In this seminar, we investigate current urban transformations along Rosengartenstrasse and the adjacent central neighborhood of Zürich, drawing on ethnographical methods like observation, interviews, and photographical research. Rosengartenstrasse was part of the former Westtangente and is today a congested street cutting right through the neighborhood. Local and regional government plan to implement a traffic policy, which if become accepted, not only would change the main street, but also the adjacent neighborhood fundamentally. However, already today, we can observe first transformations in the built environment of the area.
The main questions in this seminar are: What are current urban qualities of everyday life at the Rosengartenstrasse and the neighborhood? What kind of urban qualities are appreciated by residents and shopkeepers alike? Doing an ethnographical research of Rosengartenstrasse, we discuss these questions. Transformations in the urban neighborhood and architectural interventions will be analyzed. Thereby we will also deepen our knowledge about ethnographical research technics. Text discussions and guest lectures will supplement the empirical analysis. The goals are to understand contemporary urban transformation processes, and to gain insights about potentials and qualities of urban design.
