Subject coordinator: Professor Nicholas Phelps
Senior tutor: Dejan Malenic
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The subject introduces students to the theoretical perspectives and skills relevant to the study and practice of urban design and planning. It builds a broad understanding of the ways urban designers and planners might successfully intervene in urban places. It gives students some of the practical means to be able to develop plans, policies and designs to improve urban places, and to achieve multiple objectives. Throughout the semester, students developed key skills for writing, drawing, urban analysis, design, and working at the scales relevant to urban design and planning. Students were asked to consider the urban environment at different scales and develop analysis and planning skills with two major assignments; a transect of a tram line in Melbourne, and a strategic plan for one of three study sites – Morwell, Casey City Council, or Southbank.
Transect: The transect is a simple method for producing descriptive data on landforms and urban and natural environments. It has recently been used as part of ‘New Urbanist’ approach to surveying the urban. It also has a place in ‘psychogeographical’ accounts of the city. Many of us transect the city daily by foot, tram, rail, car and our understanding of the city is derived significantly from this daily ‘slice’ we take through the city. Students were asked to create a transect of Melbourne by selecting a tram line, and sketching one building at a number of tram stops along the line, while also analysing their context in the wider urban environment to determine how the environment, and our perception of the environment, changes along the tram line.
Strategic Plan: In groups students were expected to develop a comprehensive strategic plan on one of three case study sites – Morwell, Casey City Council, or Southbank. This plan was the culmination of everything learned throughout the semester, and included a site analysis with a set of strategies, policies and plans to improve the area in some way. Students were expected to develop and critically reflect on their vision and strategy by assuming the role of an urban planning practitioner, with a specific focus on the urban scale of their chosen site. Students were also required to develop mapping skills and have a significant visual component to their strategic plan, illustrating their interventions.
Transect: Harry Quail, Anjela Matijas, Jing Dai, Fan Zhao, Kelsey Chang, Grace Wilson
Transect: Thomas Kay, Caitlin Hull, Jovy Kong, Saskia Richardson, Lachlan Borg
Strategic Plan: Sarah Lau, Jiajun Xiang, Lee Hee Yeon, Xiangying He, Yeqi Wang
Strategic Plan: Thomas Friedman, Sarah Winter-Irving, William Mai, Rina Yoshida, Wenqi Zhao
