Unraveling the Mysteries of Public Spaces and Redefining Urban Planning for Future Generations!
In a world that constantly seeks guidance and direction, the concept of leadership holds immense significance. But what truly defines a leader? Is it the one who holds a position of authority, or is it someone who inspires and empowers others to reach their full potential?
While titles and positions may confer authority, they alone do not define a true leader. True leadership transcends organizational hierarchies and extends beyond the confines of a formal role. It is not about commanding and controlling, but about inspiring and guiding. A genuine leader is someone who leads with passion, empathy, and a deep sense of purpose, inspiring others to follow willingly, not out of compulsion but out of admiration and respect. One shining example of a true leader is Dr. Tigran Haas. In pursuit of his childhood dreams to become a world-class architect and urbanist, he embarked on a remarkable journey that would eventually lead him to the helm of groundbreaking research and academia. While his path may have deviated from his initial aspirations, it carved a trail of impact and excellence that few can rival.
Tigran’s life was deeply influenced by academia from an early age. With both of his parents excelling in academic fields, his passion for knowledge and working with students was ingrained in him from the start, leading him to pursue a career in academia. His greatest achievements include earning his doctorate and completing post-doctoral fellowships at prestigious institutions like Berkeley, MIT, and the University of Michigan. These experiences not only expanded his academic expertise but also deepened his understanding of urbanism and public spaces. A notable highlight in Tigran’s career is his contribution to the Urbanism Trilogy, a series of three books published by Rizzoli Publishers in New York. These groundbreaking works explore the complex relationship between urban planning and design, shaping the future of cities worldwide.
At the core of his journey lies the esteemed Centre of the Future of Places, an international research hub dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of public spaces. As Director and CEO, Tigran leads a dynamic team of innovators and thought leaders, redefining the role of public spaces in our ever-evolving urban landscape.
His tenure track position as an Associate Professor in urban planning and urban design at KTH is equally significant. This prestigious role not only recognizes his expertise but also allows him to inspire and educate the next generation of urbanists and city-shapers. A pivotal moment in Tigran’s career was the New Urbanism Conference at KTH in 2004, where leading minds in urban planning and design came together. This event sparked innovative ideas and collaborations that continue to shape urban development today.
Tigran’s remarkable influence and impact are further evidenced by the strategic board of the Centre, which includes four honorary doctors at KTH, such as Richard Florida, Saskia Sassen, Edward Glaeser, and Manuel Castells. Their presence reflects the global recognition and respect that Tigran commands in his field.
Join us as we explore his journey of success and discoveries!
Visionary: Pioneering the Future of Urban Planning and Design
Tigran Haas, a distinguished academician with a long and illustrious career, boasts an impressive array of credentials and accomplishments. Holding the titles of BArch/MArch, MSc., Ph.D., and numerous affiliations (SAR/MSA, UHA/DAZ, APA, CNU, ULI), he stands as the Associate Professor, Reader–Tenured (Docent, Lektor) of Urban Planning and Urban Design. His academic journey has taken him across various countries, including the USA, Former Yugoslavia (BiH and Croatia), and Sweden.
Currently, Tigran serves as the Director of the Centre of the Future of Places (CFP) and the Graduate Program in Urbanism at the School of Architecture and the Built Environment at KTH. Prior to this, he held the esteemed position of Director of the Civitas Athenaeum Laboratory (CAL).
Tigran’s educational pursuits span a diverse range of disciplines, as evidenced by his advanced degrees in Architecture, Urban Planning and Design, Environmental Science, and Regional Planning. His passion for academia is further reflected in his extensive scholarly contributions, which encompass over 60 scholarly articles, 45 Conference Papers, 8 books, and 4 Research Anthologies.
Moreover, Tigran Haas has been actively involved in teaching within various international educational programs. He has played a pivotal role in guiding and nurturing the academic growth of numerous students, supervising 15 Ph.D. students (currently overseeing five Ph.D. students) and five Masters of Science Students (having supervised 125 master’s students).
Throughout his journey, Tigran’s dedication to the fields of Urban Planning and Design has been evident through his prestigious Pot-Doc Fellowships at renowned institutions such as MIT, Boston, UC Berkeley, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Advancing Knowledge and Innovation
Since its establishment in 1827, KTH has emerged as a premier technical university in Europe and a vital hub for knowledge advancement. As Sweden’s largest university dedicated to technical research and education, KTH attracts a diverse community of students, researchers, and faculty from across the globe. Together, they collaborate with businesses and society to address pressing global challenges, including climate change, the future of energy supply, urbanization, and improving the quality of life for a rapidly growing and aging population.
