Introduction to Urban Design & Planning

This subject is not offered in 2013.

120 Hours

Two of the following subjects from the Urban Design and Planning core:

Introductory knowledge in the Urban Design and Planning Major of the Bachelor of Environments: an awareness of urban history, appreciation of the main aspects of urban design, and understanding of contemporary issues and events in cities and regions.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

The subject introduces students to introductory skills relevant to the study and practice of urban design and planning. Building upon the broad understandings developed in the perquisite subjects that relate to the ways that urban designers and planners might successfully intervene in urban places, the subject is oriented to student’s taking steps towards becoming practically able to develop plans, policies and designs to improve urban places, seeking multiple objectives.
Key skills for writing, drawing, urban analysis, design, and working at the scales relevant to urban design and planning will be developed in a mixed suite of lectures, workshops, field trips, tutorials and studios. Students will work on a key project for the semester that allows to develop key skills, culminating in the production of a design for an urban place. Students will develop abilities in presenting using a variety of media and in a range of settings.

Upon successful completion of the subject, students will be able to:
• Gather information from a range of sources relating to an urban place and meaningfully collate, interpret and analyse it.
• From the above, spatially represent and analyse an urban place, subsequently conveying this to others in meaningful ways.
• Develop strategies and designs for the ongoing spatial management of an urban place.
• Reflect upon the implications of their plans and design in terms of social, economic, ecological and cultural concerns.
• Deliver information about their plans and designs using appropriate representation, written, oral and other relevant means.

• An individual assignment due in week 3 worth 10%
• A group assignment due in week 6 - Urban analysis including written and drawn analysis of site worth 30%
• An individual major project due in week 12, including an urban report and design response worth 60%

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Generic skills developed will be:
• Verbal, written and drawn communication skills.
• Urban analysis via a range of observed, numeric, and qualitative means.
• Individual and team based work.