Abstract:

The paper focuses on the technologies supporting digital creation and communication professionally related to architecture and urbanism. It explores the possibilities of actual geographical information technologies and spatial data infrastructures and how can they enhance the potential of effective urban design studio teaching. Moreover, the possibilities of an online educational environment in urban design education are explored with the purpose to implement innovative urban design education models that would wipe out the boundaries of formal and non-formal learning and to promote the collaboration of the international academic environment with municipalities and citizens.

Such approaches encompass significant asset to ecological approaches in urban design so as they can, if properly designed and coordinated, enhance the accessibility of actual and complex spatial information and the new communication and learning methods. The experiences from Slovakia and European research networks on urban design and education are presented.

Keywords:

Urban design studio, studio teaching, spatial data infrastructure, geographical information technologies.