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Course Outline

Description of general intent

This course provides an introduction to the principles and methods of urban design in a contemporary New Zealand context. It identifies a series of design issues commonly encountered within New Zealand towns and cities, and it provides conceptual and practical tools which can be used to address these. It does not produce “trained” urban designers. It augments the skills of practising professionals from other disciplines so that these individuals are better able to assess design proposals and consider the implications of design decisions.

General outline of content

The course has two main components:

Seminars

Five presentations address urban design principles and methods. Each seminar is divided into modules (typically four) to allow flexible delivery by a number of presenters.

The sixth and final presentation illustrates current best practice with reference to one or more case studies. It emphasises implementation and integration of design approaches.

Workshops

Working in small multi-disciplinary teams, participants produce design proposals for a local development site.

 

Seminar presentations and workshop sessions are fully integrated. They progress from generic principles and large-scale features of urban form to local conditions and design at a site and individual building scale. These two learning experiences alternate throughout the two-day programme, allowing an iterative approach to workshop tasks and encouraging a balance between listening and doing. The workshop sequence culminates with a critical review of workshop outcomes.

The sequence of seminar topics and workshop tasks is as follows:

Seminar 1: Introduction

  • What is urban design?
  • Relationship to the New Zealand Urban Design Protocol
  • The value of urban design

Seminar 2: Urban Structure

  • Do cities have a coherent structure?
  • Benefits of a well-structured city
  • Elements of urban structure
    • Workshop: Phase 1 understanding context (macro level)
      • creating a public space framework
      • pathways and connectivity (macro level)
      • land use and density

Seminar 3: Site and Neighbourhood Planning

  • Concepts of urban space
  • Connections: visual and physical
  • Activity: mixed use and density
    • Workshop: Phase 2
      • understanding context (neighbourhood level)
      • pathways and connectivity (micro level)
      • creating positive spaces between buildings

Seminar 4: Built Form and Neighbourhood Character

  • How designers work
  • Buildings which are not designed
  • Scale

Seminar 5: Public Space Design

  • Qualities of good public space
  • Types of public space and their role
  • Streets
    • Workshop: Phase 3 site-specific design guidelines
      • bulk and location controls
      • public space design
      • layout and function of internal spaces
      • elevational treatments
      • interface between public and private, interior and exterior
    • Workshop: Phase 4
      • Presentation of designs
      • Comparative review of alternative design strategies
      • Critical assessment of outcomes

Seminar 6: Implementation

  • Visionmaking
  • Organisation
  • Observations

Note: The course generally follows the format of Urbanism Down Under training sessions held in Auckland in October and December 2004.

Target audience

The course is geared to practising professionals from all sectors involved in the design, management or implementation of the built environment. In particular, the course will appeal to policy makers, property developers, planners, architects, landscape architects, transportation planners, traffic engineers and land surveyors. In a similar manner to real-life urban design projects, the course will bring together design and non-design disciplines. Participants from a broad range of professional backgrounds will collaborate in the workshop process.

Learning objectives

By the end of the course, participants should have done the following:

  1. Developed a greater awareness of the principles and methods of urban design as applied to a contemporary New Zealand context.
  2. Acquired a visual and verbal design vocabulary which allows a more articulate description and discussion of design issues.
  3. Acquired conceptual tools necessary to assess design proposals and/or consider the implications of design decisions.
  4. Developed a better understanding of the multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary aspects of urban design.
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