ILAUD, in collaboration with Xi’An Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China, and the University of Westminster (UK)
organised an Interdisciplinary Design Workshop in Qingdao, China, held from June 29 to July 6, 2024.
The workshop aimed to explore
the future of urban heritage conservation and regeneration, using the case study of Huangtai Road Historic District, addressing the implications for the built environment professions. The area has been deeply transformed in recent decades with the addition of dense modern residential compounds over an old urban morphology, still featuring scattered Japanese and German style historic courtyard houses and villas, today empty, and in need of renovation and ideas for reuse.

This initiative builds upon recent international discussion led by UNESCO and WHITRAP Shanghai on reimagining skills and competencies for a new generation of
interdisciplinary experts in dealing with the historic legacy of cities. In partnership with WHITRAP, the workshop contributes to the establishment of the ‘International Network for Urban Heritage Conservation in Higher Education Institutes‘, launched in Shanghai on September 28, 2023.

The workshop’s focus is on testing scenario planning methodologies through intensive design workshops. Its objective is to formulate an action plan being comprised of short term tactical interventions and long term transformative design strategies, for the area of Huangtai Road and Wudi Road. The outcomes of the workshop will be documented in an ILAUD Working Paper, emphasising skills and competencies in urban conservation and what is missing today to achieve truly sustainable and resilient urban transformations. The workshop is facilitated by the following group of tutors: Hyung Rae Cho and Yiwen Wang from the Department of Urban Planning & Design, Cheng Zhang from the Department of Civil Engineering, Emanuela Corti from the Department of Industrial Design, Min Joo Baek from the Department of Architecture, all at XJTLU; Jacopo Benedetti from the College of Architecture & Urban Planning at Tongji University; Giulio Verdini and Shengkang Fu from the School of Architecture and Cities at the University of Westminster.

ILAUD’s Advisory Board: Paolo Ceccarelli, ILAUD & University of Ferrara Scientific Coordinator and President of the Advisory Board,;Pilar M. Guerrieri, ILAUD & Politecnico di Milano (DASTU).