UPCOMING COURSES

The Independent School for the City is a school in, of, and for the city. It builds on the conviction that strategies for the city - architectural and economic, spatial and social - should be based on real, first hand, empirical research. The Independent School for the City offers a variety of post-graduate educational programmes ranging from shorter one-day workshops and masterclasses, one or two-week studio's to an intensive 3 month programme on contemporary Urbanism. Below we'll give you and overview of our upcoming activities.

A hands-on studio exploring strategies for radical greening our cities by creating a micro forrest, with Peter Veenstra of LOLA Landscape Architects. Taking place between 14 - 23 March 2025.

Into the Woods

Planting trees has become a popular project for local and national governments all around the world to combat climate change and to increase biodiversity. This simple objective contributed to expanding, regenerating and rewilding large natural areas, and creating diverse and healthy carbon-storing ecosystems. At the same time, there are also many reasons to radically green our urban areas: trees capture CO2 and clean the air, they cool down our cities, they can help regulate ecosystems, they improve our health and give people a sense of well-being. In this workshop we will follow an ecological and hands-on approach and used the natural reproductivity of nature by harvesting and replanting seedlings. We will create our own micro forest, taking a layered approach starting from the soil up to the top of the trees, while specifically looking at the biodiverse value of what we are planting and what a new forest needs to survive. Taking place between 14 - 23 March 2025. More info here

An intensive three-month course on contemporary urbanism. 07 April - 27 June 2025. Apply before 28 February 2025

This is Tomorrow 2025

Designed for (young) professionals of all “urban” backgrounds, "This is Tomorrow” looks at Rotterdam as something of a frontline in the struggle for social and ecological justice and equality in the capitalist world. Many of Rotterdam’s issues are also global issues. As a school we are therefore challenged to shine a light on how the city works and plays its part, and how we can use research, design, planning, urban strategies, and architecture to change things for the better. The programme begins with an exploration of Rotterdam’s visible and hidden dynamics, followed by three thematic blocks: Migration, Climate Change, and Right to the City. These themes examine the experiences of temporary migrants, the global ecological impact of the port, and the potential of urban protest.

The programme operates on a four-day workweek (Monday–Thursday). Applications, including a motivation letter, CV, and portfolio, must be submitted by 28 February 2025. more info here