High stakes, High Hopes: Urban Theory in Partnership
We would like to warmly thank Prof. Sophie Oldfield for her visit to the ISTP and her interesting and insightful talk on collaborative urban theory.
by Gian Luca Gehwolf
“How do your theories translate into the ordinary ways that people speak?” This was the question that Prof. Sophie Oldfield was asked by her Professor during her PhD defense. A question that she struggled to answer. The question stayed with her and wrapped her brain around in the library for a long time and finally lead to an articulation for a university proposal. “Six months later I am in the so-called field in Cape Town” Prof. Oldfield explained. The chairman of the informal settlement asked her how her research fits with their real struggle. How can scholars be engaged into to real time problems? These questions have shaped how she thinks about research.
The ISTP would like to thank Prof. Oldfield for giving an interesting insight in active collaborative urban theory and hope to welcome her again at ETH Zurich in near future!
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