Urban Design

Learning Outcomes

• The history of city form • How to build a city - The Roman Model • Urban Design theories - the power of an idea • The ingredients of high quality public space • Detailing the place • Making the connections – local distinctiveness and contextual design • Understanding the context – techniques for the analysis of an urban realm • The sustainable city • The development process – Planning, viability and delivery.

The course begins with a series of lectures on core subjects, with an expectation of further private study. These provide student with an understanding of the subject and form the intellectual framework for the project work. The taught courses include – 10 lectures, 1 x 3 hour seminar on urban design theories, 1 site visit, 11 hours of tutorials in support of the assessed project work and 9 hours of collective crits and feedback. There will be three learning activities that apply and test the students' understanding of the theory presented in the lecture programme. In the first students will prepare a succinct presentation comparing and contrasting the defining characteristics of two cities of their own choosing. These presentations form a shared learning experience. The second is a group investigation into a public space or neighbourhood, applying research techniques that provide insight into the place and provide a basis for deriving recommendations for its future transformation. The final exercise is an individual design proposal for the redevelopment of that location and focuses on master planning specific changes in direct relationship to an understanding of the wider context and established urban design theory. A variety of verbal and graphical presentation techniques will be required including the use of CAD and computer graphics software.