The Brno University of Technology Faculty of Architecture is joining a Europe-wide trend in urbanism and spatial planning. Starting from the new academic year, in addition to its main degree programme Architecture and Urbanism, it will also offer two new programmes: Integrative Spatial Planning and Integrative Urban Studies.

The significance of an integrative approach to shaping the built environment was discussed by guests of the Planning in Times of Change conference, held on April 10 at KUMST.

“As our society struggles with accelerating change, deepening inequalities, and instability, spatial planning is often labelled as slow, unjust, and inflexible. Yet neither stricter regulation nor the weakening of planning has brought substantial relief to these problems. The current model of modernist, linear planning has apparently reached its limits. At the same time, spatial planning has the potential to broaden its scope so that it can address today’s pressing issues: it must focus on resilience, processes, adaptability, and discourse, without losing its strong design-oriented foundation.”

With these words, Prof. Dr. Jan Polívka, Director of the Institute of Urban and Regional Planning at Technical University of Berlin, opened his keynote lecture at the Planning in Times of Change conference, which took place on April 10 to mark the launch of the Faculty’s new study programmes at KUMST.

The need to respond to change may seem contradictory to the need for planning. In reality, the opposite is true: “Integrative planning is a continuously evolving, active, and iterative process. It must be approached in a coordinated, creative way and through collaboration across many professions. Only in this way can the complex challenges of territorial development be addressed,” emphasized Associate Professor Monika Konrad and Vice-Dean Jan Malý Blažek of the Faculty of Architecture, who moderated the conference and have been closely involved in developing the new programmes.

As another keynote speaker, architect and urbanist Univ. Prof. Ute Schneider of KCAP Zürich, Head of the Research Unit of Urban Design at TU Wien, added: “Complexity must be embraced as a fundamental part of design practice, just like interdisciplinary teamwork, flexibility, and the ability to design for different development scenarios and across multiple scales.”

The topic of scenario planning for future territorial development was also the focus of a morning workshop led by doctoral researcher Kateřina Singer from the Faculty of Architecture. In addition to keynote lectures and panel discussions, prospective students were able to try selected methods themselves under the guidance of future lecturers.

New Study Programmes

Integrative Spatial Planning (Ing.)

This programme combines urbanism, spatial planning, and landscape architecture with law, information studies, participation, and environmental research. Its aim is to educate professionals capable of responding to complex challenges in territorial development and planning at different scales — from placemaking and public space interventions, through the design of sustainable urban districts, to the planning of municipalities, landscapes, and entire regions.

Integrative Urban Studies (Mgr.)

This English-language programme focuses on addressing current urban development challenges. It connects urbanism, spatial planning, social sciences, and public policy, and offers students a unique opportunity to study progressively in three European cities: Brno, Vilnius, and Wrocław.

Both new study programmes are open to applicants from a variety of previous academic backgrounds. Their goal is to create an environment in which graduates of architecture and urbanism, landscape architecture, spatial planning, geography, and related fields can broaden their skills and knowledge, and learn to work in multidisciplinary teams before entering professional practice — without losing their primary disciplinary expertise and identity.

A Broad New Educational Offer

From this year onward, the Faculty of Architecture at Brno University of Technology offers a diverse portfolio of study programmes. Whether you are looking for your first-choice degree or a parallel second degree to expand your education with new perspectives, knowledge, and skills, there will be options to choose from. In addition to the programmes mentioned above, lifelong learning courses are also being prepared.

The Faculty’s major and flagship follow-up Master’s degree remains Architecture and Urbanism (Ing. arch.), offered in both Czech and English. It is the Faculty’s key programme in terms of student numbers, studio specialisations, and academic staff. We believe the new programmes will not only serve as inspiration for this programme, but will also help improve the quality and relevance of topics addressed in urbanism and spatial planning.

If you have any questions about the new study programmes, please contact the relevant coordinators, or join us this Thursday, April 16 at 10:00 on the 4th floor for the Integrative Brunch. Applications for the new integrative study programmes are open until April 30, while applications for Architecture and Urbanism close on April 27.

On behalf of everyone involved in preparing the new programmes,
Jan Malý Blažek