TCP8090 : Principles and Practice of Urban Design (MAUD)
- Offered for Year: 2026/27
- Module Leader(s): Dr Laura Pinzon Cardona
- Owning School: Architecture, Planning & Landscape
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
1. To gain an awareness of design concepts and debates around the built environment
2. To set the work of urban designers within the broad context of the development processes and products involved in the creation, intervention and discussion of the built environment.
3. To familiarise future urban designers with the disciplines and narratives involved in shaping the built environment.
This is a lecture-based module involving a number of practitioners from various specialist fields in the built environment, aiming to familiarise and bring awareness to students on a variety of aspects of urban design as well as make links between contemporary theory, research and issues, and design practice. The assessment of the module is designed to promote these links. The module comprises of theoretical as well as practical issues and is available as optional to a variety of related courses.
Outline Of Syllabus
This module introduces students to a broad range of perspectives, debates, and practices in Urban Design through a combination of guest lectures, key readings, and debates. It invites students to engage critically with the ideas and practices as well as the power relations that shape contemporary cities. The module draws from diverse theoretical and practical viewpoints bringing together multiple themes that reflect current challenges and approaches in urban design. The module is structured around two core components:
• Lectures where module leaders and guest speakers spark debate on issues including but not limited to spatial and environmental justice, urban regeneration, sustainable mobility, public space, housing challenges, smart cities and digital tools in urban design, collective city-making, citizen participation, risk management and nature-based solutions.
• A blog-writing component, in which students reflect critically on selected themes emerging from the lectures and readings, developing their ability to communicate urban design ideas to a wider audience.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 48:00 | 48:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | Present in Person |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 20:00 | 20:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 5 | 2:00 | 10:00 | N/A |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures will provide an introduction to the subject matter. The lectures are case-based, interactive and include discussion at various key points. At times they include workshop activities, which are fruitful due to the multidisciplinary nature of the module and guest lecturers, offering a chance for students to link ideas discussed with a particular case or their own experiences. The Urban Design Blog offers students the opportunity to investigate deeper into one of the subjects that has interested them from the lectures, whilst developing skills in reflexivity, research, writing, synthetising ideas and audiovisual communication.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reflective log | 1 | M | 100 | 2x600-800 word blog entries (1 thematic in response to module lectures, and 1 final reflexive summary), 1 x 1min thematic video or 8-slide infographic carousel for the blog, 2 x 300 reflexive comments on two different blog entries from cohort peers. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Assessment Criteria are aligned with criteria for assessing academic writing in postgraduate level and communication skills aimed at publics beyond academia.
• Structure and narrative of blog posts, demonstrating reflective thinking in connection with the module’s central concept.
• Robustness of argument and reflexivity of comments, adding value on others’ perspectives.
• Links to module’s lectures and relevant literature.
• Adding value to the topic referred to by the blog posts by bringing in new and substantiated perspectives and sources.
• Presentation including audiovisual materials and language.
• Quality of referencing (Harvard Style).
• Unique personal critical and constructive viewpoint presented in commentary of overall experience.
• Participation to the blog, management, attendance and frequency of posting.
• Clarity and engagement of audiovisual narratives with accessible language for publics beyond academia.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- TCP8090's Timetable