KTH’s research and educational endeavors encompass a wide spectrum, encompassing various scientific disciplines and branches of technology, architecture, industrial economics, social planning, history, and philosophy. This interdisciplinary approach fosters innovation and promotes versatile solutions, nurturing a new generation of skilled engineers, architects, and teachers.
Within this esteemed university, the KTH/ABE Centre of the Future of Places (CFP) is actively engaged in a biennial, two-year research theme centered around “Urban Disclosures and Cities for All.” Tigran Haas, as a key figure, emphasizes the growing prominence of these subjects, stemming from the United Nations’ Habitat III conference held in Quito, Ecuador, in October 2016. The conference outcome document, known as the “New Urban Agenda,” aligns strategically with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, focusing on ‘Sustainable Cities and Communities.’
The CFP’s primary objective is to make a significant academic and practical contribution to this discourse by closely examining these two critical subjects as an integrated research theme. With an impressive roster of 20 active research projects ranging from micro to macro scales, the Centre is committed to advancing knowledge and understanding in this vital domain.
Empowering Inclusive Urbanism
KTH’s recently established Centre of the Future of Places serves as a vibrant hub, bringing together leading thinkers, practitioners, and researchers from various fields such as architecture, urban planning, urban design, and urban studies. This dynamic agora is dedicated to addressing the most pressing challenges in urban development, with a particular focus on the significance of public space systems. In a rapidly changing world, marked by diverse social, economic, political, cultural, and environmental complexities, the value of public spaces in city planning and maintenance has never been more crucial for the future of urbanism.
The CFP stands as a permanent mission, shining a spotlight on the importance of public space and the public realm. It emphasizes the shift from a mere focus on objects to a deeper appreciation of places, recognizing this transformation as a fundamental aspect of urbanism and urbanization. Within this mission, the Centre delves into the intricate interplay between urban form, human behavior, urban society, social life, sustainable urbanism, and housing, all through the cross-cutting lens of public space.
During its biennial theme from 2017 to 2019, the Centre of the Future of Places delved into two intertwined subjects: “Urban Disclosures and Cities for All!” This convergence of themes provided a powerful “Lens” for researchers to investigate the role of public space systems and their impact on citizens, contributing to the ever-evolving science of cities in our rapidly urbanizing world. The Centre’s efforts aim to promote equity and inclusivity, even as cities confront economic, spatial, and social polarization.
The subsequent theme for 2019–2021, “Humanizing the Smart City and Distribution of Big Data for All,” is set to explore ways to enhance the concept of smart cities by placing a strong emphasis on the human experience. By embracing diversity within a networked city, this approach seeks to address inequality and foster inclusive growth, thus presenting a more compelling and practical path for implementation.
A Vision of Excellence, Collaboration, & Impact
KTH’s vision, as outlined by President Sigbritt Karlsson, revolves around three fundamental pillars: diversity and equality, Internationalization, and Sustainability. Building on these principles, Tigran Haas emphasizes the qualities that define a world-class university, a vision KTH strives to embody.
First and foremost, a top-tier university must demonstrate a commitment to excellence and encompass a wide range of fields, not limiting itself to a specific niche. It should engage in cutting-edge research while nurturing and educating the next generation of students. True greatness lies in allowing researchers the freedom to explore, experiment, succeed, and even encounter failure as part of the learning process.
Moreover, world-class universities have porous boundaries, encouraging interdisciplinary research and teaching. They foster partnerships with the private sector, working collaboratively with industry to address real-world challenges. International collaboration is also crucial, as these institutions look beyond conventional boundaries and prepare students to thrive in diverse global cultures.
The School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE) at KTH embodies this vision, providing a collaborative platform for faculty, practitioners, private sector partners, and policy experts to work together. By seeking answers and making discoveries, ABE aims to advance the management practice of the built environment and contribute to the betterment of our cities.
Within ABE, the newly established Centre of the Future of Places (CFP) stands out as a crucial initiative. By directly addressing the dynamic forces and processes shaping cities, networks, and landscapes, the Centre seeks to improve the lives of individuals through positive changes in the built environment of cities.
