Image: Abigail Lynn (2015)
On Friday 13 February, we will have our first guest speaker for the 2025-2026 ASCA Cities Seminar: Sébastien Darchen (University of Queensland) will present his research on the intersection between urban planning and creativity in a talk titled “Underground Music Cultures and Music-Making in Los Angeles”. The session takes place from 15.00-17.00 in room 0.16 (E-lab) at the University of Amsterdam, Turfdraagsterpad 9, Amsterdam.
Sébastien Darchen is a Senior Lecturer in Planning at the School of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Queensland. He teaches Urban Design and a Planning studio course focusing on urban regeneration. His research work focuses on the cultural history of cities, urban regeneration and music scenes in cities. He is the main editor for Electronic Cities: Music, Policies and Space in the 21st Century (Palgrave McMillan, 2021) and Global Planning Innovations for Urban Sustainability (Routledge, 2019).
For more information and registration, please contact Linda Kopitz (l.kopitz@uva.nl).
Readings
- Bottà, G., and E. Petrilli. 2023. Nocturnal urban imaginaries: The rise and fall of Turin as a 24-hour party city. Forum Sociologico 43: 1–16.
- Darchen, S. Charrieras, D. and J. Willsteed. 2025. Imaginary Cities: A Lens to Study Music Cultures and Music-Making Practices in L.A. Urban Contexts. In Underground music cultures and music-making in Los Angeles – Imaginary cities. Ed. Darchen, S. Willsteed, J. and D. Charrieras, D, 1-19. Palgrave Mc Millan.
- Pesses, M.W. 2009. The city she loves me: The Los Angeles of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In Sound, society and the geography of popular music, ed. Ola Johnasson and Thomas L. Bell, 145–159. Farnham: Ashgate.
All readings can be accessed via this shared Surfdrive folder as well.
Following Sessions
Fri. 20 Mar. 2026: Naomi Bueno de Mesquita and Tzlil Sharon (Amsterdam University of the Arts), “Polyphonic Archive”, Time: 3-5pm, Location: room 0.16, Turfdraagsterpad 9, Amsterdam.
Fri. 24 Apr. 2026: Alfredo Thiermann Riesco (École Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne), “Radio-Activities: Architecture and Broadcasting in Cold War Berlin”, Time: 3-5pm, Location: room 0.16, Turfdraagsterpad 9, Amsterdam.
Fri. 22 May 2026: Sandra Jasper (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg) and Jonathan Prior (Cardiff University), “Urban Bioacoustics: Listening to Animal Voices in the GDR”, Time: 3-5pm, Location: room 0.16, Turfdraagsterpad 9, Amsterdam.
The ASCA Cities Seminar is co-organized by Carolyn Birdsall, Linda Kopitz and Alex Gekker.