Changing Melbourne

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

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

This subject investigates why Melbourne can be modelled as a most liveable city in a global context. It does this through an examination of the City’s built, natural, and social environment from a range of scientific, design and engineering perspectives. The subject features field-based activities that encourage students to experience and engage with the City while discovering the importance of interdisciplinary knowledge and collaboration supported by lectures about the architecture, landscape, ecology, engineering, geology, planning and social characteristics of this and other cities.

The city as laboratory approach drives this compulsory core subject as the primary introduction to the BEnvs to acknowledge the range of expertise across the three areas of Science, Engineering and Design. It examines how human intervention has created and continues to affect the structure and performance of local environments. In order to achieve a broad-based understanding of the systems, processes and interventions that contribute to the ongoing development of Greater of Melbourne, the subject uses a series of interrelated disciplinary frameworks to focus on its diversity, through situating learning within a creative and directed studio-based format.

The subject examines the multi-disciplinary operations of team-based groups in accessing, forming and applying of new areas of knowledge. This subject provides an opportunity for students to gain insight and understanding through direct contact with a wide range of stakeholders involved with urban and natural environments including; leading people from industry, Government agencies and academics who are expert in their respective fields. It seeks to generate a future-focused, professionally and personally relevant understanding of the complex dynamics currently impacting our cities and lifestyles.

• Changing Melbourne’s primary focus is arranged through a fieldwork program located across Greater Melbourne to enable real world mapping of complex ecosystems in order to identify the relational aspects of designed environments.

• Adopt a localized approach to regional situations that impact upon sustainability and livability across a range of socio-economic, geo-political, environmental and virtual conditions

• Identification of a series of sites across Greater Melbourne at the demonstrated intersection of natural ecologies, constructed environments and infrastructural systems and networks, where complex interactions in everyday situations form the basis for enquiry and contribution to new knowledge.

• Encourage students to identify their primary disciplinary interests in the context of an interdisciplinary team. Sharing and negotiation across knowledge areas is a key attribute of Changing Melbourne.

• Mapping and documenting processes encourage disciplinary skills development with cross-disciplinary oversight within a collaborative studio-based tutorial format.

• Mimics real-world multidisciplinary practices where collaboration and shared understanding is an essential component in developing research and design strategies for environmental systems

At the completion of this unit, students will have demonstrated:

• an ability to demonstrate a range of approaches to knowledge generation and application required by the inter-disciplinary pedagogy of the Bachelor of Environments;
• an ability to identify and operate within the disparate disciplines that contribute to a multi-faceted understanding of natural and constructed urban environments;
• a capacity to work efficiently and effectively in multi-disciplinary teams within the context of complex environments;
• an ability to devise and implement strategies and timelines for completing negotiated tasks;
• identification and development of appropriate analogue, digital, written and verbal communication skills; and
• a breadth of interdisciplinary knowledge to enable an informed choice as to future study directions.

• First submission of graphic and written reflective journal based on Project design research and fieldwork mapping supported by studio lectures. 400 words and visuals. Due week 4, 10%;

• Final submission of graphic and written reflective journal based on Project design research, learning from fieldwork, mapping, lectures and studio. 600 words and visuals Due week 12, 15%;

• 10 minute group oral and graphic presentation outlining Project strategy and design. 400 word equivalent. Due during tutorials running weeks 2 – 9, 10%;

• 20 minute group oral and graphic presentation of Project. 1000 word equivalent. Due week 10, 25%;

• Sustained individual writing and graphic communication of Project. 1600 word equivalent. Due week 14, 40%.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Upon completion students will have demonstrated:

• An ability to examine issues through multi- disciplinary perspectives;
• Critical, creative thinking skills and reasoning skills;
• Effective oral and written communication skills;
• Effective analogue and digital communication skills;
• The ability to engage with contemporary local, national and global issues;
• Awareness of the social and cultural diversity in communities;
• An understanding of and respect for Indigenous knowledge, culture and values.