A sense of place, community, and urban design are core the experience of living in a city. For anyone who plans, designs, or studies urban spaces, community engagement is becoming an increasingly fundamental principle in the development of more sustainable urban neighbourhoods and cities.
This course explores the significance and impact of place-making, assessing past and current practices to create neighbourhoods that promote economic and social interaction, as well as environmental and civic well-being. Key concerns such as the changing role of high streets, low traffic neighbourhoods, and the importance of nature in the city are just a few of topics which provide deeper insights into everyday urban living, and generate lively debate.
Principles of urban design will be explained so that students can assess for themselves how working with residents and communities might generate more sustainable forms of urban living. Case studies drawn from global and contemporary contexts will enable students to assess the design and delivery of current urban developments, considering place-making as a guiding principle.
This course is part of a bundle of three complementary but independent online courses, additionally including Sustainable Cities: An Introduction and Cities in the Global South.