URBDES 710 : Urban Design Studio 1
Creative Arts and Industries
2024 Semester One (1243) (30 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
- Focus on urban design at varying scales and develop strategic urban design proposals able to deliver high-quality and relevant urban outcomes ;
- Challenge thinking about relevant approaches to different urban contexts – including the regeneration of existing urban fabric ('Brownfield' sites) or greenfield sites, and urban development issues such as intensification, resilience, climate change and broad sustainability;
- Become familiar with the tools of urban design research, analysis and communication;
- Develop knowledge and skills related to the description and analysis of urban environments, including historical, environmental, demographic, infrastructural, economic, social and cultural factors and the sourcing of relevant information;
- Provide an opportunity to further develop and apply a critical understanding of urban design principles, theories and precedents and conceptual thinking in urban design;
- Engage in the application of urban design principles, theories and technical issues to develop propositions, concepts and design proposals in the design, testing and refinement of an urban design project at the larger urban scale; and
- Develop skills to effectively communicate urban design ideas, concepts and proposals in graphic, oral and written form.
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | People and Place |
| Capability 2: | Sustainability |
| Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 6: | Communication |
| Capability 7: | Collaboration |
| Capability 8: | Ethics and Professionalism |
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate an appropriate and strategic response to a complex urban problem and issues drawing on a range of current urban design theories, principles, policies, precedents and relevant issues (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3)
- Critically analyse and understand the attributes of complex urban environments and changes over time (Capability 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3)
- Develop urban design concepts and proposal underpinned by an understanding of urban theories, principles, policies and precedents at the larger urban scale (Capability 5.1 and 5.2)
- Communicate the concepts and proposals to a range of stakeholders in graphic, oral and written forms (Capability 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 and 7)
- Have some knowledge of the regulatory, social, economic and cultural context in which urban design projects are implemented (Capability 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Case Studies | 10% | Group Coursework |
| Presentation | 15% | Group Coursework |
| Presentation | 75% | Individual Coursework |
| 3 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||||
| Case Studies | ||||||||||
| Presentation | ||||||||||
| Presentation | ||||||||||
Teaching & Learning Methods
- Lectures and seminars which convey key concepts that can be used throughout the course. These will be given by faculty staff and leading urban design professionals;
- Visual communications (Viscom) classes which set out key visual skills needed for the course, including presentation skills for your final presentation; and
- Crits of students’ work which provide an opportunity for students to discuss their ideas and concepts with faculty staff throughout the course. This is designed to be an iterative process with students putting forward their ideas and design thinking for staff (and professional guests) to evaluate and provide verbal comments on their work during class time. While these are given individually, students are encouraged to sit through as many of these crit sessions as they can, and this will significantly improve their learning opportunities throughout this course. Please use these sessions and do not come to a crit session without any work.
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 30-point course and students are expected to spend 20 hours per week involved in each 30-point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, you can expect 72 hours of studio time (including time for the final exam), and 228 hours of preparatory reading, research, thinking, and working on your assignments.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is required at scheduled activities including studios to complete/ components of the course.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
- Frederick, M & Mehat, V, 2018, 101 Things I Leaned in Urban Design School, Three River Press, New York, U.S.
- Larice, M & MacDonald, E (Ed), 2014, The Urban Design Reader, Routledge, London, U.K.
- Richards, P, 2018, Design Thinking Drawing, Peter Richards Press, Brisbane, Australia
- Adams, D and Tisdel, S. Shaping Places: Urban Planning, Design and Development, London: Routledge, 2013
- Carmona, Matthew, Heath, Ted, Oc, Tanier, and Tiesdell, Steve, Public Places Urban Spaces – the Dimensions of Urban Design, Oxford: Architectural Press, 2021 3th edition.
- Campoli, C., Made for Walking: Density and Neighbourhood From, Lincoln Institute, Cambridge, U.S. 2007
- Farrelly, L. Drawing for Urban Design, Laurence King, London, U.K., 2011
- Gehl, J Cities for People, Washington: Island Press, 2010.
- Tarbatt, J. The Plot: Design Diversity in the Built Environment – a manual for architects and urban designers, London RINA Publishing, 2012
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Other Information
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.