MSc Global Urban Development and Planning / Course details

In this course unit, students will have hands-on experience in addressing real-world sustainable transport and mobility problems. Working in project teams, students will bring to bear concepts, theories, principles, and tools and methods learnt in different modules to develop a Sustainable Transport Plan for selected urban areas. Projects will typically involve collaborating with local government agencies and consultancy firms to address specific transport and mobility challenges in their community. Students are expected to use the allocated contact hours to work on their projects and will be supported through a series of workshops that will be aligned to key milestones across the full spectrum of the transport planning process. These workshops will support students to undertake evidence-based baseline analysis from which problems and opportunities will be identified. Building on this initial analysis, students will learn how to formulate policy goals, objectives and strategies, generate and appraise alternative plan scenarios and formulate implementation and monitoring and evaluation plans for selected projects within the plan. Ultimately, this project-based module is designed to enable students to bridge the gap between theory and practice and empower students to make a tangible impact on sustainability through a Transport Plan.
 

The unit aims to:

-Foster students’ understanding of the multifaceted nature of sustainable transport and mobility, by encouraging and embedding interdisciplinary thinking and approaches to problem solving.

-Empower students to analyse real-world transport problems, evaluate alternative plans and strategies, and design innovative and eco-friendly transport and mobility solutions.

-Provide students the opportunity to interact with practitioners and policymakers in the field to learn about the practical aspects of sustainable transport and mobility planning and implementation.

The primary mode of learning and teaching will be through workshops. Each workshop will be 3 hours and team-taught by colleagues with expertise relevant to the project. The workshops will provide a structured environment for students to acquire knowledge relevant to specific stages of the Sustainable Transport Plan making process. Students are expected to use a range of digital and e-learning tools to schedule and meet in groups and to prepare and present key milestones of the project, including the Baseline Analysis Report and the final report of the project—the transport plan.
 

• Demonstrate an understanding of the key concepts, principles and practices of sustainable transport through a Sustainable Transport Plan.
• Analyse and critically evaluate the role of different modes of transport in addressing accessibility and mobility inequalities, reducing travel-related carbon emissions and promoting liveable urban environments.
• Explain the role of urban planning and policy in promoting sustainable transport, including the role of land use and activity distribution in creating accessible communities.

• Analyse and explain complex sustainable mobility and accessibility challenges at the intersection of existing transport and land use situations of specific urban areas.
• Critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of existing transport and land use plans and policies in terms of social equity and environmental sustainability.
• Critically evaluate the sustainability implications of alternative transport policies and strategies to propose sound courses of action.

• Demonstrate the ability to gather and analyse evidence and data from multiple sources to inform decision-making.
• Apply analytical tools and methods to analyse transport and land use related problems.
• Formulate and evaluate alternative transport and mobility scenarios and justify selected courses of action.
• Apply project management techniques to develop a Sustainable Transport Plan and accompanying project implementation, monitoring and evaluation strategies.

• Demonstrate effective presentation and communication skills to diverse audiences including peers and practitioners in the field.
• Prepare a persuasive and well-structured report to convey the rationale methodology and expected outcomes of a transport plan
• Demonstrate collaborative problem-solving skills through teamwork  

Poster (assignment 1): A0-Poster: visual presentation (max 500 words equivalent) 30% weighting

Project Report (assignment 2): 3000 words 70% weighting

Poster: Conference-style exhibition and presentation: Verbal and written feedback

Project Report: Written feedback 

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