Urban Design and Place-Making

Course overview

An applied urban design programme covering block and street structure, frontage and enclosure, public space and the everyday details that determine whether a place is comfortable to use. Design principles are tested against real spatial constraints rather than treated as style preferences.

Who it is for

• Planning professionals
• Architects and designers
• Public-sector and agency teams
• Graduates and early-career planners

What participants will learn

• Read and analyse the structure of an existing place
• Design block, street and frontage relationships
• Shape public space, edges and active frontage
• Communicate design intent through diagrams and sections

Curriculum outline

1. Module 1

   Reading place

   • Morphology, grain, permeability and legibility
   • Movement, activity and use patterns

2. Module 2

   Designing the framework

   • Blocks, plots and frontage
   • Streets as public space; sections and dimensions
   • Open space networks and landscape structure

3. Module 3

   Communicating design

   • Design principles and coding
   • Diagrams, sections and visual explanation

Expected practical outcomes

• An urban structure analysis of a chosen place
• A block and street design proposal with sections
• A short set of design principles for a site

Prerequisites

• Comfort with plan drawing and basic spatial analysis