Uploaded December 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Head to squarespace.com/theaestheticcity to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code THEAESTHETICCITY
Learn what architecture schools don't teach. Join our academy:
theaestheticcity.com/academy
Sign up to the City Builder's Blueprint, the #1 resource for those wanting to make better cities:
the-aesthetic-city.kit.com/signup
-------
🔗 LINKS TO SUMMER SCHOOLS:
List of schools:
intbau.org/info/education
Utrecht summer school:
intbaunl.org/summerschool
Charleston summerschool:
citymakerscollective.org/summer-2025
----
In Utrecht a new plan is being developed for 6000 homes in the so-called Merwedekanaalzone. When finished, it will be one of the most dense neighborhoods. But will it be livable, and beautiful?
With a traditional architecture summer school in Utrecht, 'Let's Build a Beautiful City', we let students redesign this plan while keeping the traditional Utrecht architecture and urban fabric in mind. And the result makes us wonder: wat is the best way to design new neighborhoods?
The Utrecht school is only one of the many summer programs out there. Find more information on various programs in the link above.
----
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:50 City of Utrecht
2:00 INTBAU Summer School
2:29 The Problem: Merwedekanaalzone
3:16 The GOOD
3:56 The BAD
6:26 The UGLY
8:38 Traditional Design Education
11:15 A Worldwide Movement
12:12 The final projects
13:36 Students' experiences
14:55 A vision for the future
15:33 Apply, sponsor & the Aesthetic City Academy
16:09 Hope for the future
----
ℹ️ Project Information
- Read the Merwedekanaalzone plan here (in DUTCH): https://merwede.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Stedenbouwkundig-Plan-Merwede-7-oktober-2021-gecomprimeerd.pdf
———
💪🏽 Support this channel by becoming a patron: patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city
🔥 Join the course waitlist: https://the-aesthetic-city.ck.page/a2d41beb6f
✨ Subscribe to our substack: substack.com/@theaestheticcity?utm_source=profile-page
🎙️ Listen to our podcast: open.spotify.com/show/4cU3tcGKXiziKGuvfd3KIa?si=32da1b2ed8f44d79
𝕏 Follow us on X:https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City
🗣️ Join our community on Discord: discord.com/invite/wQ7zPKUTC2
💻 Visit our website: theaestheticcity.com
==========
A Special THANK YOU to:
- The Utrecht Summer School team - Joseph, Flavio, Vincent, Mieke, Alex, Tom, Leonneke, Ivo
- Our awesome students from 2022 to 2024
- Zara, Fernando, Nikolai and Intikhab
- Our Sponsors: Atelier Xavier Bohl, Van Der Sanden, Wij Bouwen Brandevoort, Cedrus Vastgoed, Steencentrum Utrecht, Scala Architecten, Fijne Stad, HetLand vastgoedontwikkeling, Blooming Buildings en LSWA
==========
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click on them and make a purchase. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support the channel.
——
🎥 Video equipment I used:
Sony A7siii - amzn.to/407B2Ru
Sony - FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS amzn.to/3GLYWLw
Sony Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 amzn.to/3zX1D9h
Ronin RS 3 - amzn.to/40hJde8
Apple Macbook Pro M1 Max amzn.to/3L1iHRE
Røde Wireless Go II amzn.to/3IIvGpR
==========
📖 Favourite Urbanism & Architecture Books
Léon Krier: The Architecture of Community - amzn.to/4cVhS8e
Nir Buras: The Art of Classic Planning - amzn.to/3Wjhriz
Jane Jacobs: The Death and Life of Great American Cities - amzn.to/4cy7CTq
Vitruvius Pollio: The Ten Books on Architecture - amzn.to/4cyxwXh
Charles Montgomery: Happy City - amzn.to/3LldSlC
Malcolm Millais: Exploding the Myths of Modern Architecture - amzn.to/3Wh45mJ
James Stevens Curl: Making Dystopia - amzn.to/3zFzN4s
Branko Mitrovic: Architectural Principles in the Age of Fraud - amzn.to/3RZTD0s
Tom Wolfe: From Bauhaus to Our House - amzn.to/3S5mgtb
Mentioned in this video:
Jan Gehl - Cities for People - amzn.to/3VOowH8
==========
©️ Copyright info:
🎶 Music:
Falls - Artificial - IYBHM2CZVFTEJH4MFalls -Sentinel - KPDDKYAA1YNLTULH
Falls - Regulator - RCC6QJIGETE1SXLE Falls - Fluidiity - ESCKFBRER6WUXDXT
Falls - The corporation - CAFOK0WTDIU7GR5M
Falls - Synergy - 2SZSRXSQMOSG6X8O
=======
🖼️ Images:
Guilhem Vellut CC BY 2
Uwe Rohwedder - CC BY SA 4
bobostudio CC BY 2
Frank Schulenburg CC BY SA 4
Loozrboy CC BY-SA 2.0
Gemeente Utrecht
Arwin Kossen CC BY 3.0
Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed CC BY-SA 4
Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed CC-BY-SA 3
Head to squarespace.com/theaestheticcity to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code THEAESTHETICCITY
Learn what architecture schools don't teach. Join our academy:
theaestheticcity.com/academy
Sign up to the City Builder's Blueprint, the #1 resource for those wanting to make better cities:
the-aesthetic-city.kit.com/signup
-------
🔗 LINKS TO SUMMER SCHOOLS:
List of schools:
intbau.org/info/education
Utrecht summer school:
intbaunl.org/summerschool
Charleston summerschool:
citymakerscollective.org/summer-2025
----
In Utrecht a new plan is being developed for 6000 homes in the so-called Merwedekanaalzone. When finished, it will be one of the most dense neighborhoods. But will it be livable, and beautiful?
