an eye on the website and social media of the Independent School for the City for more information.

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