Christodoulou Charis

CV in short:

Charis Christodoulou studied architecture at the School of Architecture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Dip MA 1995 – Thesis project:  “Regeneration of 12 Apostles’ Byzantine Church Urban Quarter in the Historic Centre of Thessaloniki”).  She pursued post-graduate studies in Urban Design at the Joint Centre for Urban Design, Schools of Architecture & Planning, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford (MA 1996 - Thesis title: “Urban Regeneration and Cultural Interventions in European Cities at the Turn of the Century”). Her doctoral research grounded the hypothesis of a new socio-spatial order discernible in European cities in the period following the ‘70s - and in specific its variation in the South, in which the concentration of new forms of poverty and exclusion go hand-in-hand with that of globalized business activities (PhD 2008, Dpt. of Architecture AUT – Title of Doctorate Thesis: “Urbanization and Spaces of Social Exclusion: Habitation Patterns in the Periphery of Thessaloniki, 1980-2000”).

She has taken part in several research projects in the field of urban regeneration, urban design and urban planning and housing in Greek cities. She is a founding member and coordinator of actions in the Research Unit for the Cities of the European South in the Sector of Urban Planning, Spatial Planning & Regional Development School of Architecture AUTh (http://southeuropean-cities.arch.auth.gr/en).

Her work as a professional architect – urban designer – planner includes mainly consultancy to local authorities on issues of ekistics, urban strategies and participatory design, as well as architectural interventions, in the framework of national and European funds. Her work within a number of teams has received distinction in several international architectural and urban design competitions.

She taught urban design and urban planning, theory and urban synthesis in architectural and urban scale, and space – place - gender discourse in the School of Architecture, University of Thessaly in Volos (lecturer on contract, 2001-2005). She has been teaching urban design, urban and spatial planning and urban geography in the School of Architecture, Aristotle University Thessaloniki since 2009.

Knowledge field:

Urban planning, urban design, urban geography: theory and practices, socio-spatial transformation of the contemporary city, networking actors, gender perspectives, social affordable housing, Greek cities.

 

Research interests:

Urban planning: sprawl, statutory framework and urbanization processes, Greek cities’ specificities.

Urban design: urban regeneration strategies and sustainability – issues of planning, management, implementation and effects, urban design processes and participation, environmental urban design.

Socio-spatial transformation of the city in the framework of globalization - internationalization: urban dispersion, segregation, spaces of social exclusion, urban resilience – fragility, habitation of vulnerable groups and communities.

Gender mainstreaming urban design and urban planning.

European policies in the urban environment, social inclusion and housing.

Recent publications (last 5 years):

Authored Book:

Christodoulou, C. (2015) Landscapes of Sprawl. Urbanization and Urban Planning. The Periphery of Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki: University Studio Press ISBN: 978-960-12-2222-6 (in Greek).

Edited volumes and Contribution in Books :

Christodoulou, C. (2020) Gender Mainstreaming Urban Planning and Design Processes in Greece, in Inés Sánchez de Madariaga & Michael Neuman (eds) (2020) Engendering Cities. Designing Sustainable Urban Spaces for All, 1st Edition, Routledge, Chapter 13, pp.229-242.

Christodoulou, C. (2020) The post-war transformation of the Thessaloniki periphery. Urbanization and landscape, in Dimitris Keridis & John Brady Kiesling (eds) (2020)Thessaloniki, a City in Transition, 1912–2012, 1st Edition, Routledge, Chapter 20, pp.310-332.

Athanassiou, E. and C.Christodoulou (eds) (2019) City Under Construction. Plans, Processes and Practices for Space in Thessaloniki, Conference Proceedings, Thessaloniki, 12-13 Oct. 2018, Research Unit for South European Cities, School of Architecture AUTh, ISBN: 978-618-83231-3-1 (in Greek).