Advancing Sustainable Urban Development
According to Tigran Haas, the establishment of the Centre of the Future of Places (CFP) serves a crucial purpose in promoting sustainable urban development. The Centre aims to shift the focus of urban discourse from objects to places, with a particular emphasis on creating healthy, livable, and vibrant cities within the disciplines of Urban Planning and Urban Design.
The vision of the Centre is to build a networked community of leaders working across various sectors and disciplines to create a more just, sustainable, and prosperous world. To achieve this goal, the Centre takes a holistic approach to defining and establishing public space as an independent academic research field. It systematically integrates knowledge from multiple disciplines related to public space, such as urban planning, urban design, environmental psychology, urban sociology, architecture, urban economics, and human geography, among others.
By focusing on public space, the Centre bridges the gaps between different disciplinary silos, fostering collaboration among experts in various fields. This approach creates a comprehensive understanding of the city, which serves as a foundation for practical and effective action, necessitating extensive international cooperation.
CFP’s research delves into the challenges faced by regions, metropolitan cities, towns, and neighborhoods in achieving more sustainable, resilient, livable, just, and inclusive urban environments. One of the primary research topics is the role of public space as a vital urban framework, and the measures required to preserve and enhance it in the face of ongoing global urbanization processes. The Centre aligns its objectives with the “New Urban Agenda,” as defined by United Nations member states in 2016.
Moreover, the Centre explores broader topics related to contemporary and future urban conditions, development, planning, design, and placemaking processes. Tigran Haas emphasizes the importance of understanding the evolving role of urban planning and design within interdisciplinary fields and their impact on human environments and social life.
Embracing the 5Ps
Tigran Haas lives by the motto of the 5 Ps: Passion, Perseverance, Professionalism, Persuasion, and Playfulness. His life is a testament to these principles, as he fearlessly takes on challenges and embraces multiple roles with enthusiasm. Currently juggling four jobs simultaneously, he directs a Centre, and a master’s program, and serves as a researcher, teacher, and mentor, all while managing the responsibilities of a tenure track.
Thriving in multitasking, Tigran brings elements of improvisation, quick decision-making, and innovation into his work. His background in teaching project management, strategic management, and leadership for eight years has been instrumental in handling such diverse roles. Additionally, he attributes his growth as a leader to the guidance of exceptional mentors throughout his academic career.
Tigran’s passion lies in embracing constant challenges and nurturing a stream of ideas. He finds inspiration in collaborating with colleagues and engaging with curious students. His work revolves around transforming cities and their people, as well as revitalizing urban places and public realms with all their intricacies.
For him, cities are remarkable spaces brimming with boundless opportunities, complexities, and sources of inspiration. He believes in the potential of cities to drive positive change and innovative solutions. Tigran’s genuine passion for his work is evident when he refers to his profession as the best job in the world, relishing the opportunity to work as a professor at KTH.
Redefining Education
According to Tigran Haas, the role of a leader in a student’s life involves a combination of teaching and learning, high-quality mentorship, and creating environments that foster peer-to-peer learning and teaching. For him, improving teacher quality is paramount to achieving excellence in the academic classroom. He recognizes that the landscape of education is undergoing profound changes, and the role of teachers must evolve to meet the demands of the 21st century and beyond.
In the future, academic and research environments will become more dynamic and diverse, requiring teachers to be adaptable and flexible. With knowledge readily available in various forms and accessible anytime and anywhere, the task of learning will shift to students, making them more accountable for their education.
Tigran acknowledges that the modern classroom faces challenges related to increasing diversity, equality, and equity, which demand new and innovative approaches from educators. He emphasizes the need for fresh thinking and bold ideas to redesign educational systems and attract, prepare, support, retain, and reward excellent teachers and students.
In this transformative vision of education, academic learning will be guided by rigorous standards and high expectations, supported by the latest data, technology, and online learning platforms—especially in times of challenges like the Corona Virus pandemic. Technology will also play a crucial role in personalizing learning experiences and complementing classroom instruction, allowing students to learn at their own pace.
With this forward-looking approach, Tigran envisions a future of education that embraces the potential of technology and diverse learning environments to create a truly engaging and enriching educational experience for both teachers and students.
