CRP 386
Urban Design for Planners

Instructor: Prof. Anne Beamish
Time: Monday/Wednesday, 9:00-10:30 AM
Location: SUT 2.112
Phone: 471-1922

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to introduce planners to both the theory and practice of urban design, with a special focus on public space, and to build the basic skills and background needed for further work in urban design.

There are three themes to the course. The first is theoretical and will cover the development of cities and urban environments, and in particular how public spaces such as streets, parks, communities, neighborhoods, etc. have developed, how we use them, and how they have changed over time. This course will approach understanding public space through its physical characteristics as well as the behavioral, cultural, sociological, and/or historical perspective of people who inhabit the space. Topics include: city form, social and cultural production of space, privatization, community and public life, streets, parks, gender differences in the use of public space, and the basic design requirements for successful public space.

The second will focus on the practice of urban design and familiarizing students with the design process, including designing and creating physical objects or spaces, presenting work to colleagues and critiquing other's work. In this course it is assumed that both urban designers and planners design. Designers may produce a physical place, space, or object and planners may produce a more abstract policy, plan or process, but both are based on design in the larger sense of approaching problems and finding solutions through listening, observing, reflecting, and responding. Students will also have the opportunity to practice design skills on several projects, ranging from the very small-scale to the urban level.

The third theme that ties together theory and practice is learning basic visual communication techniques that are used to observe and analyze existing urban environments, as well as designing and presenting original work. Students will learn to observe and represent the city through visual observation, measuring, analysis, and drawing. Note that in this course, design is not synonymous with drawing. Design is considered to be a process with an outcome while graphic techniques such as drawing are used to develop, communicate, illustrate, and describe that outcome. Though they may not be the same, they are often complementary skills.

Prerequisites:

This course is intended for students with limited or no design background, but those with design experience are also welcome.

Course Structure and Evaluation

The course will involve a combination of lectures, discussions of assigned readings and student projects, assignments involving analysis and documentation of urban spaces, and design projects.

The course will also use online facilities including ArchNet and UT's Blackboard. All students will be responsible for regularly accessing and using these digital group spaces. More information on these resources will be provided in class.

Design Exercises: There will be three design exercises that range from the very small to medium scale. These are intended as exercises to introduce students to the design process, presenting their work, critiquing others, and to build some of the skills needed for the larger-scale assignments.

Assignments: There will be three major assignments. One will consist of analyzing and documenting an Austin neighborhood, and the second will focus on proposals for a public monument. The final project will be the design of a small-scale an urban public space in Austin. A handout with more detailed requirements will be handed out prior to each assignment.

Evaluation: Course grades will be based on class participation, three design exercises, a neighborhood analysis projects, and a final design project. The grades will be weighted as follows:

Class Participation and Attendance 20%
Design Exercise 1 5%
Design Exercise 2 5%
Design Exercise 3 10%
Neighborhood Analysis 20%
Design of a Public Space 20%
Final Urban Design Project 20%
Total: 100%

Late Policy: Assignments and projects should be handed in at the end of class on the due date. See class schedule for dates. Late assignments will lose 20% of the grade for every 24-hour period overdue. (For example, an assignment that is 1-24 hours late will lose 20% of the grade for that assignment. An assignment that is 25-48 hours late will lose 40% of the grade for that assignment, and so on.) The three design exercises must be complete and presented during the class-late projects will not be accepted.

Books and Readings

The following books have been placed on reserve in the library. Students are not required to purchase any books, but some may wish to purchase a copy for their personal use. A limited number of copies have been ordered at the University Coop.

TBA

Copies of most chapters and articles will be available online in PDF format and may be printed by the student for his or her own use. See course outline for schedule of readings.

Please complete all required readings in advance of each class and be prepared to discuss them.

Materials:

Sketchbook. Camera (film or digital). Any other presentation materials or equipment required to complete exercises and assignments.