Athanassiou,E., C.Christodoulou, M.Kapsali and M. Karagianni (2018) Hybridizing ‘Ownership’ of Public Space. Framings of Urban Emancipation in Crisis-Ridden Thessaloniki. In Knierbein, S. and Viderman, T. (eds) Public Space Unbound. Urban Emancipation and the Post-Political Condition. London & New York: Routledge, pp.251-265.

Journal and conference papers:

Christodoulou, C. (2019) National perspective of Greece - Legal Planning Framework, in section: National perspectives of nine European countries: planning systems and gender impact, edited by S.Tuggener and B.Zibell, in B.Zibell, D.Damyanovic and U. Sturm (eds) Gendered Appraches to Spatial Development in Europe. Perspectives, Similarities, Differences. London & New York: Routledge, pp.54-55.

Christodoulou, C. (2019) The ‘Urban Development Game’ in Architectural Education: Moodle as a Pedagogical Facilitator to Simulate Urban Development Processes, Presentation at the 3rd MoodleMoot 2019 Greece Conference organized by the IT Center of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki  and the Library & Information Centre of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Hellenic Open University, the Greek School Network, the Advanced Educational Technologies and Mobile Applications Lab (AETMA Lab) of International Hellenic University, the Laboratory of Didactics of Physics and Educational Technology (EDIFET) of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Political Economy and Sustainable Development Lab of National Kapodistrian University of Athens, the Central Library of the National Technical University of Athens, the Developmental Center of Thessaly and the GFOSS – Open Technologies Alliance, 28-29th Nov. (https://assets.moodlemoot.org/sites/123/20191216133057/B.1.4.-The-%E2%80%98Urban-Development-Game%E2%80%99_Christodoulou.pdf)

.Christodoulou, C. (2018) Interview on Relational-Material Approaches of Urban Morphology, in the Resources of the EPUM international research project “Emerging Perspectives On Urban Morphology: Researching And Learning Through Multiple Practices”, Film, http://epum.eu/?page_id=379

Christodoulou, C., S.Lada (2017) Urban design in the neoliberal era: reflecting on the Greek case. Journal of Urban Design, Volume 22, Issue 2: Theme Issue: Urban Design in an Age of Recession, pp.144-146, https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2017.1288875Christodoulou, C., M.Oikonomou (2018) Urban sprawl typologies in medium-sized Greek cities. Α qualitative morphological analysis in the peri-urban landscape. In N. Charalambous, N. Zafer Cömert, Ş. Hoşkara eds., Urban Morphology in South-Eastern Mediterranean Cities: Challenges and Opportunities, Proceedings of the 1st Regional Conference: Cyprus Network of Urban Morphology, 16 -18 May 2018, Buffer Zone, Nicosia, Cyprus, Nicosia 2019 ISBN: 978-1-5136-5221-4, pp. 134-146. (cynum.org)

Christodoulou, C. (2015) Dwelling at the border and complexities of inclusion in space, in Tressou, E., S.Mitakidou, G.Karagianni (eds) Roma Inclusion - International and Greek Experiences - Book of Proceedings, International Conference ‘Complexities of Inclusion’, 3-5 October 2014, Thessaloniki, pp. 199-220 (και στα ελληνικά σελ.225-249).

Athanassiou, E., C.Christodoulou (2015) Comparative Mapping of City Histories: The City of Volos in the Network of Mediterranean Cities, Poster Presentation, in Alifragkis, S., G.Papakonstantinou, C.Papasarantou (eds) Proceedings, International Symposium ‘Museums in Motion’ organized by the Laboratory of Environmental Communication and Audiovisual Documentation (LECAD- EPEOT) of the Department of Architecture, University of Thessaly in collaboration with the Social Anthropology Laboratory and Oral History Archive at the Department of History, Archaeology and Social Anthropology (IAKA), University of Thessaly, and with the Department of Architecture of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in the framework of the research program Thalis-DEMUCIV, Volos 3-4 July, pp.179-180.

Link MODIP: https://qa.auth.gr/en/cv/christodoulou