Urban Design and Planning

This MCD taught programme is fully accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute and is offered both in full-time and part-time mode.

Urban design and planning is a complex field that requires an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on expertise from the landscape, architecture, engineering, social sciences, and environmental sciences.

Our course will introduce you to the fundamental concepts of urban design and planning, providing you with a solid foundation in the principles and practices of designing and managing urban spaces. You will explore the social, economic, and environmental challenges that cities face today and learn how to address these challenges through innovative design and planning strategies.

By the end of the course, you will be able to analyse urban contexts, develop urban design proposals, and evaluate the social, economic, and environmental impacts of projects at different scales. Whether you aspire to become an urban designer, planner, or researcher, this course will provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in your future endeavours.

What you'll learn

• A critical appreciation of challenges facing modern society in terms of the need to reconcile economic growth and development with protecting and conserving the environment.
• An understanding of the diversity of planned interventions at a variety of spatial scales, which are designed to produce effective and implementable solutions to policy dilemmas.
• A range of analytical skills and techniques that are designed to develop appropriate and implementable solutions to a range of complex problems.
• You’ll get the opportunity to apply your knowledge, skills and understanding to the achievement of feasible solutions to real-life problems.
• Develop the ability to appreciate the need to adopt strong professional values and ethics, recognising the diversity of interests that planning serves.
• Explore ideas, perspectives and debates in planning and urban design, including through a residential field class.