BSc Planning and Real Estate / Course details

This module provides an opportunity for students to learn working on one type of sustainable development projects: urban design masterplanning. It provides an introduction on sustainable development and the relevant key challenges in the 21st century, urban design theories, principles and techniques.

This course unit covers a range of built and natural built environment attributes and has the following syllabus:
- Introduction to sustainable development
- Introduction to urban design (aim, key theories, principles and qualities, process)
- Content analyses (e.g., figure ground/historical analysis, road hierarchy, building use, green infrastructure, listed building, and legibility)
- Contextual appraisal
- Site specific analyses (e.g., natural environment, movement and mobility, building use and active frontage, quality of buildings, key views and serial visions)
- Opportunities and constraints
- Proposing solutions (e.g., concepts and briefs)

By taking this course unit, students will learn basic skills required for working with urban designers in future. Moreover, they will learn working in group, as well as working independently, on sustainable development projects.

Some background knowledge on urban planning and environmental management is needed. The course unit convenor should be contacted for checking sufficiency of the background knowledge

The unit aims to:

- Explore the multidisciplinary nature of urban design and to explain basic sustainable urban design qualities and relevant key theories/key thoughts
- Stimulate critical thinking to evaluate quality of urban space and its influence on sustainability and quality of life and to propose solutions for improving quality of space
- Develop students’ abilities to apply basic urban design process and practice  an urban design masterplanning project  for an urban site;
- Develop hand drawing, IT, analytical and presentational skills in practice via individual and group works;

Students should be able to: 

This course is project work based, that is taught through a mixture of lectures with workshops, a walking tour, and technical sessions. The lectures provide knowledge on principles and key issues related to sustainable urban design, urban design analyses, and masterplanning. A walking tour – that supports urban design lectures – teaches urban design principles through experiencing actual urban spaces. The workshops (mixed with lectures) help students to apply their knowledge and practical skills to deliver urban design analyses, concepts and brief. The technical sessions equip students with graphical presentation skills. These different methods of teaching collectively cover the assessments (including Assignment I and Assignment II) components. To support students’ works and ideas, feedback and surgeries will be provided in the class, surgery/tutorial sessions, office hours, or arranged meetings.

To recall definition of sustainable development and its components and to explain key sustainable issues

To identify urban design qualities and to explain their relations with sustainability and quality of life 

To evaluate an urban site and its influence on sustainability and quality of life and to propose solutions for improving quality of the site

To make use of drawing and digital skills to practice professional graphic and verbal presentation of analyses and ideas  

To apply knowledge on urban design and the analytical skills in debates  to solve the problem

To employ different software – such as PowerPoint and Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop or Illustrator) – to graphically and verbally  present analyses and ideas.

To work on a multidisciplinary project in groups to gain teamwork skills 

Assignment I: Project - Context Analyses – group work A 10-min presentation – max. 1200 words with support of graphical elements (e.g., analytical maps and images) 35%

Assignment II: Final Project - Individual work Max. 2200 words with support of graphic elements (e.g., analytical maps and images) 65%

Feedback given as per Faculty's timeframe.

Barton, H., Grant M. and Guise, R. (2003) Shaping Neighbourhoods: a guide for health, sustainability and vitality, London : Spon Press 
Beer, A. R. and Higgins, C. (2000) Environmental Planning for Site Development, London : Spon 
Black, P. and Sonbli, T. (2019) The Urban Design Process, London: Lund Humphries. 
Carmona, M. and Tiesdel, S. (2007) Urban Design Reader, Amsterdam ; Boston, Mass.: Architectural Press 
English Partnerships (2000) Urban Design Compendium, London : English Partnerships, available at http://webapps.stoke.gov.uk/uploadedfiles/Urban%20Design%20Compendium%201.pdf 
Larice, M. and Macdonald, E. (2013) The Urban Design Reader, London : Routledge 
Lynch, K. (1960) The Image of the City, Cambridge Mass. ; London : M.I.T. Press 
Meeda, B., Parkyn, N., Walton, D. S. (2007) Graphics for Urban Design, London: Thomas Telford

Not suitable for students without some background knowledge in urban planning