EPFL & HEIA: Two research institutions in urban planning are studying the evolution of village structures in the Canton of Fribourg as part of an exploratory Teaching Unit.

The Laboratory of Urbanism of EPFL and the TRANSFORM Institute of HEIA-FR are designing a teaching unit aimed at exploring new territorial visions for the densification of villages in the Canton of Fribourg.

The urgency of questioning the modalities of a "densification" suited to village territories goes hand in hand with the need to account for their actual dynamics and social expectations. Dominated by open spaces and characterized by close-knit social interactions, these territories have seen their attractiveness solidify in the face of health and climate crises. Village structures represent an asset for the sustainable development of the region, as they offer climate, environmental, and social regulation resources that are limited in city centers; at the same time, they face challenges in terms of mobility and energy performance.

The course focuses on the discontinuous urbanization of villages in the Canton of Fribourg, located on the outskirts of agglomeration zones but marked by positive population growth. Drawing on around ten projects from local professionals, the course invites students to conduct a morphological and quantitative analysis of the evolution of village territorial and spatial structures as a palimpsest, with the aim of contributing to a vision for their future densification. By combining different scales and formats—cartographic atlases, landscape descriptions, and architectural analysis—the course will explore the dynamics of land use and construction, with particular attention to issues of livability, heritage, land artificialization, agriculture, activity, and mobility in these areas.

Lectures given by researchers from both institutions, as well as from the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE), will punctuate the semester.