With a traditional architecture summer school in Utrecht, 'Let's Build a Beautiful City', we let students redesign this plan while keeping the traditional Utrecht architecture and urban fabric in mind. And the result makes us wonder: wat is the best way to design new neighborhoods?
The Utrecht school is only one of the many summer programs out there. Find more information on various programs in the link above.
----
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:50 City of Utrecht
2:00 INTBAU Summer School
2:29 The Problem: Merwedekanaalzone
3:16 The GOOD
3:56 The BAD
6:26 The UGLY
8:38 Traditional Design Education
11:15 A Worldwide Movement
12:12 The final projects
13:36 Students' experiences
14:55 A vision for the future
15:33 Apply, sponsor & the Aesthetic City Academy
16:09 Hope for the future
----
ℹ️ Project Information
- Read the Merwedekanaalzone plan here (in DUTCH): https://merwede.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Stedenbouwkundig-Plan-Merwede-7-oktober-2021-gecomprimeerd.pdf
———
💪🏽 Support this channel by becoming a patron: patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city
🔥 Join the course waitlist: https://the-aesthetic-city.ck.page/a2d41beb6f
✨ Subscribe to our substack: substack.com/@theaestheticcity?utm_source=profile-page
🎙️ Listen to our podcast: open.spotify.com/show/4cU3tcGKXiziKGuvfd3KIa?si=32da1b2ed8f44d79
𝕏 Follow us on X:https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City
🗣️ Join our community on Discord: discord.com/invite/wQ7zPKUTC2
💻 Visit our website: theaestheticcity.com
==========
A Special THANK YOU to:
- The Utrecht Summer School team - Joseph, Flavio, Vincent, Mieke, Alex, Tom, Leonneke, Ivo
- Our awesome students from 2022 to 2024
- Zara, Fernando, Nikolai and Intikhab
- Our Sponsors: Atelier Xavier Bohl, Van Der Sanden, Wij Bouwen Brandevoort, Cedrus Vastgoed, Steencentrum Utrecht, Scala Architecten, Fijne Stad, HetLand vastgoedontwikkeling, Blooming Buildings en LSWA
==========
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click on them and make a purchase. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support the channel.
——
🎥 Video equipment I used:
Sony A7siii - amzn.to/407B2Ru
Sony - FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS amzn.to/3GLYWLw
Sony Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 amzn.to/3zX1D9h
Ronin RS 3 - amzn.to/40hJde8
Apple Macbook Pro M1 Max amzn.to/3L1iHRE
Røde Wireless Go II amzn.to/3IIvGpR
==========
📖 Favourite Urbanism & Architecture Books
Léon Krier: The Architecture of Community - amzn.to/4cVhS8e
Nir Buras: The Art of Classic Planning - amzn.to/3Wjhriz
Jane Jacobs: The Death and Life of Great American Cities - amzn.to/4cy7CTq
Vitruvius Pollio: The Ten Books on Architecture - amzn.to/4cyxwXh
Charles Montgomery: Happy City - amzn.to/3LldSlC
Malcolm Millais: Exploding the Myths of Modern Architecture - amzn.to/3Wh45mJ
James Stevens Curl: Making Dystopia - amzn.to/3zFzN4s
Branko Mitrovic: Architectural Principles in the Age of Fraud - amzn.to/3RZTD0s
Tom Wolfe: From Bauhaus to Our House - amzn.to/3S5mgtb
Mentioned in this video:
Jan Gehl - Cities for People - amzn.to/3VOowH8
==========
©️ Copyright info:
🎶 Music:
Falls - Artificial - IYBHM2CZVFTEJH4MFalls -Sentinel - KPDDKYAA1YNLTULH
Falls - Regulator - RCC6QJIGETE1SXLE Falls - Fluidiity - ESCKFBRER6WUXDXT
Falls - The corporation - CAFOK0WTDIU7GR5M
Falls - Synergy - 2SZSRXSQMOSG6X8O
=======
🖼️ Images:
Guilhem Vellut CC BY 2
Uwe Rohwedder - CC BY SA 4
bobostudio CC BY 2
Frank Schulenburg CC BY SA 4
Loozrboy CC BY-SA 2.0
Gemeente Utrecht
Arwin Kossen CC BY 3.0
Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed CC BY-SA 4
Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed CC-BY-SA 3
