Comparative Urban Design

Overview

The module is based on a contribution of seminars/tutorials and studio work - a real-world live project has been commissioned within the semester to exemplify and complement the accompanying theoretical content. The study location will be based in Northern Ireland and will be for a professional client who will set the parameters for the student regeneration strategy. This exercise will involve the completion of: detailed desk-based policy analysis; stakeholder mapping and interviews; urban analysis of the physical quality of the place and how it is used; comparative regeneration practice research; and the creation of urban design and policy solutions to regenerate the allocated study area. The studio location in Northern Ireland will be complemented by an international field trip in Week 8 to a leading European city to learn about and visit key urban regeneration projects. This field trip will offer students the opportunity to meet with local designers, community activists and municipality staff to learn how projects and strategies have balanced the social, economic and environmental variables associated with regeneration.

Learning Objectives

On the successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

- understand the nature and significance of design and regeneration in the built environment;
- appreciate the complementarity between design and regeneration in the built environment;
- debate theoretical, ethical and practical issues in relation to design and regeneration;
- evaluate alternative approaches to design and regeneration in specific locations;
- recognise the importance of interdisciplinary working between planners and designers as part of the design, implementation and management of successful places.
- demonstrate an understanding of how the planning profession has evolved and adapted since its inception to meet changing circumstances whilst considering how the profession can future proof its practice to remain central to countering global challenges.
- demonstrate the skills required to complete a public consultation, understand and analyse the different and often conflicting perspectives and devise a strategy that mediates between opposing visions.

Skills

Students will also develop the following generic and professional skills:

- generic: bibliographic research and retrieval; written, graphical and computer-based presentations
skills;
- professional: design appreciate, team-working, time-management and professional presentation
skills;
- client-based: consultation, brief-development and discussion/debating skills.

Assessment

Students must pass all assignments.