Postgraduate taught 

City Planning MSc

Designing Resilient Places URBAN5010

  • Academic Session: 2025-26
  • School: School of Social and Political Sciences
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

This course provides an introduction to the history and theory of urban design alongside studio-based design skills training on creative urban design methods that enhance the public realm and create sustainable and resilient places.

Timetable

30 hours of timetabled on-campus teaching in Semester 2, delivered as follows:

 

- Full day 6hr studio workshop (1hr lecture + 2hr fieldwork + 3hr studio workshop) delivered once (Wk1)

- 3 hourly blocks (1hr lecture + 2hr studio workshop), once per week, over 8 consecutive weeks (Wks2-9)

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Both modes of summative assessment will use creative maps and drawings and draw upon the history and theory of urban design and resilience, as follows:

 

1. Group-based urban design analysis of the built environment (40%)

2. Individual resilient urban design proposal for the built environment (60%)

Course Aims

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the history, theory and methods of urban design and to develop students' practical urban design skills in a studio environment. Students will gain a conceptual and critical appreciation of the placemaking process, and a practice-orientated understanding of how urban design principles are used to shape resilient and sustainable places.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Describe the historical evolution of the urban design discipline.

■ Appreciate and critique the foundational and emerging theories of urban design and resilience.

■  Critically evaluate the quality of the built environment using analytical urban design methods, including drawing and mapping.

■ Apply urban design theory to the design of the public realm by proposing resilient urban design solutions using creative urban design methods

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.

 

Minimum requirement for award of credit for students on MSc City Planning and MSc City Planning & Real Estate Development is D3 or above.

 

Students on other qualifications then University standard regulations apply.