Course Overview

Urban design is concerned about designing and shaping cities towards an urban renaissance. Knowledge on urban design encourages planners and urban designers who influence and shape development decisions to think more deeply and sensitively about the living environment being created. This course is designed to offer students the theoretical background necessary to practice as an urban designer within the professional sphere. Students will be introduced to the key urban design theories as well as exploring the real world implications for instigating these concepts. Once completed students will be able to manipulate space at the intermediate scale between architecture and planning. This course introduces techniques to enhance the qualities of places and responds to complex and often contradictory community aspirations. It improves the skills of the students in engaging in the urban design process and applying a well-defined theoretical position of their own.

Course Objectives

The objectives of this course are as follows:

·       To understand the urban design ‘process’, in itself a useful tool in exploring the strengths and weaknesses of development proposals

·       To introduce the relevant urban design theory, techniques and key texts and its relevance to the 21st century design

·       To demonstrate the role of urban design at a variety of levels ranging from the strategic to the site specific

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

Upon completion of this course students will have

·       Comprehend the urban design theories, principles and practices;

·       Design urban spaces creatively and think three dimensionally;

·       Recommend urban design policy framework.