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PLAN4003W

Academic Year 2025/2026

Introduction to Urban Design (PLAN4003W)

Subject:
Planning
College:
Engineering & Architecture
School:
Architecture, Plan & Env Pol
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Caterina Villani
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

The course will explore case studies of urban development which strategically integrate public transportation, pedestrian and bicycle planning at a regional scale, city scale and neighborhood scale. Overall, this course will ask students to question the space occupied by car in our cities and identify more sustainable alternatives. Topics include transit-oriented development, walkable and cyclable cities and neighbourhoods. Examples will include case studies in high density Asian cities. Students learn through lectures, invited speakers, group work, readings, real-time data collection of different transport modes, creation of analytical drawings and case studies presentation. The course is structured in thematic classes that combine lecture-based sessions and tutorial sessions for group work. The assignment will require students to familiarize themselves with international case studies representing different degrees of pedestrian-cycling friendly neighborhoods. Students are expected to apply the theoretical concepts studied in the analysis of the case studies.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

1. To become familiar with basic concepts of transit-oriented development and walkable and cyclable cities.
2. To recognise and categorise local and international case studies representing transit oriented and pedestrian-cycling friendly neighbourhoods.
3. To collaborate with others in the analysis of street intersections and examine ways to improve urban sustainability.
4. To understand the urban design characteristics of street intersections connected to urban designs that either facilitate or sustainable mobilities, using open data of real time street level activities.

Indicative Module Content:

The course will explore case studies of urban development which strategically integrate public transportation, pedestrian and bicycle planning at a regional scale, city scale and neighborhood scale. Topics include transit-oriented development, walkable and cyclable cities and neighbourhoods. Examples will include case studies in high density Asian cities. This module explores the property development and investment processes and relates these issues to urban design and neighborhood form. Students learn through lectures, invited speakers, group work, readings, real-time data collection, creation of analytical drawings and case studies presentation. The course is structured in thematic classes that combine one lecture-based session and a tutorial session for group work and/or field trips.

The assignment will require students to familiarise themselves with local and international case studies representing different degrees of pedestrian-cycling friendly neighborhoods

The course will be structured around theory lectures during the first three weeks aimed at providing students with basic concepts on transit oriented development and sustainable urban planning. The following tutorial sessions will provide students practical skills to develop their group projects.

The course will be structured around two units:
1) Concepts of transit-oriented development and walkable neighbourhoods - Theory lectures
2) Mapping street intersections - Studio sessions

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

50
Lectures

8
Tutorial

10
Studio

32
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Students learn through:
lectures,
invited speakers,
group work,
readings,
direct observation,
creation of analytical drawings
case studies presentation

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Exclusions:

This module is delivered overseas and is not available to students based at the UCD Belfield or UCD Blackrock campuses.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Group Work Assignment: Midterm group presentation Week 10 Graded No
40
 No
Group Work Assignment: Final online submission:
a) Final group work submission (30%)
b) Individual report on AI-generated images (20%)
c) Participation and engagement (10%)		 Week 15 Graded No
60
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

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