Welcome to the Designing for Urban Governance and Services Course!

  • Welcome to the Designing for Urban Governance and Services Course!


    The 5ECTS course "Designing for urban governance and services" provides an overview of the current and emerging uses and roles of design in the public sector. It introduces core terminologies, theories, methods and examples of design, planning and other creative professional roles in the context of urban governance and public services. The aim is to familiarise students with recent knowledge in the design field and to develop their skills in applying design approaches in the USP studios and in their profession.

    The main themes are:

    • Overview of the public governance and service provisioning system including key concepts, principles, processes and roles.
    • Introduction to present and future approaches, issues and trends in the public sector, with focus on design and planning implications.
    • Introduction to design theories, methods and approaches relevant in the public sector, including human-centered design, participatory design, co-design, design for services, design for policy, systems design, design activism and critical design.
    • Examples of design activities, cases and experts from the field. Critical analysis of the value, potential and challenges of design in the public sector.

    Teachers 

    Antti Pirinen, Ramia Mazé, Maria Ferreira Litowtschenko, Minh Le and guests.

    Guest speakers in the course include: Anne Stenros (City of Helsinki), Anni Leppänen (D9), Mariana Salgado (InLand design agency in MIGRI), Jocelyn Bailey (University of Brighton UK), Minh-Nguyet Le (University of Potsdam DE), Anna Pyyluoma (Hellon), Mikko Annala (Demos Helsinki), Markus Kanerva (Tänk), Tania Rodriguez Kaarto, Rupesh Vyas, Helena Sustar (Aalto University) and more!

    Course cooperation
    This course will be held in cooperation with the Aalto University CS course 'Design for Government (DfG)'. Both courses will be held in proximity on Tuesdays, with some shared sessions. DfG is a project-based courses in which students address policy challenges commissioned by the Finnish ministries. It thus provides complementary examples of project-based work in the subject. Both courses can be taken at the same time for a total of 15ECTS.

    Also in parallel to this course is a pilot PhD course on the subject "Advanced career and research paths for design in the public sector”. 

    Course registration

    Aalto course description and registration in Oodi
    Helsinki University course description and registration in Oodi

    This course is offered by Aalto Dept of Design within the joint Aalto University and Helsinki University master's program in "Urban Studies and Planning (USP)". In 2018, Aalto students can enroll in in the masters program as a minor studies course package.

    For students that are not registered in the USP major or minor study program, the course is also available to students from other degree programmes as an elective. Responsible teacher sets the limit on number of student places in the course. If there are more students registered for the course than there are places in the course, there will be a selection process. Priority order for selection is specified in the course description in Oodi.

    Registration for the course closes 10 days before the first day of class, whereupon elective students will be notified if they have a place in the course.


    Course details and practicalities

    The course consists of three elements:


    Teaching hours: Tuesdays at 9:15–15:30 (part of the day reserved for independent and group work).

    • 9:15-10:15/11 "Theory lecture" on weekly theme, often shared with the DfG course
    • 10:15/11-12 Time allocated for independent reading, writing and group work
    • 12-13 Lunch break
    • 13-14:15 "Case lecture" on weekly theme
    • 14:30-15:30 Reading circle facilitated by teachers

    Location: Aalto University undergraduate centre, Otakaari 1, Espoo, U-wing,
    rooms U405a (most mornings), U406b (9-12) and U262 (13-15:30).

    Detailed program can be found here.


    Teacher

    Antti Pirinen
    DA, University Lecturer
    Spatial and Service Design
    Aalto ARTS, Dept. of Design
    antti.pirinen@aalto.fi
    +358-40-5300828

    Teaching Assistant
    María Ferreira Litowtschenko
    MA, Doctoral Candidate in Design
    Aalto ARTS, Dept. of Design
    maria.ferreiralitowtschenko@aalto.fi