This course covers the fundamentals of urban design theory and invites students to apply these theories in neighborhood design. The course surveys major historical and contemporary trends in urban design theory and practice, and introduces contemporary theories on the future forces affecting the development and functioning of urban regions. We will discuss cities at multiple scales and will apply our evolving understanding to development at the neighbourhood scale in locations in the Vancouver area. The course is designed to provide a collaborative, interactive, applied and community based environment for the development of spatial thinking and basic urban design literacy. No prior design or drawing experience is required.Objectives:1. The primary objective of the course is to introduce students to prevailing ideas in the field of urban design and to the anticipated challenges that will likely affect the evolution of cities.2. The course is designed to provide a collaborative, interactive, applied and community based environment for the development of spatial thinking and basic urban design literacy.
By the end of the course students will have gained the following:1. direct experience in understanding, interpreting and applying theories of urban design;2. a basic capacity to critique urban design and the normative doctrines that produce them;3. an understanding of urban design as a dynamic force integral to the evolution of cities;4. an introduction to a range of methodological approaches to the spatial analysis of cities.5. an introduction to the language and terminology of land use and urban design;6. a heightened awareness of the details of the built environment to foster lifelong design learning.
