SeminarSpatialising Urbanism Theories in times of Polycrisis

The term polycrisis has gained prominence, capturing the interconnected nature of global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, conflicts, and economic instability. Originating in the 1960s, the concept now reflects the growing complexity and interactions among global crises (Rakowski et al., 2025).

Today, these overlapping pressures are influencing the everyday lifes in our cities and regions. Rapid climate change, a renewed focus on defence strategies in Europe, geopolitical tensions, and economic disruptions are reshaping the socio-economic conditions in which urban life takes place. Cities are no longer dealing with isolated “island challenges”, but with multi-layered pressures that affect infrastructure, housing, public space, ecosystems, and governance responsibilities. For us as architects and urban/spatial designers, this raises urgent questions. How do we design in a context where uncertainty is no longer the exception, but the condition? How do we respond to multiple, sometimes conflicting demands from stakeholders, institutions, ecologies, and non-human actors? And how can design move beyond just problem-solving towards more adaptable and regenerative futures?

This seminar explores in a critical and reflective manner, how architects and designers can position themselves in a changing field, where uncertainty reshapes how we plan, design, and debate burning issues around our built environment. It looks at polycrisis not only as a global condition, but as a planning and design challenge happening on the local scale. We’ll discuss conventional approaches and mindsets, challenge them with experimental but scientific methods, and identify strategies that help us navigate complexity without oversimplifying it.

Rakowski, J. J., Schaan, L. N., Klink, R. van, Herzon, I., Arth, A., Hagedorn, G., Rode, J., Creutzig, F., & Pe’er, G. (2025). Characterizing the Global Polycrisis: A Systematic Review of Recent Literature. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 50(Volume 50, 2025), 159–183. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-111523-102238