Urban Design (URBA)

This course studies the city from the perspective of ecology. Water, soils, vegetation and urban infrastructure are understood as ecosystem networks and potential determinants of energy flows. Best practices in landscape urbanism are studied. Zoning, density, land-use patterning and infrastructure design, adaptation and renewal are evaluated for sustainability and livability. New Urbanism, landscape urbanism and other contemporary practices in urban design are studied and evaluated.

This course serves as a workshop for hypothesis formulating research, analysis and topic proposal for the urban design and development thesis.

This thesis studio is the first of the two-term sequence for the conceptual and preliminary team effort of an urban design and development (URBA) investigation. The thesis is informed by research and topic development in a thesis preparation seminar. Permission may be granted by the faculty, in unusual circumstances, for a specialized research thesis in urban design and development, such as history, law and implementation of urban development.

This thesis studio is the second of the two-term sequence for the development and presentation of an interdisciplinary team design thesis. Upon satisfactory completion of the thesis, the work is documented, formally presented and archived.