Chair

The Chair of Urban Design, led by Prof. Fabienne Hoelzel investigates contemporary urbanization processes and how (strategic) urban design approaches can respond in meaningful, productive, and future-oriented ways, rooted in decolonial, feminist, and democratic values. The Chair further specializes in contested territories and how (strategic) urban design approaches can contribute to conflict resolution and prosperity.

Case studies through the means of research-by-design, field research, and academic research include the urban regions of Lagos (Nigeria); Nairobi (Kenya); Addis Abeba, Hawassa, and Zeway (Ethiopia); Mumbai (India); Jerusalem Metropolitan Area (Israel/ Palestinian territories), Gaza (Palestinian territories); Stuttgart Metropolitan Area and the region of the Allgäu (Germany), and the region of Northwestern Switzerland.

The staff and the projects of the Chair of Urban Design were awarded several prizes and stipends. The outcomes of the urban design studios “Mumbai. Urban Metabolism” and “Stuttgart 22+” received the 3rd prize at the Global Schindler Award 2019, the first prize (ex aequo) with special appreciation at the Studentenförderpreis 2019 of the Architektenkammer Baden-Württemberg, the 3rd prize at the bautec 2018/ BAKA, Berlin, and were shortlisted for the Bau 2019/ BAKA, Munich, respectively. The urban design studio "Vergesst das Allgäu (nicht)!" received the 3rd prize at the bautec 2020/ BAKA. The urban design studios "Urban Systems: Otumara, Lagos" and "Lagos, Oworonshoki. Decolonial and Feminist Practices in Urban Design were awarded the 2020 Academy Prize and the 2023 Academy Prize, respectively. The urban design studio "(Post) Covid City Stuttgart" was in September 2022 published on baunetz Campus. One of the chair's long-term teaching and research topics, "The Role of Urban Design in Rapid Urbanization“, received from the Baden-Württemberg Ministery of Sciences, Research and the Arts substantive fundings for 2021/22 as one of five innovative projects within the program „Langfristiger Austausch in Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft in Afrika“.

The chair maintains institutionalized academic partnerships with the ECL-EiABC-AAU, Addis Abeba (Ethiopia), and the University of Lagos (Nigeria). Upcoming longterm partnerships will include the Kenyatta University in Nairobi (Kenya) and the Makarere University in Kampala (Uganda); the respective negotiations are under way. Project partners include the Heinrich Böll Foundation Abuja, the Baden-Württemberg Stiftung, the DAAD, Fabulous Urban | Nigeria Foundation, and the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem. Former partners include the Goethe-Institute Addis Abeba, the Moovel-Lab (subs. Daimler AG), and the Architekturforum Allgäu, among other. The chair collaborates closely, continuously, and in various ongoing projects with the ABK degree programs in communication design and in industrial design.

Professor Fabienne Hoelzel

Dipl arch MAS ETH gta SIA, CAS ETH Development and Cooperation
Founder, Owner, and Director of FABULOUS URBAN
Founder and Director of FABULOUS URBAN | NIGERIA FOUNDATION

Publications: https://linktr.ee/fabiennehoelzel

Fabienne founded and registered FABULOUS URBAN in 2014 in Switzerland after working in São Paulo (Brazil) for one of Latin America's largest slum-upgrading programs as the head of the urban design and planning team at the city's Social Housing and Urban Development Authority that was awarded in 2012 the UN Habitat Scroll of Honor for its pioneering work. From 2008 to 2010 and from 2013 to 2017, Fabienne held a research and teaching position at the Institute of Urban Design at the ETH Zurich. In 2021, FABULOUS URBAN | NIGERIA FOUNDATION was founded and registered in Nigeria. Since 2017, Fabienne has been Full Professor of Urban Design at the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design. Since 2021, she has been an internal member of the University Council.

Academic Associate Lisa Dautel

MA
SiP AKBW

Lisa Dautel graduated in 2020 from the Stuttgart Academy of Art in Design in Architecture. Since 2020, she has been working with berchtoldkrass in Karlsruhe. In the winter semester 2021 and in the winter semester 2022, Lisa was the Deputy Academic Associate at the Chair of Urban Design. Since the summer semester 2023, Lisa has been the Academic Associate at the Chair of Urban Design.