The current program of the Bauhaus Kolleg Dessau ("UN Urbanism") deals with the transformation of cities located in crisis regions, with Mostar and Kabul as imminent case studies, and is aimed at investigating the phenomenon of global crisis-preventing and crisis-regulating urbanization. Guided by a set of research questions - What patterns and normative ideas about the city, civil society and the public sphere emerge as a result of these interventions? How can city planning - with the support of international humanitarian organizations - communicate the torn realities of individual cities? What ideas do these organizations have about city planning? - the participants' findings will be published and presented in an exhibition. More information on concept and projects is (or will be made available) at www.un-urbanism.de.

The Greek city of Patras, the official Cultural Capital of Europe in 2006, is already in crisis. According to a survey, only 16% of Greeks have heard of the event. Criticism has been voiced that no proper marketing efforts had been undertaken, and that the organisation of Patras 2006 was only begun in April 2005 because the Greek government had been preoccupied with the Olympic Games (2004) for too long. The artistic director has resigned on January 3, while the funding for several initiatives is still not secured. The cultural year will start with a Leonardo-da-Vinci exhibition on January 10. The peak of the program is supposed to be the 6-weeks carneval (starting on January 21) which, as critics noted, does in fact have a long tradition in Patras and is celebrated annually anyway. (Source: ORF.at)

SETimes recently ran an article about the planned twin Dubai Towers (150m) for the Maslak area in Istanbul's northern periphery busy with similar projects ("Mashattan" etc.). According to analysts, the prospect of Turkey becoming the first Muslim state to enter the EU has prompted a surge of interest among Arab investors. For those reading Turkish, the weekly newspaper digest of the TAYProject is also a good source for up-to-date information on matters of preservation and urban development in Turkey.

In other news on SETimes we learn that the northern city of Kumanovo has been designated "Macedonia's Cultural Centre" for 2006.