TCP3059 : Strategies Into Action: Urban Design
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Mr Danny Oswell
- Lecturer: Dr Michael Crilly
- 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 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
The module aims to support students to:
a) Develop a sophisticated understanding of the processes that guide development and change.
b) Understand the influences that shape urban design in that location, exploring the relationships between different activities in the same geographical area, and the relationships between the study area and other parts of the wider locality.
c) Devise appropriate strategies to provide a framework for future action, which spring from an understanding of the issues, opportunities and relationships which you have explored.
d) Identify priorities for action.
e) Devise effective delivery mechanisms whereby elements of the strategy can be put into practice.
f) Develop your interpersonal skills of negotiation, compromise, leadership, delegation and acceptance of responsibility within a team framework.
g) Develop report writing, graphic design and visual methods of presenting your strategy in a masterplan or other visual format
h) Develop specialist communication skills through a mix of mapping and three dimensional modelling
Outline Of Syllabus
Initial introductory lecture to the project and site visit.
A series of short lectures on key issues in urban design processes.
Weekly roaming tutorials and seminars to support the students with analyzing the place and developing a robust understanding of the characteristics and dynamics of the locality, and to determine the issues that the strategy will address including how to present these graphically.
Interim presentation of background report
Weekly roaming tutorials on developing strategies for the site and evaluating these, as well as considering issues of delivery
Presentation of Strategy Formulation of final background report and visual strategy Final submission of both reports in a joint document
Ongoing reflexive journal in the form of a Blog, monitored by tutor 2 x sessions on desktop publishing software
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | In person, or synchronous/pre-recorded to be watched in advance and time to be given to workshops |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 2 | 3:30 | 7:00 | Interim and final presentation / Design Review with discussion |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 11 | 3:00 | 33:00 | After session, directed/signposted material |
| Guided Independent Study | Skills practice | 4 | 2:00 | 8:00 | Graphic design software training, mapping and modelling. Optional sessions available as recorded ma |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 10 | 2:00 | 20:00 | In person or online if needed |
| Guided Independent Study | Project work | 1 | 100:00 | 100:00 | Ongoing group project/studio or online work |
| Guided Independent Study | Reflective learning activity | 3 | 3:00 | 9:00 | Skills audit, pilot digital mapping and modelling |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Fieldwork | 2 | 4:30 | 9:00 | Two site visits. Introduction and survey. In the event of not possible, will be a virtual tour and |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 1 | 3:00 | 3:00 | Introduction to the module |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Initial lecture introduces the module development scenarios, the different hypothetic development clients and the selected project site, combined with visit / guided tour.
Small, mixed skill project teams are selected on the basis of an initial skills audit, to provide a balanced professional group with core skills. Project manager is nominated for each group, roles / responsibilities assigned and protocols are established for digital data collaboration, management and sharing.
The module delivery structure follows a typical ‘real-world’ design project scenario and project plan. Subsequent weekly lectures give cohort-wide teaching on topics that inform all projects, that are specific to the task / project stage being undertaken. Guided reading and information sources are supplemented for each of the different project groups requirements.
Group tutorials and practical seminars allow students to gain from staff expertise and provides them with opportunities to discuss their particular strategy.
Detailed technical workshops will introduce practical ICT tasks for modelling, mapping and graphic design.
Peer-review presentation, design review and feedback sessions (including one for the presentation of the background study and one for the draft design strategy) allow for peer-to-peer learning and share the diversity of approaches as defined for the different development client sectors. These presentations will be formative only, and enable students to present their own work and engage with verbal feedback from the tutor and discussion with tutor and peers, and to observe and comment on others’.
The fieldwork and private study enable students to gain an in-depth understanding of the locality (through field visits or alternative ‘virtual’ field trips), and to follow up evidence and policy documents in relation to it. It also provides time for students to gain an understanding of policy mechanisms, and to reflect on key issues related to strategy making.
Students will also need to organise their time/plan future actions, meet to discuss their various activities, set up and maintain their field work log-book on the Blog, and draw together their strategy and presentation (Group-learning).
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 2 | M | 50 | Group Strategy and Framework (Individual student contribution 2000 words). Summative Submission |
| Design/Creative proj | 2 | M | 50 | Individual Design Proposals. Summative Submission. |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Presentation | 2 | M | Group Strategy and Framework. Formative Submission |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Following a detailed review of the assessment processes for this module carried out between the Module Leader and Lecturer, the overall number assessments has been reduced in line with the University's Assessment Exemption Policy. This was done as the feeling was that at 20 credits, the module was being over-assessed.
Group Report, Framework and Strategy - containing the vision, priorities and policies for the strategy. Each report will comprise 8,000 words (or the equivalent, of where a more visual approach is agreed between the Module leader, Tutor and students) per group of four students, or 2,000 words per individual student.
The individual Master Plan will allow students to create their own piece of work in the period towards the end of the semester, taking on board student feedback in previous years.
The Strategy and (formative) presentation tests the students’ visual presentation and writing skills, their ability to understand an area and determine its key issues, their ability to articulate their intentions clearly (through a range of different media), and to reflect on the limitations of their strategy-making. The final presentation also provides an opportunity for them to demonstrate their ability to respond to questions informatively and to respond to feedback in finalising their Strategy and individual Masterplan.
Students will work in accordance the Group Work Policy.
This module will be subject to Peer Review.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- TCP3059's Timetable