Navigation | [[sitemap]] | [[design studio]] ## Hidden Structures Winter 2025, University of Calgary, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape EVDS 644 Advanced Professional Planning Studio | [Citizens + Students](https://sapl.ucalgary.ca/professionalplanningstudio/professionalplanningstudio) ## Teaching Team Fabian Neuhaus ## Guest Critics Kate van Fraassen, City of Calgary Chris Hardwick, Agenturban Celia Lee, Sustainable Calgary Natalie Robertson, SAPL PhD Mohammadmahdi Zanjanian, SAPL PhD ## Studio Outline Community development along hidden layers is a metaphor to apply to various aspects of social and technological progress to community transformation. It is summarized in the term BAUKULTUR (engl. Building culture). If we’re looking at it from the perspective of neural networks, “hidden layers” typically refer to the layers in a neural network model that process and refine data before generating an output, a filter. In a similar way, community development “along hidden layers” refers to the unseen or less visible aspects of community growth that support and shape public-facing progress. 1. Invisible “Social” Infrastructure, forms hidden layers contributing to the overall makeup without being directly observable; community development often involves groundwork and social infrastructure that isn’t immediately visible. This could include informal networks, grassroots organizing, and behind-the-scenes advocacy, but also physical infrastructure systems from the Dominion Land Survey that laid out the two sections of land the community is built within to simple water, waste and fibre lines enabling processes of flow driving visible change. In a community, they might include mentors, volunteers, or unofficial neighborhood leaders whose work doesn’t get much attention but is crucial for resilience and growth on a daily basis. 2. Data-Driven Community Building, activates digital and smart city strategies referring to the layers of data processing and machine learning that inform decision making for community development. This data processing involves predictive analytics to understand community needs, using data to optimize services, or employing algorithms that reveal trends or issues in the community that aren’t apparent on the surface, often time ignoring real people’s needs and desires. 3. Cultural and Psychological Layers in Community Engagement The term can also apply to the more abstract layers in communities— such as the unspoken norms, cultural practices, or shared values that subtly influence behaviour. 4. Developing Across Scales to Implement in the Real World - These hidden cultural layers are often fundamental for inclusive development, as they help to align the goals of formal community development projects with the values and needs of community members. With a focus on TACTICAL urbanism to reveal and activate the hidden layers for the purpose of community growth and transformation, this studio will operate on a range of scales from the metaphorical and theoretical to the conceptual realm of ideas right down to the physical implementation of portions as test cases in the public realm as tactical community interventions. You will be building interventions on-site in collaboration with the community. 5. Capacity-building and Skill Development - The unseen “layers” represent the training, skill development, capacity-building and knowledge transfer efforts we are going to focus on in the studio that help build momentum and enable individuals from the community through co-creation and collaboration to contribute to the transformation of the community now and into the future. These efforts may be less visible in development but are crucial for long-term sustainability. Building these layers enables communities to self-organize and innovate, much like how neural networks “learn” through hidden layers. ## Handout <div style="position:relative;padding-top:max(60%,326px);height:0;width:100%"><iframe allow="clipboard-write" sandbox="allow-top-navigation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation allow-downloads allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-modals allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-forms" allowfullscreen="true" style="position:absolute;border:none;width:100%;height:100%;left:0;right:0;top:0;bottom:0;" src="https://e.issuu.com/embed.html?d=ds25w_hidden_structures_handout&u=urbantick"></iframe></div> ## Assignments 1. Situation 2. Archipelago 3. Workshop 4. Transform 5. Tactical 6. Report